Programs At A Glance

M.BEMA Program for full-time students - what does 1 year look like from September to August?

M.BEMA Program for part-time students - what does 2 years look like?

G.Dip in BEMA Program for full-time students - what does 8 months look like from September to April?

The part-time option is also available for the G.Dip program, which can be completed in 2 or 3 years, depending on how many courses taken per term.

M.Sc. in BEMA degree: 28-month thesis-based research program (full-time)

Year 1 (3 terms/12 months):

Students will take 1 online core course, Sampling Design for Environmental Research (BEMA 5008H) OR Data Analysis for Environmental Professionals (BEMA 5003H), in Fall of Year 1, as well as register for the Thesis course (GSFT 500) in all 3 terms.  The required BEMA Placement course, a 4-month paid professional placement, may also be completed during the Summer term of Year 1, depending on partnership opportunities and discussions with the supervisor.  As part of the funding package, students will also receive their Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) assignments for the Fall and Winter terms, equivalent to 120 hrs per term. 

Year 2 (3 terms/12 months):

Students will continue enrollment in the Thesis course (GSFT 500) in all 3 terms and complete the placement in the Fall or Winter term if it was not completed in Year 1.  Students will receive their Graduate Teaching Assistantship in the Fall or Winter term, depending on when their placement is completed (students will not be able to complete a GTA while completing their paid placement).

Year 3 (1 term/4 months):

Students will enroll in the Thesis course (GSFT 500) for 1 remaining term and receive their final GTA assignment. The MSc degree will be granted following a successful defense and submission of the thesis.

Program Regulations & Course Requirements:

See the Graduate Academic Calendar for complete BEMA Program regulations & course requirements.

Students in the M.BEMA program are required to take 8 online courses over the Fall & Winter terms (5 core & 3 elective),  and the Placement and the Capstone courses (in-person, Summer term). Students enrolled in part-time studies must take BEMA 5000H and BEMA 5003H in the first fall term, if completing the program in two years. M.BEMA students must complete all online courses prior to starting the Placement and Capstone courses, unless approved by the Program Director. Students in the G.Dip program are required to take 4 core and 2 elective courses. Students in the MSc program are required to take 1 core course, complete a professional placement and a thesis.

Students must attain at least a B- (70%) in all core courses to remain registered in the program. Students who obtain less than 70% in a required course will not be permitted to retake the course and will be required to withdraw from the program, unless otherwise permitted through appeal to the program. Students who obtain less than 70% in an elective course may take another course in substitution, if available. If 70% is not obtained in the substituted course, the student will then be obliged to withdraw from the program.

Core Courses:

BEMA 5000H: Principals of Environmental Monitoring and Assessment I (Fall term, 0.5 credit)

This course will introduce students to the basic principles and theory of biological and environmental monitoring and assessment. Students will learn about tools for monitoring biotic systems in the environment, the importance of geomatics, the role of environmental action plans, environmental monitoring and forecasting, as well as environmental law and policy considerations.

BEMA 5008H: Sampling Design for Environmental Research (Fall term, 0.5 credit)

This course will introduce students to a variety of sampling design approaches to effectively monitor environmental change. Students will learn how to quantify changes in environmental parameters, model species distributions and population changes, select and implement appropriate sampling protocols, and make predictions regarding the fate of ecological communities and ecosystems.

BEMA 5003H: Data Analysis for Environmental Professionals (Fall term, 0.5 credit)

This course will expose students to statistical approaches and tests that are especially relevant to uncontrolled environmental research, including how to conduct original analysis and inference from messy data. Students will gain the ability to quickly, efficiently and correctly determine what analysis to use for a given scenario and how to ensure that the analysis is robust and defensible, develop skills in translating statistical results to environmental inference, and develop familiarity with the open-access R statistical software platform. Prerequisite for Winter electives, BEMA 5010H (Landscape Ecology) & BEMA 5011H (Population Viability Analysis); recommended for BEMA 5005H (Geomatics I).

