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Doctor of Philosophy in Resources, Environment and Sustainability (PhD)

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The Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES) at the University of British Columbia (UBC) is a problem-focused and curiosity-driven interdisciplinary research institute and graduate program, with interest and expertise in a wide range of topics under the realm of environment and sustainability. Our mission is to foster sustainable futures through integrated research and learning about the linkages among human and natural systems, and to support decision making from local to global scales. More often than not, we achieve this through collaborations across students and faculty in a manner that recognizes our collective skills, intellectual histories and methodological approaches, and yet encourages our interdependencies as we consider real world problems.

For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website

What makes the program unique?

Over fifty percent of our core faculty are Canada Research Chairs and faculty mentoring has led to a high success rate of our students winning major fellowships and scholarships. There are multi-year funding packages offered for top applicants to the RES program. RES has over 400 alumni since the graduate program started in 1994.

The Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability at UBC is a highly interdisciplinary environment with a commitment to applied and problem-oriented research, and it is important to me that my work helps to solve real-world problems. IRES is also a top-ranked program in my field globally, with faculty and graduate students from all over the world who have an unbelievable breadth and depth of skills and interests.

Quick Facts

Program Enquiries

Admission information & requirements, 1) check eligibility, minimum academic requirements.

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:

• Canada or the United States
• International countries other than the United States

Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.

English Language Test

Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.

Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

Overall score requirement : 100

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Overall score requirement : 7.0

Other Test Scores

Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:

The GRE is not required.

Prior degree, course and other requirements

Prior degree requirements.

RES does not admit applicants to the PhD program unless they have completed a thesis-based master's degree prior to the RES PhD program start.

Course Requirements

There are no specific prerequisites for the RES PhD program other than you must have completed a thesis-based Masters degree from a recognized institution. As we are an interdisciplinary program, we accept applications from all disciples and backgrounds. Anyone interested in studying environmental/sustainability problems in an interdisciplinary way is encouraged to apply.

Document Requirements

The RES program requires all applicants to submit a thesis proposal with their application. Details of this can be found here: https://ires.ubc.ca/graduate-program/prospective-students/how-to-apply/

2) Meet Deadlines

3) prepare application, transcripts.

All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.

Letters of Reference

A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.

Statement of Interest

Many programs require a statement of interest , sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.

Supervision

Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Resources, Environment and Sustainability (PhD)

Citizenship verification.

Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.

4) Apply Online

All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.

Tuition & Financial Support

Financial support.

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.

Program Funding Packages

All full-time students who begin a UBC-Vancouver PhD program in September 2024 or later will be guaranteed a minimum funding package of $24,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD. This guaranteed minimum doctoral funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work (TA), Research assistantships (RA), and Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA).

Additional funding opportunities for PhD applicants may come from UBC’s Four Year Doctoral Fellowship (4YF) : an $18,200 stipend plus full tuition coverage per year, for four consecutive years.

RES students have also been highly successful in receiving support from the most prestigious funding agencies. Many of our students are Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)  or Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)   recipients, and in recent years we have seen our students receive both Vanier  Canada Graduate Scholarships  and the Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarship , the most highly-regarded scholarships in Canada. You can review a detailed list of the most commonly applied to scholarships on our website.

In addition to external scholarships and funding options noted above, RES typically distributes one-time entrance awards to the majority of incoming students. The amount of these awards varies year to year, however over the last three years the awards have been in the range of $3000-$5000.

It is important for applicants to the RES program to confirm the details of any funding package that may be available to them prior to accepting an offer of admission to the program.

Average Funding

• 8 students received Teaching Assistantships. Average TA funding based on 8 students was $6,018.
• 19 students received Research Assistantships. Average RA funding based on 19 students was $17,172.
• 12 students received Academic Assistantships. Average AA funding based on 12 students was $4,726.
• 32 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 32 students was $13,925.
• 16 students received external awards. Average external award funding based on 16 students was $30,208.

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)

Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union .

Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)

Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans .

All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.

Foreign government scholarships

Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.

Working while studying

The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.

International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.

A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement .

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.

Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.

Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.

Cost Estimator

Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

Career Outcomes

71 students graduated between 2005 and 2013: 1 graduate is seeking employment; for 8 we have no data (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016). For the remaining 62 graduates:

Sample Employers in Higher Education

Sample employers outside higher education, sample job titles outside higher education, phd career outcome survey, career options.

Our current students, alumni and faculty lead and serve on numerous international, national, non-governmental organizations (NGO) and regional bodies dedicated to protecting the environment and improving well-being.

Alumni on Success

Glen Hearns

Job Title Self Employed

Employer Self Employed

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Resources, Environment and Sustainability (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

This program went through a name change in previous years that may have included curriculum changes. It was previously known as: Doctor of Philosophy in Resource Management and Environmental Studies until 2015. Historical data on this page may include data collected under the previous name(s) of the program.

ENROLMENT DATA

Upcoming doctoral exams, tuesday, 2 april 2024 - 9:00am - room 203, wednesday, 8 may 2024 - 12:00pm - 316, liu institute for global issues, 6476 nw marine drive.

• Research Supervisors

Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors

These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.

This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.

• Boyd, David (Human rights)
• Chan, Kai (Natural environment sciences; Human Ecology; Ecology and Quality of the Environment; Social and Cultural Factors of Environmental Protection; Applied Ethics; Values and Lifestyles; Sustainable Development; conservation finance; Conservation science; cultural ecosystem services; Ecosystem services; environmental assessment; environmental values; incentive programs; payments for ecosystem services; resilience; social-ecological systems; sustainability science)
• Chang, Stephanie (All other social sciences, n.e.c.)
• Donner, Simon (Atmospheric sciences; Oceanography; Other media and communication; Climate Science; climate change impacts; Climate policy; Coastal Ecosystems; Marine Environment; Climate modelling and prediction; Science communication; Net-zero emissions; Coral reefs)
• Gantois, Joséphine (Human Dimensions of Biodiversity Conservation)
• Giang, Amanda (Atmospheric sciences; Mechanical engineering; Natural environment sciences; Atmospheric Pollutants; Chemical Pollutants; Climate Changes and Impacts; Public Policies; Social and Cultural Factors of Environmental Protection)
• Harris, Leila (Critical identity, ethnic and race studies; Gender, sexuality and education; Human rights, justice, and ethical issues; Africa; Development Policies; Drinking Water; Environmental justice; equity and social justice; Ethics and Fundamental Issues of Law and Justice; Fresh Water; Gender Relationship; gender and social difference; Ghana; International development; participatory resource management; Resources Management; Social Contract and Social Justice; Social and Cultural Factors of Environmental Protection; South Africa; Turkey and Middle East; Water; water governance; water politics)
• Johnson, Mark (Geology; Natural environment sciences; Agriculture; Biogeochemistry; Carbon cycle; Climate Changes and Impacts; data science; Ecohydrology; Ecology and Quality of the Environment; Fresh Water; Ground Water and Water Tables; Hydrological Cycle and Reservoirs; Land and Soil; land use; Running Water Hydrosystem; Water and Sustainability)
• Kandlikar, Milind (Climate change impacts and adaptation; Product life cycle; Environmental policy; Research, science and technology policy; Environmental impacts; Air Quality and Climate Change; Technological Risk; Technology and Development)
• Kremen, Claire (Natural environment sciences; Zoology; agroecological farming systems; Reconciliation of agricultural land use with biodiversity conservation; sustainable landscapes)
• Oberg, Gunilla (History and philosophy of science (including non-historical philosophy of science); Other earth and related environmental sciences, n.e.c.; Indigenous peoples environmental knowledge; All other social sciences, n.e.c.; Science and knowledge production; Scientific controversies surrounding the evaluation of chemical risk (epistemic and ontological); Indigenous data justice as related to chemicals regulation & management; Social and cultural factors of chemicals regulation & management; Vocabulary, Knowledge, Significance and Thought Building; environmental health; The challenge of teaching science as a process and not a deliverer of irrefutable facts; The role of deliberation in science)
• Ramankutty, Navin (Natural environment sciences; Public administration; Public policy; Public security policy; Agriculture; Climate Changes and Impacts; Climate impacts; Environment and Society; Global food security; Land use change; Sustainable agriculture)
• Satterfield, Theresa (Sustainable development, environmental health, First Nation & land management, social and cultural consequences of contamination)
• Wittman, Hannah (Sociology and related studies; Farming systems research; food sovereignty; Sustainable agriculture; socio-ecological systems; Agroecology)
• Zhao, Jiaying (Natural environment sciences; Psychology and cognitive sciences)

Doctoral Citations

Sample thesis submissions.

• A critical physical geography of conservation, water, and scientific research in the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia
• Advancing equity in water demand management among local governments in British Columbia, Canada
• Crop yield estimation in the Canadian Prairies : assessing the relative importance of scale, satellite and biophysical data
• Agricultural data governance, data justice, and the politics of novel agri-food technologies in Canada
• Understanding relationships between people and nature in the context of privately protected areas in Peru
• Messaging for wildlife conservation : leveraging attitudes, intentions, and actions for transformative change
• Inequality in global access to food and its implications for climate change and Sustainable Development Goals
• Interactions between the land surface and the near-surface atmosphere : implications for evaporative demand and evapotranspiration under a changing climate
• Exploring complexity in changing practices of care : a mixed methods inquiry into rights, relations, and knowledge in protected area conservation
• Just in principle? : assessing the contributions of organic farming to socio-ecological sustainability in Canadian agriculture
• Multi-hazard perspectives on risk perception, disaster preparedness, and emergency management

Related Programs

Same specialization.

• Master of Arts in Resources, Environment and Sustainability (MA)
• Master of Science in Resources, Environment and Sustainability (MSc)

At the UBC Okanagan Campus

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Sustainability

Further Information

Specialization.

Resources, Environment and Sustainability fosters sustainable futures through integrated research and learning concerning the linkages among human and natural systems and supports decision making for local to global scales. RES provides a home for graduate students focusing on the integration of the biophysical (ecological), socio-economic, and political realities of resource management within the context of a sustainable, healthy environment.

UBC Calendar

Program website, faculty overview, academic unit, program identifier, classification, social media channels, supervisor search.

Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form .

Charlotte Milne

I chose to come to UBC thanks to its unique placement as a university that advocates for and prioritizes the inclusion of Indigenous sciences alongside Western practices. I came for my fantastic supervisor Prof. Stephanie Chang, thanks to her world-renowned expertise in disaster risk and...

UBC is an incredible, world class university, and I’m so grateful to have landed here. Especially through my lab (Climate and Coastal Ecosystems) with Dr. Simon Donner and my colleagues at IRES, I have an amazing support network and a multitude of resources to access for my research. Through...

Jerry Achar

Joining UBC was a great deal for me because the University has high academic standards and a global reputation for producing cutting-edge research, competent graduate students and world leaders, and providing a conducive environment for personal and professional growth. The University has offered...

