The environmental science programme at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College is interdisciplinary, combining aspects of all of the natural sciences, specifically as they contribute to a greater awareness and understanding of the environment. The programme provides a broad education and includes courses designed to enhance your appreciation of the scientific, social, cultural and political issues that impinge on the environment. It also provides focused in-depth knowledge in a single discipline as it relates to the environment. With its two streams, chemistry and biology, this degree will be attractive to students who are seeking higher education in a focused environmental science programme and who value a special locale that offers a friendly atmosphere and high quality instruction.

Studying the Environment....

For thousands of years, humans have regarded this planet as an infinite source of raw materials and as the ultimate garbage container. As we enter the third millennium, we realize that these attitudes must change. It is the environmental scientist who will monitor our surroundings, catalogue the ecological relationships of natural habitats, track and analyze pollutants, and aid in the revitalization of contaminated aquatic, aerial, and terrestrial environments.  Environmental scientists will be at the forefront of the efforts to develop sustainable ways of living. 

How do biological and chemical processes control the viability of the biosphere? How do we determine the effect of human activities on the natural world? What can be done to protect existing habitats and to restore damaged and degraded habitats? As scientists attempt to answer these questions, the knowledge they acquire is applied to our world in countless ways. As we become more aware of the effects we have on the planet Earth, people who can help us solve the various problems created by humans will be in demand.

...on Newfoundland's West Coast

Memorial University's undergraduate environmental science programme is offered only at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College in Corner Brook. The city, located on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland, is an ideal place to undertake studies of the environment.

...at Grenfell College

Within an hour's drive of campus, you can observe a range of natural habitats that have been subjected to varying levels of human disturbances. These habitats include wetlands, boreal forest, the ocean, river systems, and sub-Arctic tundra. For contrast, the Gros Morne National Park, a world heritage site for its geology, and its new Discovery Centre, is available as a natural laboratory for the observation and study of undisturbed natural systems.