BEMA 5002H: Principals of Environmental Monitoring and Assessment II (Winter term, 0.5 credit)

This course will introduce information on environmental ethics, stakeholder perspectives, indigenous land claims, and environmental repair and remediation, and provide students with practical experience working on environmental assessments and action plans. Students should expect to get a good grasp of key players within the environmental sector, and know methods, considerations and key components used in assessments of current or future-impacted environmental systems.

BEMA 5004H: Communicating Science for Environmental Professionals (Winter term, 0.5 credit) (View sample lecture)

This course will cover effective writing and presentation of scientific information for both scientific and non-scientific audiences. Issues regarding authorship, language and selection of reputable references will be covered in detail. Students will learn strategies and styles for effective writing and presenting and will learn how to interpret scientific information for non-scientific audiences.

BEMA 5013H: BEMA Placement (Summer term, 1.5 credits) (M.BEMA Students only)

This core course will provide students with the opportunity to spend up to 15 weeks gaining professional experience in the environmental sector, followed by a 1-week face-to-face Capstone course at the Peterborough campus. Placements will be arranged in consultation with the Placement Coordinator and will be within government, conservation authority, environmental consultant, ENGO or industry agencies. Students will work with placement partners to decide on the scope of work and appropriate deliverables such as technical reports and presentations.

BEMA 5014H: BEMA Capstone (Summer term, 0.5 credit) (M.BEMA Students only)

Students will attend the Capstone week course in-person in the 4th week of August on the Peterborough campus (Sunday to Friday), where they will work in groups on a mock environmental impact assessment, conduct field work, participate in workshops and present to their peers. Students needing accommodations will have access to Trent University residence rooms for the week, at a reduced cost.

Elective Courses:

Please note some electives may not be offered in all years.

BEMA 5001H: Current Topics in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (Fall term, 0.5 credit, View sample lecture)

This course will provide students with the opportunity to learn about current environmental monitoring and assessment issues and challenges faced by environmental professionals in the field. This course will place students at the cutting edge of the discipline by reviewing recent video reports and articles on hot topics of broad societal importance, and having students discuss these in a video and written format.

BEMA 5010H: Landscape Ecology (Fall term, 0.5 credit)

This course will provide students with a solid foundation in landscape ecology, including new approaches to resource management and conservation that consider ecosystem processes in large spatial and temporal scales. Important concepts central to landscape ecology research such as dispersal, connectivity, and habitat fragmentation will be examined in detail, as well as the current methods used in landscape ecology research design and analysis. Prerequisite or co-requisite - BEMA 5003H (Data Analysis).

BEMA 5005H: Geomatics I (Winter term, 0.5 credit, View sample lecture)

This course will provide an introductory overview of the geomatics discipline, including remote sensing, geographical information systems (GIS), global positioning systems (GPS), spatial modelling, and terrain analysis. Students will be introduced to analytical operations in vector, raster and integrated environmental datasets, with practical applications learned through online labs, field, student participation and group project activities. Recommended - BEMA 5003H (Data Analysis).

BEMA 5009H: Environmental Policy (Fall term, 0.5 credit)

This course covers key environmental laws and policies related to environmental protection, land use, and natural resource management and conservation. Students will gain an understanding of jurisdiction, how to navigate and interpret legislation, and will review environmental legislation that establishes rules, standards, permitting, compliance, and enforcement mechanisms. Commonly incorporated key principles will be discussed, including public participation, impact assessment, mitigation, and risk management.

BEMA 5011H: Population Viability Analysis (Winter term, 0.5 credit)

This course will introduce students to quantitative and contemporary methods in population viability analysis (PVA). Students will develop skills for robust analysis of a range of plant and animal data to determine rates of change and its variation, extinction time and probability, and population sensitivity to various forms of intervention. Prerequisite - BEMA 5003H (Data Analysis).

BEMA 5006H: Genome-based Environmental Monitoring (0.5 credit, View sample lecture)

This course will provide insight into how DNA is being used to trace contaminated food, track the source of disease out-breaks, enforce wildlife protection statutes, enforce environmental protection laws, enhance invasive species detection, identify bioterrorism agents and their source, and a variety of other applications. Assignments will include case reports addressing the leading-edge technologies in forensic cases using non-human DNA to help solve crimes.