Curious about UBC for grad school?

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PhD in Environmental Sustainability

The goal of the PhD in Environmental Sustainability is to train leaders and professionals with the skills to develop, analyze and empirically assess policies and institutions that address the multiple challenges associated with the transition to sustainability. You will learn to consider environmental problems from the perspective of various disciplines (with an emphasis on science, law, economics and policy), all of which are critical to developing, implementing and evaluating solutions to environmental problems.

You will develop a strong understanding of the complexity of environmental sustainability problems, a critical awareness of the broad range of contributing factors and the methodological and communication skills you need to develop and share potential solutions.

Program information

• Program details
• Required Documents

View the  Environment sustainability program  page :

• Program requirements
• Course descriptions
• Admission requirements and criteria
• Admission deadlines for Canadian students
• Admission deadlines for International students

View specific requirements

You  must submit  these documents to complete your application:

Letter of intention

Provide an overview of your academic interests and career goals, and explain why you want to pursue this program. Describe your relevant studies or experience, and explain anything unusual in your academic history.

If your undergraduate degree is in something unrelated to environmental sustainability, indicate what background, experience or motivation you will bring to our program.

Recommendation letters

We require two (2) academic letters of recommendation. They must come from qualified academic scholars who can attest to and demonstrate your potential for graduate-level study or research.

The information about the individuals providing letters of recommendation is entered in your uoZone account, the student portal. You will receive an e-mail, with instructions,  after  your submit your OUAC application.

• Let the individuals know that the University of Ottawa’s letter of recommendation process is done online and is entirely confidential. They will receive a link by email to the secure online system.
• It is helpful to provide the individuals with a deadline in order to ensure they submit their letters of recommendation before the application deadline. Your application will not be considered complete ( and thus not evaluated ) until all your letters of recommendation are received.
• Letters of recommendation must be in English or French.
• We do not accept letters of recommendation from family members, friends, students, former or current classmates, employees or teaching assistants.
• It’s best to provide academic or work email addresses for those providing letters of recommendation. Email address from Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, etc. are discouraged.

Statement of Research Interests

The Statement of Research Interests shows your understanding of environmental sustainability issues, and your ability to describe the research you expect to conduct. It also helps to match you with a suitable supervisor, or to confirm that a supervisor you have contacted is right for you.

We understand that if you are admitted, your research area may change due to further research and guidance from your supervisor.

Your Statement of Research Interests should be no more than 1,000 words. It should identify an area of research in environmental sustainability that spans more than one discipline/knowledge area and has potential policy relevance.

Ensure that your statement is well written and structured. It should address the following, using sub-headings for each section (the word counts for each section are offered as guidelines only).

• Research area:   The area of research that interests you, including the problem you wish to address. (300 words) 
• Research question/hypothesis:  One or more research questions you wish to examine. Narrow your scope enough that your project can be completed. A research question like “What is the impact of climate change on Africa?” is too broad, whereas a question like “How does over-exploitation of groundwater in Africa affect girls’ attendance at school?” is clearly defined and possible to answer well. (100 words)
• Research methodology:  How you propose to go about answering your research question, with a focus on the methodological approach. (250 words)
• Relevant experience:  How your previous studies and/or your professional or community experience will help you address your proposed area of research. (150 words)
• Relevance:  How your research will improve the current state of knowledge in the proposed area, and its potential policy relevance. (200 words)

You may want to consult some of the many texts about choosing research and research methods. Two examples for introductory empirical economics and public policy are:

• Wooldridge, J.M.  Introductory Econometrics . 4th ed. South-Western, 2009. (chapter 19)
• Weimer, D. and Vining, A.  Policy Analysis: Concepts and Practice . 5th ed. Longman, 2010.   (chapters 1, 9, 14, 15)

Letter of Approval from your potential Supervisor 

A written statement from your potential uOttawa supervisor confirming their availability to act as your thesis supervisor.

An updated CV with your academic, professional and volunteer experience in environmental sustainability.

Submission of documents 

Once you have submitted your application and it has been transferred to uOttawa’s servers, you will receive an email with instructions on how to access uoZone, where you will be able to upload your documents.

You must upload a full set of documents for each program you are applying to through uoZone, the student portal.

• We  highly  recommend that you convert your documents to PDF formats.

Meet the Faculty

For questions about your application or the application process, contact us.  , institute of the environment.

University of Ottawa 120 University (6005) Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5

[email protected] 613-562-5689

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Environmental Sustainability Research Centre

In this section.

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The PhD in Sustainability Science aims to cultivate a sustainable and equitable future by offering a state-of-the-art education that integrates rigorous scientific practice with an understanding of the unique linkages between humans and the environment.

Watch: PhD in Sustainability Science Information Session - November 1, 2022

Degree Requirements

Students in the SSCI program will complete the following components to earn their degree:

• Core and elective course work (2 terms)
• Comprehensive examination (1 term)
• Research proposal development (1 term)
• Dissertation writing (7 terms)
• Submission and defence of dissertation (1 term)

For information about specific course requirements and degree structuring, visit the Brock University Graduate Calendar.

The PhD in Sustainability Science is designed to be completed in  4 years (12 terms).  Students who complete these requirements will earn the designation of Doctor of Philosophy.

Each year the ESRC offers graduate level courses to students in the SSCI program, and students in other graduate programs at Brock. Please note that not all elective courses are offered every year. For a full list of current graduate course offerings, visit the Brock Graduate Registration Guide .

Core Courses

SSCI 7P01 – Research Apprenticeship in Sustainability Science Advanced training in sustainability science research. Apprentice with a mentor on a research project to further theoretical development, methodological approaches, analytical sophistication, and/or communication skills.

SSCI 7P02 – Engaging with Community in Sustainability Science Experiential education with community in sustainability science via embedded problem-based learning or internship. Note: Course taught in conjunction with SSAS 5P03 (Problem Solving in the Environment)

SSCI 7P03 – Transdisciplinary Tutorial and Seminar in Sustainability Science Students engage in transdisciplinary collaboration to probe the boundaries of sustainability science scholarship by facilitating discussions on complex sustainability issues, presenting their research, and participating in scholarly exchanges about state-of-the-art research, policy and practice. Note: Course taught in conjunction with SSAS 5P04 (Transdisciplinary Seminar)

Elective Courses

SSCI 7P80 – Directed Study Specialized study in sustainability science on an individual basis, under the direction of a faculty member, to examine a significant topic in a student’s area of concentration.

SSCI 7V80-7V89 – Selected Topics in Sustainability Science A topic in sustainability science and society that will vary by instructor.

PhD students may also register for any of our Master’s level electives .

Progression Milestone Courses

SSCI 7P91 – Comprehensive Examination Comprehensive examination as set by the Supervisory Committee, in consultation with the Graduate Program Director/Graduate Program Sub-Committee. Note: This course will be evaluated as Credit/No-Credit

Dissertation Course

SSCI 7F90 – PhD Dissertation An in-depth research undertaking involving the preparation, public defence, and examination of a dissertation which makes a unique contribution to knowledge and demonstrates capacity for independent research, integration of knowledge, and understanding of sustainability science.

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We are no longer accepting applications for the Fall 2024 cohort of the PhD in Sustainability Science. The application portal for Fall 2025 will open in October 2024.

How to Apply

Ensure you meet our minimum admission requirements.

• Successful completion of a Masters-level degree (or equivalent) in environmental sciences, environmental studies, or a related field from an accredited university with an average of at least 80%.
• Successful completion of SSAS 5P01 (Foundations of Sustainability Science and Society) and SSAS 5P02 (Methods in Environmental Inquiry), or their equivalent, is also required. Applicants without these courses may take them during their initial year of study.
• Agreement of a core program faculty member to supervise your research.
• For students who must provide proof of English Language Proficiency, a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 80 (with no subtest below 19) or equivalent is required.

Please note that this program is competitive – meeting the mandatory requirements does not guarantee admission. Only applicants who are selected for interviews will be contacted.

Prepare all of the required application materials that will be considered by the SSCI Graduate Program Committee

1. written statement of intent.

Your written statement of intent must be written in English. This should be a formal essay (with cited references in text) that describes your motivation to enrol in the program, plans for your independent research and/or how this program will advance your professional and academic aspirations.

2. Curriculum Vitae

This document should include your education, employment, teaching and research activities/experience, publications (if any), and awards and/or scholarships.

3. List of Supervisors

In your OUAC application, you will be required to indicate a faculty member who has agreed to supervise your research in principle.

4. Three academic References

References should be from qualified academic scholars attesting to, and documenting, your potential for doctoral level study/research. For more information on reference requirements and procedures, click here .

5. TRANSCRIPTS

Please note that if you have an undergraduate and/or graduate degree from Brock University you do not need to send in your transcripts. Transcripts from all other post-secondary institutions are required.

6. PROOF OF ENGLISH PROFICIENCY (IF APPLICABLE)

For more information about English Proficiency requirements, click here .

Submit your application!

Complete and submit the online application .

When you have submitted the application, you will be prompted to pay the non-refundable application fee. You must pay the fee for each program to which you are applying. The application fee for the PhD in Sustainability Science program is $110 CAD. The fee is payable to the Ontario University Application Centre and can be paid by VISA or Mastercard.

Once you have submitted and paid for your application, one to two business days are required for Brock to receive your application from the Ontario Universities Application Centre.

The Graduate Programs in the ESRC, including the Sustainability Science and Society Masters Program and the Sustainability Science PhD Program are governed by a Graduate Program Committee, administered by a Graduate Program Director, and supported by a Coordinator. For detailed information about the governance of the ESRC graduate programs, including Rules of Procedure, visit our Graduate Programs Governance Webpage.

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Doctorate Environmental Sustainability

The Institute of the Environment offers an MSc program in Environmental Sustainability, a collaborative master program in Environmental Sustainability, and a PhD program in Environmental Sustainability.

The PhD in Environmental Sustainability is an interdisciplinary degree that focuses on graduating professionals and academics specializing in the areas of environmental science, economics, law, and policy. The program is full time and offered in English and French. Under the regulations of the University of Ottawa, exams, assignments, or the thesis may be written in French or English. Students may also be supervised in French or English.

The objective of the PhD in Environmental Sustainability is to train leaders and professionals with the skills and capacities needed to be effective in developing, analyzing, and empirically evaluating public  policies and institutions designed to address the multiple challenges associated with the transition to sustainability. Students will be trained in considering environmental problems from the perspective of various disciplines of inquiry (with an emphasis on science, law, economics and policy) all of which are critical to the development, implementation and evaluation of solutions to environmental problems.

The program aims to develop a strong comprehension of the complexity of environmental sustainability problems, a critical awareness of the broad range of contributing factors, and the methodological and communication skills required to develop and communicate candidate solutions. 

The program is governed by the “Policies and Regulations” of the University of Ottawa, which are posted on the Administration and Governance website.

For the most accurate and up to date information on application deadlines, language tests and other admission requirements, please visit the  specific requirements  webpage.

To be eligible, candidates must:

• Hold a Master’s degree with thesis or research paper in a relevant discipline. Examples of relevant disciplines include environmental studies broadly construed, geography, economics, environmental science, political science, international development, environmental engineering, and law;
• Have obtained a minimum average of 75% (B+) calculated according to university guidelines;
• Provide two confidential letters of recommendation;
• Provide a CV and a statement of interest outlining career goals;
• Identify at least one professor who is willing and available to act as thesis supervisor; and
• Provide an outline of the proposed research project.

Language Requirements

Applicants must be able to understand and fluently speak the language of instruction (French or English) in the program to which they are applying. Proof of linguistic proficiency may be required.

Applicants whose first language is neither French nor English must provide proof of proficiency in the language of instruction.

Note: Candidates are responsible for any fees associated with the language tests.

Fast-track from Master’s to PhD

Students enrolled in the MSc program in Environmental Sustainability or other similar programs at the University of Ottawa have the opportunity to go directly to the PhD program without having to write the  thesis provided the following conditions are met:

• have successfully completed all required course work for the first two terms of MSc program (minimum 16.5 credits) with an average of at least A;
• have shown satisfactory progress in their research or have a demonstrated ability to do independent research
• provide a letter of recommendation from the proposed doctoral thesis supervisor supported by members of the Thesis Advisory Committee (see below).
• have successfully completed the mandatory coursework of the two first terms of their masters program and have successfully completed courses in at least two of the following disciplines: Law, Science, Policy or Economics with an average of at least A. The committee may require an addition of one or two electives if these conditions are not met.
• have shown satisfactory progress in their research or have a demonstrated ability to do independent research 
• have a letter of recommendation from the proposed doctoral thesis supervisor that is supported and approved by members of the Thesis Advisory Committee to be an area relevant to Environmental Sustainability.

The student must make a written request to transfer to the PhD program no later than the end of the third term of enrollment in the master and must enroll in the doctoral program in the fourth term. Once the transition is made, all the requirements of the doctoral program must be met.

The Institute may require students to take additional courses depending on their backgrounds.

Students must meet the following requirements:

EVD8901 has, as a prerequisite, an active knowledge of English and a passive knowledge of French. EVD8901 can be substituted by a detailed research methods course, related the students’ research and, approved by the thesis advisory committee, and program director.

The student must complete both the written and oral component of the Qualifying Examination (QE). The QE Evaluation Committee, using the research proposal summary as a guide, will identify two fields of knowledge related to the student’s proposed research. The written and oral component of the Qualifying Exam is usually completed no later than the end of the 5th term. Failure to meet this deadline results in a first failure of the Qualifying Exam and requires that the student register for the Qualifying Exam in the following term. Students will have one last opportunity to successfully complete both the written and oral components of the Qualifying Exam. In the event that the student should fail either of the two components, the Qualifying Exam would be considered failed for the second time; and the student would be withdrawn from the program.

Thesis Advisory Committee

The student’s Advisory Committee normally includes (i) faculty members from at least two substantively different disciplines (such as, but not limited to, economics, science, law, policy, engineering, health sciences, geography, and management), and (ii) a non-academic stakeholder who may provide practical mentorship and encourage a link between research and practice, where appropriate.

Minimum Standards

The passing grade for all courses is B. Students whose progress is unsatisfactory, or who do not meet the requirements of their program, will be withdrawn from the program. Reasons for withdrawal include a) two failures in the program, whether of courses, Qualifying Exam, thesis proposal; b) unsatisfactory performance of research or field work; or c) two unsatisfactory progress reports.

Research Fields & Facilities

Located in the heart of Canada’s capital, a few steps away from Parliament Hill, the University of Ottawa is among Canada’s top 10 research universities.

Professors affiliated with the Institute of the Environment conduct research on a variety of sustainability and environmental issues, including market instruments for environmental protection, community-based resource management, climate policy, the control of toxics as well as biodiversity loss and species at risk.

Our students can also collaborate with the Smart Prosperity Institute (SPI), a national research network and policy think tank based at the University of Ottawa's Institute of the Environment. SPI deliver world-class research and work with public and private partners - all to advance practical policies and market solutions for a stronger, cleaner economy.

With cutting-edge research, our graduate students, researchers and educators strongly influence national and international priorities

EVD 5100 Seminar in Environmental Sustainability (3 units)

Overview of environmental sustainability issues using climate change as an example. Application of integrated analyses based on concepts in science, law, economics and policy to devise policy solutions. The debate about the scientific evidence for climate change and international efforts to negotiate an agreement. The economic, political and social dimensions of climate change and measures taken both nationally and internationally to mitigate its effects.

Course Component: Seminar

EVD 5101 Economics of Environmental Law and Policy (3 units)

Environmental issues and the environmental policy framework from an economics perspective. Review of the underlying theory in relation to economic concepts such as efficiency, market failure, externalities, cost-benefit, and valuation. Overview of macroeconomic topics such as economic growth and green accounting, and their relation to law and policy. Application of these theoretical concepts to various environmental challenges, from climate change and energy regulation to managing ecosystem services and conserving biodiversity. Policy options for managing environmental challenges, from traditional “command and control” regulation to economic instruments such as environmental taxation, and cap and trade programs. Evaluation of the environmental, social, and economic effectiveness of the various policy options, and integration of economic theory into environmental policy development.

Course Component: Lecture

EVD 5109 Applied Environmental Sustainability (3 units)

Uses an environmental sustainability case study, such as climate change, to learn how to synthesize information about a problem from multiple disciplinary perspectives, to critically evaluate such information using rigorous methodological approaches, and to design and evaluate policy or regulatory solutions.

EVD 5111 Capstone Seminar in Environmental Sustainability (3 units)

Involves partnering with organization(s) working on a sustainability issue. Students work in interdisciplinary teams to identify the scientific, economic, legal and social dimensions of a particular environmental problem, evaluate a set of candidate solutions, and recommend an approach.

EVD 5113 Foundations of Environmental Policy (3 units)

Study of the key political and administrative factors affecting the formulation and implementation of environmental policy, including democratic institutions, various methods for citizen and stakeholder engagement and their influence on the decision-making process in government, public opinion and the framing of policy problems, values and the use of scientific evidence in policy-making, lobbying and the role of interest representation, federalism and multi-level environmental governance, and the international governance of environmental problems. Case studies will place Canada in a comparative context and explore the importance of political factors across areas of environmental policy.

EVD 5114 Professional Skills for Environmental Sustainability (1.5 unit)

Oral and written communications skills, including presenting to parliamentary committees, preparing memos to cabinet, writing editorials, doing media interviews, and producing interdisciplinary public policy reports. Project and process management skills, including multi-stakeholder processes.

EVD 5121 Foundations of Environmental Science (3 units)

Provides students with a thematic understanding of the current state of environmental science. Major themes include: the set of environmental issues that are currently of major concern in Canada and abroad; the range of scientific approaches currently employed to understand and predict the effects of human activities on ecosystems; the nature of environmental science evidence; and how environmental sustainability is characterized from the perspective of environmental science.

EVD 5122 Foundations of Environmental Economics (3 units)

Key elements of economics including formal models and their underlying assumptions as they relate to the development of sustainability policy. Covers concepts such as public goods, market failure, non-market valuation, incentives, welfare economics, regulation, the equity-efficiency trade-off and market-based instruments. The course explains how fundamental economic concepts, particularly their advantages and limitations, are used to analyze issues at the interface of the economy and the environment. Examines renewable (e.g., fisheries, forests) and non-renewable (e.g., oil, gas, minerals) resource management and other topics (e.g., climate change, ozone depletion, cap and trade) in applied environmental economics. Explores the institutions and trade-offs that individuals and governments face in the context of sustainability policy.

EVD 5123 Evidence Synthesis and Evaluation (3 units)

Reviews different understandings of what constitutes research, both as it pertains to the production of evidence and to the evaluation of existing evidence relating to policy, to regulatory and statutory interventions and to identifying evidence gaps. Students learn research methodologies to design research so as to maximize its evidentiary value (given existing constraints); they will also learn to synthesize and assess the evidentiary value of existing research.

EVD 5124 Foundations of Environmental Law (3 units)

Foundations of environmental law, including theory of sustainability, constitutional division of powers, approaches to regulation of environmental issues, including examples of legal frameworks for different environmental problems, and access to justice.

EVD 5500 Séminaire en durabilité de l'environnement (3 crédits)

Survol des enjeux en durabilité de l'environnement en se servant du changement climatique comme exemple. Application d'analyses intégrant des concepts en sciences, en droit, en science économique et en études politiques. Le débat au sujet de la preuve scientifique du changement climatique et les efforts sur le plan international pour négocier une entente. Les dimensions économiques, sociales et politiques du changement climatique et les mesures à ce jour pour atténuer ses effets, au niveau international et au niveau national.

Volet : Séminaire

EVD 5501 Approche économique et le droit de l'environnement (3 crédits)

Les enjeux environnementaux et le système de réglementation du point de vue de la science économique. Étude de la théorie qui sous-tend certains concepts économiques, tels l'efficacité, la défaillance du marché, les externalités et la valuation. Survol des concepts macroéconomiques, tels la croissance économique et la comptabilité environnementale. Application de ces concepts théoriques aux défis environnementaux tels le changement climatique, la réglementation de l'énergie, la gestion des services écologiques et la conservation de la biodiversité. Les divers outils de réglementation pour la gestion des défis liés à l'environnement, incluant la réglementation traditionnelle de type « commande et contrôle », les moyens économiques tels que la taxation environnementale et les systèmes de droits d'échanges. Évaluation de l'efficacité environnementale, sociale et économique des diverses approches, et intégration de la théorie économique dans le développement de la réglementation environnementale.

Volet : Cours magistral

EVD 5509 Développement durable appliqué (3 crédits)

Étude de cas en développement durable (changements climatiques, par exemple) pour apprendre à synthétiser l'information sur un problème à partir de plusieurs perspectives disciplinaires, pour évaluer l'information selon un schéma critique, en faisant usage de méthodes rigoureuses, et pour concevoir et évaluer des politiques ou règlements.

EVD 5511 Séminaire d'intégration sur le développement durable (3 crédits)

Partenariat avec des organisations travaillant en développement durable. Les étudiants forment des équipes multidisciplinaires pour étudier les dimensions scientifiques, économiques, juridiques et sociales d'un problème environnemental particulier, pour évaluer un éventail de solutions possibles et pour recommander les mesures à prendre.

EVD 5513 Rudiments des politiques environnementales (3 crédits)

Étude des principaux facteurs politiques et administratifs influençant la formulation et la mise en oeuvre des politiques environnementales, y compris les institutions démocratiques, les méthodes de participation des citoyens et des parties prenantes et leur influence sur les processus décisionnels des gouvernements, l'opinion publique et la définition des problèmes, le rôle des valeurs et de la science dans la formulation des politiques, le lobbying et la représentation des intérêts, le fédéralisme et la gouvernance multi-niveaux des enjeux environnementaux, et la politique internationale de l'environnement. Des études de cas situeront le Canada dans une perspective comparée et exploreront l'importance de ces facteurs politiques dans divers secteurs des politiques environnementales.

EVD 5514 Compétences professionnelles pour le développement durable (1.5 crédit)

Compétences orales et écrites en communication, notamment les présentations aux comités parlementaires, la préparation de mémoires au cabinet, la rédaction d'éditoriaux, les entrevues médiatiques et la production de rapports multidisciplinaires sur les politiques publiques. Gestion de projet et de processus faisant intervenir de nombreux joueurs.

EVD 5521 Rudiments des sciences de l'environnement (3 crédits)

Donne aux étudiants une compréhension thématique de l'état actuel des sciences environnementales. Principaux thèmes : éventail des enjeux environnementaux d'importance au Canada et à l'étranger; les démarches scientifiques déployées pour comprendre et prédire les conséquences des activités humaines pour les écosystèmes; la nature des preuves apportées par les sciences de l'environnement; la perspective des sciences de l'environnement sur le développement durable.

EVD 5522 Rudiments de l'économie de l'environnement (3 crédits)

Principaux éléments de l'économie, y compris les modèles économiques officiels et les présuppositions afférentes à l'élaboration de politiques de développement durable. Étude de divers concepts : patrimoine commun; échec des marchés; non évaluation des valeurs courantes; mesures incitatives; économie du bien-être; réglementation; équilibre entre équité et efficience; instruments reposant sur les mécanismes de marché. On examinera plus en détail les concepts fondamentaux de l'économie et leurs avantages et inconvénients pour l'examen des enjeux au carrefour de l'économie et de l'environnement. Étude de la gestion des ressources renouvelables (pêches, forêts, etc.) et non renouvelables (pétrole, gaz, minerai, etc.) et d'autres sujets en économie de l'environnement appliquée (ex. changements climatiques, destruction de la couche d'ozone, programmes de plafonnement et d'échange). Étude des institutions et programmes de compensation auxquels sont confrontés les individus et les gouvernements dans le contexte des politiques de développement durable.

EVD 5523 Synthèse et évaluation de données probantes (3 crédits)

La recherche vise soit à produire des données probantes, soit à évaluer les données probantes existantes en ce qu'elles ont trait à des interventions politiques, réglementaires et étatiques, y compris les lacunes en la matière. Ainsi, les étudiants acquièrent les compétences nécessaires qui leur permettent de concevoir un programme de recherche de façon à en optimiser la valeur probante (en fonction des contraintes existantes) et de synthétiser les résultats de recherches existantes et d'évaluer leur valeur probante.

EVD 5524 Rudiments du droit de l'environnement (3 crédits)

Rudiments du droit de l'environnement, y compris la théorie du développement durable, la division constitutionnelle des pouvoirs, les démarches visant à réglementer les questions environnementales, avec exemples de cadres légaux pour différents problèmes environnementaux et accès à la justice.

EVD 6001 Stage coop I / Co-Op Work Term I (6 crédits / 6 units)

Expérience en milieu de travail. Évalué P (réussite) / F (échec) par un professeur du programme selon les résultats du rapport écrit et l'évaluation du superviseur de stage. Préalable : permission du responsable des études supérieures. / Experience in a workplace setting. Evaluated P (Pass) / F (Fail) by a professor in the program based on the written report and the evaluation of the internship supervisor.

Volet / Course Component: Stage / Work Term

EVD 6002 Stage coop II / Co-Op Work II (6 crédits / 6 units)

EVD 6112 Selected Topics in Environmental Sustainability (3 units)

In-depth examination of a question or topic linked to new trends or research areas in environmental sustainability.

EVD 6512 Thèmes choisis en durabilité de l'environnement (3 crédits)

Analyse approfondie d'une problématique ou d'une question liée aux nouvelles tendances en recherche ou aux nouveaux thèmes de recherche en durabilité de l'environnement.

EVD 6912 Thèmes choisis en durabilité de l'environnement / Selected Topics in Environmental Sustainability (3 crédits / 3 units)

Analyse approfondie d'une problématique ou d'une question liée aux nouvelles tendances en recherche ou aux nouveaux thèmes de recherche en durabilité de l'environnement. / In-depth examination of a question or topic linked to new trends or research areas in environmental sustainability.

Volet / Course Component: Cours magistral / Lecture

Préalable : connaissance passive de l'anglais. / Prerequisite: passive knowledge of French

EVD 6932 Lectures dirigées en durabilité de l'environnement / Directed Readings in Environmental Sustainability (3 crédits / 3 units)

Cours individuel ayant pour objectif d'approfondir les connaissances de l'étudiant dans un domaine particulier ou de lui permettre de se familiariser avec un nouveau domaine. Le sujet est déterminé et développé en consultation avec le professeur responsable et en conformité avec les directives de l'Institut de l'environnement. Le travail remis dans ce cours doit être différent de ce qui a pu être soumis dans d'autres cours, y compris le projet de recherche, la thèse ou le mémoire. On permet un maximum d'un cours de lectures dirigées par étudiant et la permission n'est accordée que dans des circonstances exceptionnelles. / Individual course aimed at deepening a student's knowledge of a particular area or at gaining knowledge of a new area. The topic is selected and developed in consultation with the supervising professor in accordance with institute guidelines. The work submitted for this course must be different from that submitted for other courses, including the research proposal, the thesis or the research paper. Maximum of one directed readings course per student, and permission is granted only under exceptional circumstances.

Volet / Course Component: Recherche / Research

Préalable: Connaissance passive de l'anglais. / Prerequisite: Passive knowledge of French.

EVD 6999 Mémoire / Research Paper (6 crédits / 6 units)

EVD 7997 Projet de thèse / Thesis Proposal

EVD 8100 Theory and Practice in Environmental Sustainability (3 units)

Characterization of environmental sustainability from the perspective of economics, political science, environmental science, and law. Demonstration of how often-divergent perspectives and values of stakeholders from various backgrounds frame both sustainability problems themselves, and acceptable solutions.

EVD 8500 Théorie et pratique en durabilité environnementale (3 crédits)

La caractérisation de la durabilité environnementale du point de vue de la science économique, de la science politique, de la science environnementale et du droit. Démonstration de comment les perspectives et les valeurs divergentes des parties prenantes de divers horizons définissent à la fois les problèmes et les solutions acceptables en durabilité.

EVD 8901 Conception de recherche et méthodologie pour la recherche en durabilité de l’environnement / Research Design and Methods for Environmental Sustainability (3 crédits / 3 units)

Vue d'ensemble des méthodes de recherche employées dans les quatre domaines principaux de la durabilité (science de l'environnement, droit, politique et économie). À l'aide d'études de cas, examen des types d'inférences causales que l'on peut ou ne peut pas tirer d'un plan de recherche, les menaces à la déduction valable et les plans de recherche pouvant atténuer ces menaces. Accent particulier sera mis sur la relation entre les conceptions de recherche et la force de l'inférence causale. / Overview of research methods employed in the four main subject areas underlying sustainability (environmental science, law, policy and economics). Through case studies, examination of the kinds of causal inferences one can and cannot draw from a research design, threats to valid inference, and research designs that can mitigate those threats. Particular emphasis placed on the relationship between research designs and strength of causal inference.

Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar

EVD 9997 Examen d'entrée / Qualifying Examination

Examen d'entrée / Qualifying Examination

EVD 9998 Projet de thèse / PhD Thesis Proposal

Projet de thèse / PhD Thesis Proposal

Undergraduate Studies

For more information about undergraduate studies at the University of Ottawa, please refer to your faculty .

Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

For more information about graduate studies at the University of Ottawa, please refer to your academic unit .

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Students and faculty in the Sustainability subgroup recognize that the role of business is to create and distribute wealth equitably, both within and across generations. They subscribe to the principles of sustainable development, which is development that ‘meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’. A core assumption of researchers in this group is that the broader social and environmental contexts matter to business and that sustainability is core to effective management of risks and opportunities in today’s world. Researchers in this group are also interested in research with the potential to address broad global challenges and to make the world a better place.

The Sustainability group therefore looks to push the boundaries of current theories and methods. We are excited by new ideas and new approaches, as current theories have not adequately addressed some of the significant macro challenges confronting us. We are also excited by research that has practical implications and engages with real-world problems and phenomena.

The faculty members comprising this group include Diane-Laure Arjaliès, Pratima (Tima) Bansal, Oana Branzei, Jury Gualandris, Patricia Hein, Rob Klassen, Sergio Lazzarini, Deishin Lee, and Wren Montgomery. They have published cutting-edge sustainability research in top journals across disciplines, including Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Journal of Business Venturing, Journal of Operations Management, Management Accounting Research, Management Science, Organization Science, and Strategic Management Journal. PhD students in the Sustainability area have also received several awards including the Governor General's Gold Medal (Mark DesJardine, Natalie Slawinski), conference best paper prizes, and have placed at top schools (Tuck School of Business, McGill, etc.).

Ivey's sustainability community is large and active, providing a thriving environment for our Sustainability PhD students. Approximately one third of faculty members across Ivey engage in sustainability research, reflecting its true cross-disciplinary nature (e.g. Janice Byrne, Nadine de Gannes, Alison Konrad, Kirk Kristofferson, Nouri Najjar and Brandon Schaufele, among others). As well, Ivey’s Sustainability group attracts a large number of high-quality doctoral students, post-doctoral students, and international faculty and student visitors. This rich support at Ivey across disciplines and methodological perspectives means the sustainability community at Ivey is vibrant, active and highly generative. Importantly, this structure also offers students the unique opportunity to explore sustainability questions and challenges that cross traditional academic boundaries and ways of seeing the world.

Ivey has gained an international reputation for its sustainability activities. We host the Sustainability PhD Academy that brings together 15 students and 5 faculty from around the world annually in this highly competitive program. Ivey’s annual Sustainability Conference also brings top global sustainability thinkers to Ivey for 2 days of deep conversation with Ivey PhD students and faculty, and aims to build a local community of sustainability scholars that crosses university boundaries. Sustainability doctoral students are also able to access conference and research funding through Ivey’s well recognized Centre for Building Sustainable Value . In addition, the Network for Business Sustainability (NBS) was founded at Ivey. NBS aims to bridge research and practice in order to advance business sustainability. Over 35,000 managers and researchers follow NBS. Finally, Innovation North is located at Ivey, which is taking companies on a journey towards sustainable innovation.

*Please note that Sustainability is a stream under General Management

Areas of Research Focus

• Short-termism, globalization, and scale
• Systems thinking/theory
• Social and environmental entrepreneurship
• Collective and cross-sectoral action for sustainability
• Sustainable and conservation finance
• Impact assessment and integrated reporting
• Circular economy
• Sustainable food supply chains
• Co-evolutionary embedded systems (circular products, business models and supply chains)
• Stakeholder analysis and stakeholder governance
• Inequality and marginalization in organizations
• View our Google Scholar Page
• View the Research Database

PhD Student Opportunities

The Sustainability group at Ivey is always happy to hear from superb applicants who are passionate about researching environmental and social sustainability issues. We have one of the largest, most proficient, and most exciting groups of faculty studying business and sustainability in the world. We are always looking to push new boundaries to find solutions to grand challenges, and we are looking for students who are motivated to do that hard but rewarding, timely, and vital work with us!

If that is you, and you are interested in working with one of our faculty members, please begin by familiarizing yourself with their specific research interests, papers, and methods. Then, please reach out to them with a detailed email on why you think you might be a fit with their research program and expertise. You will need a faculty mentor to support your application in order to have the best chance for a successful admission. While not all faculty members have a specific opening posted many will be able to find a spot for an exceptional candidate, so be very prepared and specific when you connect with them to show them you are a candidate worth considering. Please feel free to connect with more than one faculty member, but be sure to tailor your communications rather than sending a general email that is not likely to stand out or receive a positive response.

Note that many of our members are also cross-appointed in other faculty groups, so please check  the various PhD discipline pages for recruiting opportunities that align with your research interests. It may be possible for you to find a fit and apply through one or both disciplines (Business Economics & Public Policy, Entrepreneurship, Operations Management, Strategy etc.). This will still allow you to engage closely with our Sustainability faculty, students, reading group, and programming.

Please feel free to contact Dr.  Sergio Lazzarini with any questions once you have read both this page and the general Ivey admissions  and FAQ pages which cover deadlines, admissions packages, standardized testing, etc.

Thank you for your interest in Sustainability at Ivey, we look forward to hearing from you, and we wish you the best of luck in your academic adventures!

Professor Diane-Laure Arjalies is interested in supervising students willing to push the boundaries of knowledge and practice by doing qualitative and field-based work. Topics include sustainable finance (e.g., impact bonds, conservation finance), non-financial practices and reporting (e.g., impact assessment, accountability in safe and ethical spaces) and issues linked to life on land (e.g., biodiversity, regenerative farming). Interdisciplinary (e.g., political ecology, accounting), Indigenous and decolonizing approaches are welcome.

Professor Bissan Ghaddar's interests lie at the intersection of mathematical optimization and machine learning models and their application to practical problems related to sustainable and smart cities , particularly in the domains of energy, telecom, and transportation systems. In order for smart cities to become a reality, complex optimization problems in the modeling, design, and operation of these future telecom, energy, and transportation systems need to be solved. The developed models can potentially lead to improved policies that will maximize the environmental, social, and financial benefits of these critical sectors.

Professors Diane-Laure Arjaliès, Jury Gualandris and Sergio Lazzarini are interested in students to examine how multiple actors address collective action issues and promote systemic transformation in complex systems. There is a current project on how farmers and actors of the food chain interact with each other and develop communities of practices to define rules of interaction, agree on common principles, and promote sustainable change. This research involves a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, including field experiments.

Post-graduate Opportunities

The doctoral program in Sustainability is designed for those interested in pursuing academic careers in sustainability at top business schools.

PhD Graduates

Dr. mark desjardine (2016 phd).

Assistant Professor, Pennsylvania State University

The Causes and Consequences of Corporate Short-termism

Corporate short-termism is one of the most significant concerns facing companies and society today. It demands that companies maximize profits in the short term regardless of the long-term consequences. Corporate short-termism can destroy long-run wealth generation, fuel job lay-offs, impede innovation, and neglect society’s social and environmental interests. Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, declares that short-termism, “lies at the heart of many of today’s problems.”... Read more about this thesis

Dr. Natalie Slawinski (2010 PhD)

Associate Professor, Memorial University

Short on Time: The Role of Organizational Time Orientation in Business

Our research explores the role of time in explaining firm responses to social and environmental issues. We draw on time perspective and other related individual level constructs from the psychology literature, along with research on time from the organizational and sociology literatures, to develop time orientation as a multi-dimensional firm-level construct.... Read more about this thesis

Discipline Coordinator

Sergio Lazzarini

Sergio G. Lazzarini (PhD, 2002, Washington University in St. Louis) is a Professor at Ivey Business School, Western University, and Chafi Haddad Senior Research Fellow at Insper (Brazil). He does research on how public and private actors interact and organize their activities to improve economic and social performance. He is a former Professor at Insper and founder of Insper Metricis, a center for the study of impact measurement and investing. Sergio has held visiting positions at Harvard University (2010, 2012), University of St Gallen (2009), HEC Paris (2014), Insead (2015), Brandeis (2016), Imperial College (2017), the University of Utah (2019), and the University of Toronto (2021-22).

He has published a trilogy of books on public-private interactions: Capitalismo de Laços (Elsevier, 2011; revised edition by Bei Editora, 2018), Reinventing State Capitalism: Leviathan in Business, Brazil and Beyond (Harvard University Press, 2014, with Aldo Musacchio), and The Right Privatization: Why Private Firms in Public Initiatives Need Capable Governments (Cambridge University Press, 2022). His research has also appeared in several journals such as Strategic Management Journal , Academy of Management Journal, Organization Science, Academy of Management Review, Academy of Management Perspectives, Journal of Management Studies, and Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal , among others. His work has received several prizes including the Glueck Best Paper Award of the Strategic Management Division of the Academy of Management (2003), Best Paper Prize of the Iberoamerican Academy of Management Conference (2003), Best Paper Prize of the Strategy Division of the Brazilian Academy of Management (ANPAD, 2005), Best Presentation Prize of the Strategic Management Society Special Conference in Rio (2011), Distinguished Paper Award of the Strategy Division (Cooperative Strategy Track) of the Academy of Management (2020) and the Jabuti Prize for the book Capitalism of Ties (2010). Sergio has been a consultant to several firms and multilateral organizations such as OECD, IDB, and the World Bank, and his research was cited or interviewed by news sources such as The Economist , New York Times , Financial Times , Forbes , BBC , and Bloomberg .

He also served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Strategy Division of the Academy of Management (2008-2010) and as a board member of the International Society for the New Institutional Economics (2009-2011), and is currently the Associate Editor of the Academy of Management Review.

Read full profile »

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Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies (IGS)

Dr. Alison Conway Sustainability Theme Coordinator 250.807.9841 [email protected]

Sustainability

Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MSc), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Graduate Program Overview

Sustainability is concerned with maintaining the conditions necessary for the wellbeing of humans and the environment. Critical for all life on Earth, sustainability is a complex issue that requires a broad and integrated approach to address its many facets, ranging from political and social issues to scientific study and technological solutions.

The interdisciplinary graduate degree in sustainability at UBC Okanagan transcends conventional approaches, bringing together diverse perspectives, insights, tools, and techniques to seek solutions to the challenges of sustainability. Students will benefit from the knowledge and resources of four faculties and eight departments, and the collaborative opportunities resulting from the interdisciplinary nature of the program.

Applications for the program open September 1 st  with a deadline of January 15 th  each year. 

Students are advised to arrange for the delivery of supporting documents well in advance of the January 15 th  deadline to ensure a timely review of their application.

The MSc and MA interdisciplinary degrees in sustainability give graduate students access to the expertise of diverse, nationally and internationally recognized researchers from a variety of faculties and disciplines in a coherent, thematic framework.

Graduates of the program will come away with a nuanced understanding of contemporary sustainability issues, and be able to approach complex sustainability concerns from a holistic, systems perspective that integrates concepts from applied science, natural science, social science, and the humanities. Graduates will be prepared for positions in government, the private sector, and teaching and research institutions.

Program milestones

• Establishing a faculty supervisory committee
• Completing coursework
• Preparing, presenting, and defending a thesis research proposal
• Completing thesis research and writing, and defending the work

Coursework requirements

12 credits are required for the MSc degree, and 18 credits for the MA degree, including:

• Proseminar in Interdisciplinary Studies (IGS 524)
• Theme Seminar in Sustainability (IGS 584)
• Theme Seminar in Knowledge Mobilization and Sustainability Policy (IGS 585)
• One research methods course
• Additional coursework, selected in consultation with the student’s supervisor (MA option)

The student’s academic and professional history will determine if the student undertakes a Master of Arts or Master of Science degree.

The PhD degree is centred on conducting original, cutting-edge research in sustainability. Graduates of the PhD program are prepared for careers requiring advanced independent research and teaching in academia, government, and industry.

• Selecting and completing coursework
• Passing an oral candidacy exam

Nine credits of coursework are required. These will be selected in collaboration with the student’s supervisory committee.

Career Possibilities

The interdisciplinary nature of the program will prepare students to continue their academic research in a wide range of fields, or for careers in diverse industries.

• Environmental NGOs
• Provincial, Federal and First Nations’ governments
• Citizens’ advocacy groups
• Environmental enterprises
• Conservation and land management
• Private sector sustainability and corporate social responsibility departments
• Formal and informal education
• Community-based art practice
• Curating and editing
• Community development

Research & Supervisors

This IGS degree draws on the expertise of nationally and internationally recognized faculty researchers with experience in areas related to sustainability.

Graduate students can pursue these and other faculty research and teaching interests:

• Ecocriticism
• Human-animal studies
• Culture and climate change
• Sustainability measurement and management
• Industrial ecology
• Ecological economics
• Sustainable food systems
• Green technologies

Please touch base with a faculty supervisor before you start the application process. We look forward to hearing about your research interests and career goals.

Amir Ardestani-Jaafari | Management | Operation Analytics Lab| [email protected]

Research interests: AI in sustainability, closed loop supply chain, sustainable operations, decision making under uncertainty.

Adeniyi Asiyanbi | Geography | [email protected]  | Research interests: Political ecology; governmentality; neoliberalization of nature; forest-based climate change mitigation; REDD+, carbon removal and offsetting; wildfires; conservation and development; community engagement; Nigeria, Ghana, Canada (British Columbia and Alberta).

Jodey Castricano  | English | [email protected] | Research interests: Eco-cultures; critical animal studies; eco-criticism – critical theory (feminist, queer, gender studies); media and digital cultures; digital humanities; virtual reality; narrative; HCI theory.

Jon Corbett  | Geography | [email protected] | Research interests: Geography; ethnobiology; cartography; exploration, facilitation and promotion of community and ecosystem-based models of land and resource use in communities in Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and British Columbia, Canada.

Andrea Craig | Economics | [email protected]  | Research interests: Commute mode choice, residential location choice, urban economics.

Aleksandra Dulic | Creative Studies | [email protected]  |

Research interests: Visual art; new media; video; drawing 2D; media for social change; climate change; interactive art; experience design.

Natalie Forssman | Anthropology | [email protected] |

Feminist science and technology studies; environmental humanities; multispecies anthropology; science communication; epistemic cultures; ethnography; embodiment and materiality; participatory methods; educational leadership.

Greg Garrard  | Creative & Critical Studies | [email protected] | Research interests: Literature and the environment; ecocriticism; human-animal studies; Anthropocene culture; cultural dimensions of environmental issues (e.g. pollution, climate change).

Anita Girvan | English and Cultural Studies |  [email protected] | Research interests: Cultural Studies; Environmental Humanities; Political Ecology and Environmental Justice; Black and Indigenous Feminist Ecological Thought; Stories, Metaphor; Critical Canadian Studies

John Graham | Social Work |  [email protected]  | Research interests: social policy, diversity and social work, spirituality and social work, multicultural social work, and employee well being/ subjective well being (happiness), homelessness prevention research

Kevin Hanna  | Geography | [email protected]  | Research interests: Environmental impact assessment; integrated resource and environmental management; climate change adaptation policy; natural resources policy in Canada and Northern Europe; European Union environmental policy.

Min Hu | Economics | [email protected] | Research interests: Health Economics, Labour Economics, Applied Microeconomics and Econometrics, with a focus on the economics of well-being of vulnerable populations (Immigrants and Indigenous peoples) in Canada, as well as the economics of cancer and social policy-related topics.

John Janmaat  | Economics | [email protected] | Research interests: Understanding the drivers of human choices that impact on and are impacted by natural systems, and identifying interventions that can move us individually and collectively to a more sustainable relationship with the non-human world. This includes the use of models that integrate biophysical and/or social processes with economic models of behaviour and analyzing data collected through surveys and related approaches.

Annamma Joy | Management | [email protected]  | Research interests: Sustainability in Art, Fashion, and Wine; Wine Tourism, Artification Process; Luxury Brand Marketing and Management; Gender, Levinas and the Ethics of recognition.

Eric Li   | Management |  [email protected]  | Research interests: Global consumer culture; multicultural marketing and consumption; consumer well-being; online consumer privacy; visual consumption; food consumption; fashion and culture; digital marketing and consumption.

Gordon Lovegrove   | Engineering | [email protected] | Research interests: SMARTer growth; sustainable community planning and design; sustainable transport and safety; hydrail powered, zero-emission regional passenger and freight rail; affordable housing and co-housing.

Susan Murch | Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Chemistry |  [email protected] |

Research interests: The Plant Secondary Metabolite Analytical Research Team (PlantSMART) researches chemistry of plants and how plant chemistry affects human health using analytical chemistry, mass spectrometry, biotechnology, metabolomics and hormonomics approaches.

Astrida Neimanis | Feminist Environmental Humanities | [email protected]  | Research interests: Feminist studies (with a focus on embodiment, queer ecologies, ecofeminisms, material feminisms and intersectionality), environmental studies (with a focus on cultural studies of water, weather and climate change, and multispecies justice), everyday militarisms, interdisciplinarity, epistemologies and non-traditional research methodologies (e.g. arts-based methods, walking & swimming methods, arts-sciences collaborations).

Michael J Noonan | Biology, Mathematics |  [email protected] | Research interests: Animal movement, conservation, encounter theory, evolutionary processes, macro-ecology, and statistical ecology.

Nikhita Obeegadoo | [email protected]  | Research interests: Oceanic and Archipelagic Studies; Indian Ocean and Caribbean Studies; Critical Race Studies Gender Studies; Contemporary literatures from the Global South, including Africa, South Asia and Latin America; Border Theory and Creolization; Theorising the relationship between History and Literature; Environmental Humanities; Medical Humanities. Research Languages: French, Spanish, English, Hindi, Mauritian Creole.

Lael Parrott  | Biology, Earth & Environmental Sciences | [email protected] | Research interests: Ecosystems and landscapes as complex systems; incorporating complexity into natural resource management approaches; regional-scale landscape modelling; social-ecological networks; agent and individual-based modelling approaches; landscape science and scenario building.

Tim Paulson | History |  [email protected] |

Research interests: Canadian history; environmental history; economic history; history of capitalism.

Nathan Pelletier  | Biology, Management | [email protected] | Research interests: Industrial ecology; ecological economics; sustainability measurement and management; life cycle thinking; environmental and social life cycle assessment of food, feed and biomass supply chains; sustainable food systems; green technology assessment; resource efficiency; social license and market access; trade-based externalization of environmental and social risk; climate change; reactive nitrogen.

Donna Senese  | Geography | [email protected] | Research interests: geographies of sustainability, rural resilience, landscapes of tourism, wine and food; mixed, participatory, and visual methodologies; conceptions of rurality, mobility, and vulnerability; regional analysis of tourism, wine and food.

Babak Mohamadpour Tosarkani | Engineering | [email protected] | Research interests: Operations & Supply Chain Management; Life Cycle Assessment & Circular Economy; Project Risk Management; Process Design & Simulation; Strategic Sustainable Development.

Rebecca Tyson  | Mathematics | [email protected] | Research interests: Mathematical biology and spatial ecology; mathematical models of ecological systems; the development and analysis of mathematical and computational models designed to answer questions about population dynamics, persistence and dispersal. Areas of interest include agriculture (domestic and wild bee dispersal, dispersal and control of pest insects); forestry (spread and control of the mountain pine beetle, recolonisation processes in regrowing forests); cyclic predator-prey populations; effect of climate change (lynx, great horned owl, and snowshoe hare populations).

John Wagner  | Anthropology | [email protected] | Research interests: Environmental anthropology; political ecology; water, food security and food sovereignty; local ecological knowledge; conservation and development; language documentation; Okanagan Valley; Columbia River Basin; Papua New Guinea.

Wesley Zandberg | Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Chemistry | [email protected] |

Research interests: Analytical glycobiology: the use of modern instrumental techniques to study carbohydrates, their oligomers (glycans) and their metabolism; developing new methods to investigate carbohydrates; and using chemical and analytical tools to investigate the functions of protein-linked glycans in cells and animals.

Our facilities include the following:

• Biodiversity and Landscape Ecology Research Facility
• Centre for the Environmental Assessment Research (CEAR)
• Complex Environmental Systems Lab
• Food Systems PRISM Lab
• Life Cycle Management Laboratory
• Okanagan Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience and Ecosystems Services (BRAES)

VIDEO: Nathan Pelletier

The challenges and opportunities of food systems and sustainability

STORY: Chasing the Whale

Greg Garrard offers the first-ever literature field course taught at Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre

Students & Thesis

Meet our students.

Sustainability theme students have provided profiles for you to discover more about them and their research.

Leandro Biondo

PhD Student

luis cadavid

MSc Student 

Madeline Donald

PhD Student 

Stephenie hendricks

Cole Hooper

MSc Student

Ian Turner is a PhD student in the Food Systems PRISM Lab at UBCO. Ian previously attended the University of Toronto, graduating with a bachelor’s degree majoring in Animal Physiology and Genome Biology. Ian has pursued research opportunities covering many disciplines, ranging from large mammal ecology and physiology, to food systems sustainability. Ian joined the PRISM lab in 2018 to aid in the development of the Canadian Agrifood Life Cycle Data Centre (CALDC). He subsequently enrolled in a Biology MSc in the PRISM Lab, before transitioning to the IGS – Sustainability PhD program. Ian’s research is focused on environmental and animal welfare benchmarking and optimization of the Canadian egg industry using machine learning techniques.

To examine the work of previous UBC Okanagan graduate students, search on  cIRcle , the University’s digital repository for research and teaching materials.

As a domain of scholarship, creative activity, and teaching, Sustainability is wide-ranging and interdisciplinary in nature. Sustainability encourages graduate students to become well-rounded scholars, educators, and public intellectuals. During their degree, students will have the opportunity to conduct original research, learn to become effective educators, and work as Teaching Assistants, as well as acquire knowledge in the professional practices of writing for publication, academic CV development, grant writing, networking, and community-engaged research skills.

Interested in Working in the Food Systems PRISM Lab? ​Are you motivated, innately curious, and highly disciplined? Are you keen to hone your research skills and knowledge? Do you have a strong interest in food system sustainability issues? Are you willing and able to critically examine your own assumptions, and to challenge and be challenged in an environment of respect, collaboration, and exploration? Does the prospect of living, working and playing in the beautiful Okanagan Valley in western Canada match your lifestyle aspirations? If so, the Food Systems PRISM Lab might be a good match for you.

Funded Graduate Research Project Opportunities

STORY: Ayla De Grandpré, Alumna

Learning about culture and resiliency.

Inspiring professors fostered Bachelor of Arts alumna Ayla De Grandpré’s love for linguistics, literature and the nuances of culture.

Admission Requirements

Admission to UBC graduate programs is competitive. Applicants must meet the following criteria.

MASTER OF ARTS (MA) and MASTER OF SCIENCE (MSc) APPLICANTS 

Applicants to the master’s program are expected to hold:

• the academic equivalent of a four-year bachelor’s degree from UBC, with a B+ (76%) average or better in their third- or fourth-year classes, or
• at least 12 credits in third- and fourth-year classes in their intended field of study, with an A (80%) or better average.

Applicant background training must be sufficient for advanced work in their chosen field.

DOCTORAL (PHD) APPLICANTS 

PhD applicants will normally have a master’s degree in a related field, with a B+ (76%) average or better, and clear evidence of research ability or potential. Applicant background training must be sufficient for advanced work in their chosen field.

MORE INFORMATION

Visit the UBC Okanagan Academic Calendar * for full admission and program requirements information. The calendar is a comprehensive guide to all programs, courses, services, and academic policies at the University of British Columbia.

* In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct. 

 MASTER OF SCIENCE (MSc) and MASTER OF ARTS (MA) APPLICANTS 

Applicants to the master’s program are expected to:

• hold the academic equivalent of a four-year bachelor’s degree from UBC
• demonstrate superior academic standing

Applicants from a university outside Canada at which English is not the primary language of instruction must present evidence of competency to pursue studies in the English language prior to being extended an offer of admission. Acceptable English language proficiency tests for applicants to graduate studies are listed in the Academic Calendar .

PhD applicants are expected to hold the academic equivalent of a two-year master’s degree from UBC in a related field and to demonstrate superior academic standing. Applicant background training must be sufficient for advanced work in their chosen field.

Visit the  UBC Okanagan Academic Calendar * for full admission and program requirements information. The calendar is a comprehensive guide to all programs, courses, services, and academic policies at the University of British Columbia.

* In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.

Required Grades and Credential Guide

Grades and degree credentials required by UBC vary by country. Search the Required Grades and Credential Guide —a guide to assist international students in estimating their eligibility.

International Advisors

An international student advisor can answer questions about immigration, medical insurance and the transition to UBC’s Okanagan campus in Kelowna, BC. Visit the Global Engagement Office’s website to meet the team.

Tuition & Funding

Tuition amounts presented here are estimates only and all fees are subject to change. For official tuition amounts and fee information, visit the UBC Okanagan Academic Calendar *, a comprehensive guide to all programs, courses, services, and academic policies at the University of British Columbia.

Tuition is paid three times a year at the beginning of each term, as per the Academic Calendar: Winter Term 1, Winter Term 2, and Summer Term.

Funding Opportunities

Graduate student stipends are funded through a combination of internal and external funding awards, Teaching Assistantships, and Research Assistantships.

Although funding and stipend amounts are not guaranteed, UBC’s Okanagan campus has a number of assistantships available for qualified students. Talk to your potential supervisor about funding opportunities.

Students are expected whenever possible to apply for relevant scholarships and fellowships.

Teaching Assistantships (TA)

Paid TA positions allow graduate students to develop skills in teaching, supervision, facilitation, and student assessment. Teaching assistants may lead seminars, help teach undergraduate courses, or assist in student evaluations and marking. Teaching assistants are mentored by their supervisor and via the Centre for Teaching and Learning .

Research Assistantships (RA)

As paid research assistants, graduate students assist their supervisor or other researchers in conducting high-level research, which often contributes to the student’s thesis. RAs are typically funded by the supervisor’s external grants, contracts, and sometimes, other sources of funding.

The College of Graduate Studies administers merit-based graduate awards at the Okanagan campus. The College manages a number of award competitions each year and administers payment of all internal awards and selected external awards.

External Awards

All prospective graduate students (Domestic and International) should explore and apply for external awards and fellowships, including awards offered by Canada’s three research councils: CIHR , NSERC and SSHRC .

Graduate scholarships and awards may also be available from foundations, private companies or foreign governments (check with your country’s education authority).

How to Apply

Find a supervisor.

Please contact prospective supervisors before starting an application. Admission to the program requires the support of a faculty supervisor, as well as meeting program-specific criteria for admission requirements.

A complete application package will contain:

• Online application and application fee
• Official transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended
• Statement of Intent
• English language test (for non-native speakers of English)
• CV or resumé
• Two reference forms or letters

Applying takes time. Students are advised to start the application process two months in advance of the application deadline.

For full consideration, students should submit all application materials by the following deadlines:

In some circumstances, at the request of a theme coordinator, the Dean or Dean designate in CoGS may approve an off-cycle admission for a student who would be significantly disadvantaged by having to begin their studies in September.

Apply to UBC today!

Ubc's okanagan campus.

The University of British Columbia is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the 40 best universities in the world. At UBC’s Okanagan campus, you gain all the benefits of attending a globally respected university while studying in a close-knit learning community.

DYNAMIC CITY

UBC’s Okanagan campus borders the dynamic city of Kelowna, a hub of economic development with a population of about 150,000 people—the fourth fastest growing population in Canada. In fact, the Okanagan Valley is rated one of the best communities in Canada to grow your business.

More than 160 buses travel daily from campus to key locations such as Kelowna’s cultural district and thriving downtown waterfront. The campus is two minutes from the Kelowna International Airport, one of the top 10 busiest airports in Canada.

UBC Okanagan is situated within the First Nations territory of the Okanagan Nation, whose spirit of stewardship for the land is reflected in the university’s respect for sustainability.

NATURAL BEAUTY

A diverse natural region with sandy beaches, beautiful farms, vineyards and orchards, and snow-capped mountains, the Okanagan Valley features sweeping stretches of lakeside and endless mountain trails for biking and hiking.

Check out this 360-degree video: Kelowna From Above (best viewed using desktop Chrome or Firefox or YouTube’s mobile app).

CAMPUS HOUSING

Full-time UBC Okanagan students can live in residence, which offers modern living with easy access to academic and personal support. Residences are surrounded by hiking and biking trails, plus panoramic views of the campus and valley.

• Student Residence
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OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING

• Living Off Campus Resources
• Kelowna Off Campus Student Housing Facebook group*

* UBC does not verify or endorse information shared on this third-party website, which is offered here as a public resource only.

College of Graduate Studies: CoGS offers orientation events to support you in your first steps as a graduate student at UBC’s Okanagan campus.

Stay active: Take advantage of the many opportunities to get involved and play—from workout space in the new Hangar Fitness and Wellness Centre and our 1,561 square-metre gymnasium, to athletic courts, intramurals, fitness classes, and nationally ranked varsity athletics. Have a ball in Sports and Recreation .

Relax: The Graduate Collegium is a gathering place where grad students can hang out, eat lunch, spend time with their fellow students, and attend or host special events. The lounge-style room is open seven days and week and is outfitted with comfortable furniture, kitchen facilities, and individual and group-work spaces.

College of Graduate Studies : Your hub for administrative support and such things as graduate workshops for professional development and for assisting you from the admissions process through to your graduation.

Centre for Scholarly Communication : Supports graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, staff, and faculty in disseminating their research. The Library’s CSC provides one-on-one consultations and workshops, including writing support for theses, dissertations, journal articles, and grant proposals.

Centre for Teaching and Learning : Provides support related to teaching, TA training, and use of technology in educational programming.

Doctorate in Environmental Studies

Drawing on students from a vast array of humanities, social science and natural science backgrounds, the PhD program explores issues through an innovative, contextual perspective.  Join our ongoing critical dialogue on how “the environment” is defined and redefined, and the implications this has for you as an environmental studies researcher.  Our PhD students are valued for their unique perspectives, which are shared and developed through our close-knit collegial atmosphere.  The program is offered as full-time only, with a 4-5 year timeline.

PhD students also define their research areas.  With EUC’s expanding reputation as a major centre for sustainable energy research and teaching, we see increasing interest among doctoral student applications in conducting research on sustainable energy topics.

For more information: https://www.yorku.ca/gradstudies/environmental-studies/programs/phd/

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Graduate programs in environment and sustainable development.

Finding solutions to replace pesticides, designing and manufacturing green products, promoting green cleaners, calculating worker exposure to contaminants with computer models — these are just a few impressive examples of the research on sustainable development issues being carried out at Université de Montréal.

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PhD Program

The Department of Global Development Studies at Queen’s University extends its innovative approach to research and teaching with its doctoral programme. This four-year PhD offers focused training and supervision to build core skills and proficiencies for development research. First, our students attain strong specialisation in the central rubrics that have shaped development studies as a field, including political economy and cultural analysis. Second, the programme grounds students in the key analytical frameworks and methodologies for conducting research on development issues. They develop core skills in designing and conducting fieldwork in cross-cultural settings and reflect on the public purposes and ethics of development research. Third, the programme cultivates strong project design and management skills for applications within and beyond academia and development practice. The degree is ideal for graduate students seeking to advance globally-orientated research in the field of development studies, particularly in the areas of political economy, cultural politics, sustainability, and global health and welfare. It provides essential skills for building careers in academia and the development field, alongside positions in public sector research and policy-making, journalism, education, teaching and education, the law and the private sector.

Program Overview

Degree timeline, programme milestones, fieldwork, internships or placements, supervision and research themes, phd graduate student handbook.

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Below is a list of some of the Canadian institutions that offer sustainability-related graduate programs in English. Click on the degree name to visit the institution or program's website for more information.

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College of Sustainability, Dalhousie University 1459 LeMarchant St., Suite 1401, PO BOX 15000 Halifax   NS   Canada   B3H 3P8 +1 902 943 2193

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PhD Program

PhD in Global Development Studies

Panama's Fredy Duque of the FSC Indigenous Foundation joined GDS graduate students recently.

The PhD in Global Development Studies is one of the first stand-alone interdisciplinary PhD Program in Global Development Studies in Canada. It offers a research-based program that develops leading and original research contributing to the advancement of knowledge in global development. 

The Benefits of Doing a PhD in Global Development Studies at Saint Mary’s  

• The Program boasts a faculty engaged in real-world research on complex development problems, who publish widely and enjoy working with students.
• The Program’s modest size permits greater individual student attention and supervision.
• The inter-disciplinary nature of our program provides students with the opportunity to study and engage in research not only with core Faculty, but with Faculty from a wide range of disciplines both inside and outside the program, who are members of our Programme Committee.
• You will be studying in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the Eastern seaboard, one of the most beautiful ports in Canada. Saint Mary’s is located in the heart of Halifax, Atlantic Canada's largest metropolitan centre, and benefits from its proximity to the region's four other universities, its colleges, provincial government offices, and its centres of arts and culture. 

PhD Program Requirements

The Doctor of Philosophy in Global Development Studies Program is a minimum four-year, research-based program focused on the preparation and public defense of a dissertation which makes an original contribution to the advancement of knowledge in International Development Studies. For further information on the PhD program requirements for Global Development Studies, see the Graduate Calendar .

Apply to our doctoral program

The Department of Global Development Studies considers applications to its   PhD   Program   every other year, with the next admission   intake   occurring in September 2025. The application portal for 2025 admission will open in September 2024.

Education for a Sustainable Tomorrow

The School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED) is unique in Canada, and possibly the world, in its focus on the intersection of environment and sustainability, on one hand, and business and development on the other. With programs in sustainability management, international development practice, environment and business, local economic development and social innovation, SEED is dedicated to developing the knowledge, tools and expertise to integrate business and development with environmental and social goals. Learn more about SEED !

Shell-Fisheries as a Tool for the Stewardship and Conservation of Mangroves

Date:  March 29 , 202 4   ( Friday ) Time:  8:00 AM EDT to  9:1 5 AM EDT Speaker:   Kafayat Fakoya | Associate Professor, Lagos State University, Nigeria .  

YouTube link

Co-op's Student of the Year for the Faculty of Environment

Avery Sudsbury, a 4th year Environment and Business student, is Co-op's Student of the Year for the Faculty of Environment.

Link to original story by Cameron Stirrup, Co-operative and Experiential Education

Environment professor emeritus attended the Order of Canada investiture ceremony

School of Environment Enterprise and Development ( SEED ) professor emeritus, Frances Westley , received one of the highest honours in Canada for her work in social innovation.   This honour was initially bestowed in January 2021 but, due to COVID-19, was only just presented at the investiture ceremony on February 22, 2024 at Rideau Hall. 

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Sustainable development vision and principles

The fsds vision.

The 2022 to 2026 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS, the strategy) supports the government’s vision that Canada’s economic, social, and environmental health is secure, and our quality of life continues to improve. Achieving this vision requires addressing today’s challenges while investing in activities that improve the quality of life for future generations.

Principles for the 2022 to 2026 FSDS

The Federal Sustainable Development Act sets out seven principles that must be considered when developing the FSDS as well as in departmental sustainable development strategies. The 2022 to 2026 strategy reflects each of these principles.

1. Sustainable development is based on an efficient use of natural, social and economic resources and the need for the Government of Canada to integrate environmental, economic and social factors in the making of all of its decisions

The 2022 to 2026 strategy is a further step by the federal government to integrate economic, social and environmental dimensionsinto its decision making. For the first time, the FSDS includes social and economic targets and actions without an environmental dimension, including poverty in Goal 1, education in Goal 4, inequality in Goals 5 and 10, and affordable housing in Goal 11.

The strategy is integrated into government decision making through conducting strategic environmental assessments , as required by the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals. Strategic environmental assessments help ensure that the environment is considered when developing policy, plan and program proposals, while also reporting on how those proposals contribute to the goals and targets of the FSDS.

The Government of Canada is developing an Integrated Climate Lens (ICL), a tool to ensure that climate, economic and social considerations are considered together throughout government decision-making. Announced in Budget 2021, the ICL framework is currently being piloted across a sub-set of federal departments before being applied more broadly across the Government of Canada.

Impact assessment contributes to informed decision making on designated projects in support of sustainable development. The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada leads federal reviews of major projects subject to the Impact Assessment Act . Impact assessments work to foster sustainability, ensure respect for the rights of Indigenous Peoples, protect components of the environment and human health while taking into account social and economic factors, and provide a fair, predictable, and efficient impact assessment process. Impact assessments also provide opportunities for meaningful public engagement.

In addition to environmental and impact assessments, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada conducts regional and strategic assessments under the Impact Assessment Act . Both regional and strategic assessments can help inform the planning and management of cumulative effects (cases where the combined effects of multiple projects exceeds the effects of each project considered on their own). For more information on impact assessment, regional assessments and strategic assessments, see Goal 16.

The Government of Canada is committed to implementing the Quality of Life Framework for Canada. Introduced in Budget 2021, the Framework is grounded in evidence of the determinants of well-being in Canada. It provides a holistic approach to defining and measuring success and making better use of data and evidence across five domains (i.e., Prosperity, Society, Environment, Health and Good Governance). This supports evidence-based decision-making and ensures we achieve and report on outcomes that improve all Canadians’ quality of life (consistent with its cross-cutting lens on Fairness and Inclusion), both now and in the future (consistent with its cross-cutting lens on Sustainability and Resilience).  

The Government of Canada is also committed to developing public policies through an intersectional lens. This means taking into account how intersecting factors, such as age, disability, ethnicity, education, geography, gender, language, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation, shape people’s experiences, opportunities and outcomes, as well as their access to programs and services. An intersectional approach allows for the design and development of policies, programs, services and other initiatives that respond to needs and reflect the lived experiences of all people in Canada.

The Government of Canada integrates intersectional factors into its decision making through its commitment to Gender Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus). For example, federal departments and agencies are required to integrate GBA Plus into all Memoranda to Cabinet, Treasury Board submissions, legislation, regulations, and budget proposals (see Goal 5 for more information). The 2018 Canadian Gender Budgeting Act further enshrined gender budgeting in federal budgetary and financial processes.

2. Sustainable development as a continually evolving concept

The Federal Sustainable Development Strategy cycle enables the strategy to reflect new and emerging issues in sustainable development and supports continuous improvement, including through the introduction of a new structure based on the 17 SDGs. It also has a broader scope than past strategies, reflecting economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. Further, it has taken initial steps to incorporate broader dimensions of sustainable development, such as culture and Indigenous rights.

The strategy reflects new and emerging sustainable development issues such as environmental equity and environmental justice. These terms generally refer to the equitable treatment and meaningful inclusion of all people in laws, regulations, and programs to protect them from environmental hazards; avoiding disproportionate burden of pollution and other environmental harms across identity groups; and facilitating everyone’s access to environmental benefits and opportunities in the clean economy, regardless of identity factors (which could include gender identity and expression, race, ethnicity, Indigeneity, language, income, or sexual orientation—see Goal 10).

Actions set out in this strategy reflect the diverse ways to advance sustainable development. For example, the Government of Canada's actions to protect the environment and human health are guided by the precautionary principle. The approach to sustainable fisheries (Goal 14) reflects a precautionary approach . Work to ensure carbon pollution pricing systems are in place in Canada (Goal 13) and to establish a principle of no net loss of biodiversity in federal decision making (Goal 15) both reflect the “polluter pays” and “internalization of social and environmental costs” principles.

3. Intergenerational equity

The 2022 to 2026 strategy’s goals, targets and implementation strategies reflect a commitment to intergenerational equity, or the principle that the needs of the current generation should be met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

The focus of the strategy is on addressing the challenges facing Canada. It is also about sustaining and enhancing the natural and built environment so that future generations inherit a set of assets that are at least as good as the previous generations’, and enjoy an improved quality of life.

Actions to promote intergenerational equity in the FSDS include minimizing economic and social risks for future generations by driving down emissions and taking action to minimize current and future harm from climate change (Goal 13); ensuring that Canadians have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink (Goals 6 and 11); conserving Canada’s unique ecosystems and the services they provide, including those key to food security such as pollination and access to traditional foods (Goals 14 and 15); and supporting high-quality education (Goal 4) and infrastructure (Goals 7, 9, and 11) so that future generations can prosper and thrive. At the same time, it emphasizes the importance of ensuring a healthy economy and a healthy environment for Canadians today—for example, by supporting businesses and workers so that they can succeed in the clean growth economy (Goals 5 and 8).

In addition to these actions, Canada is promoting intergenerational equity through its measures to assess the state and value of our ecosystems and environment. This includes the forthcoming Census of Environment , and the Natural Capital indicator being developed as part of Canada’s Quality of Life Framework .

The Minister of Environment and Climate Change takes into account demographic considerations such as age, gender and diversity when appointing members of the Sustainable Development Advisory Council. This helps ensure that the council reflects the diversity of Canadian society and that the voices of Canadians of all ages can shape this and future strategies.

4. Openness and transparency

The 2022 to 2026 FSDS supports openness and transparency by bringing federal targets and government actions across all 17 SDGs together in one place. It presents a whole-of-government picture of how 101 federal organizations contribute to economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. Departmental sustainable development strategies will set out how individual federal organizations are taking concrete action within their own mandates.

The Act requires regular departmental reporting as well as a whole-of-government FSDS progress report in each 3-year period. The Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators (CESI) program builds on the principle of transparency by ensuring that the CESI indicators that support the strategy’s reporting are updated on an ongoing basis. This enables Canadians to track progress on goals and targets over the course of the strategy’s time period.

The strategy provides strengthened transparency and accountability: for the first time, it includes a table that clearly indicates which federal organizations are responsible for the targets, milestones and implementation strategies in each Goal (Annex 3). The table also states how milestones and implementation strategies support FSDS goals and targets.

5. Involving Indigenous Peoples

Canada adopted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UN Declaration Act) in June 2021 as a key step in renewing the Government of Canada’s relationship with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities. The UN Declaration Act provides a legislative framework to advance the Government of Canada’s implementation of the Declaration at the federal level, in partnership with Indigenous Peoples.

The recognition and implementation of section 35, Constitution Act, 1982 rights is central to Canada’s relationship with First Nations, Inuit and Métis, and to sustainable development. The co-existence and exercise of rights, coordinated through negotiated treaties and agreements, provide a framework for ongoing reconciliation, also advancing implementation of the Declaration. Recent co-developed measures ensure that Indigenous governments with negotiated treaties and agreements have the financial resources to govern and contribute to closing socio-economic and service gaps for their citizens. Adopting measures that ensure Indigenous communities have the resources to appropriately govern themselves is a key component in advancing self-determination and sustainable development, and renewing relationships towards reconciliation.

The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of involving Indigenous Peoples in developing the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy given their inherent rights and treaty rights, Traditional Knowledge and unique understanding of, and connection to, the lands, waters and ice. Indigenous youth will inherit the results of Canada’s sustainable development efforts, and play an important role in their communities’ social and economic outcomes.

The Sustainable Development Advisory Council (SDAC) advises the Minister of Environment and Climate Change on sustainable development issues. Since 2020, 6 seats on the Council (doubled from 3) are reserved for members representing Indigenous Peoples. The SDAC and five National Indigenous Organizations (the Assembly of First Nations, the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the Métis National Council, and the Native Women's Association of Canada) have played a key role in shaping the strategy through meetings and working group discussions.

Additional steps have been taken to incorporate Indigenous perspectives into the final 2022 to 2026 FSDS. For the first time, the strategy includes reflections from National Indigenous Organizations on what sustainable development means to them (see Sustainable Development: Perspectives from National Indigenous Organizations). SDAC members representing Indigenous Peoples have also provided distinctions-based examples of local, Indigenous-led sustainable development in action throughout the strategy.

This strategy also reflects the broad range of Government of Canada initiatives that are undertaken in partnership and collaboration with Indigenous Peoples. For example, Indigenous Peoples work closely with the federal government to conserve and protect lands and waters and help species at risk recover, through measures such as the Indigenous Guardians Program (Goal 15). Since 2015, First Nations communities have worked with the federal government to eliminate long-term drinking water advisories on reserves (Goal 6). In addition, the Government of Canada co-manages natural resources, collaborates, and engages with Indigenous Peoples (Goal 10), and works closely with remote Indigenous communities to transition them off diesel fuel for electricity and heating (Goal 7). Indigenous Peoples are also taking action in their own lands and communities to protect the environment, their Traditional Knowledge and way of life, and to promote climate resilience.

6. Collaboration

The 2022 to 2026 FSDS promotes collaboration by presenting common goals and targets that apply to departments and agencies across government. Compared with past strategies, the current FSDS enhances collaboration by including contributions from many more federal organizations—101 compared to 44 in the 2019 to 2022 strategy (28 that were required to participate and 16 that participated voluntarily).

While the strategy focuses on federal targets and actions, many of their successful outcomes require collaboration with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous Peoples, municipalities, businesses, and non-governmental organizations. For example, the Government of Canada is working with other governments, industry, and Indigenous Peoples on actions promoting sustainable agriculture (Goal 2), improving water quality in the Great Lakes (Goal 6), advancing the development and deployment of clean and renewable energy and increasing energy efficiency (Goal 7), reducing plastic pollution (Goal 12), taking action to mitigate and adapt to climate change (Goal 13), and conserving terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems (Goals 14 and 15).

The strategy also features text boxes on actions to promote sustainable development by provincial, territorial, municipal and Indigenous governments, industry, environmental nongovernmental organizations, and Indigenous communities.

Provincial and territorial environmental ministries were invited to comment specifically on the strategy, as well as a range of partners.

7. Results and delivery approach

As required by the strengthened Federal Sustainable Development Act , all targets in the 2022 to 2026 strategy are measurable and include a time frame. The 2022 to 2026 strategy also reflects lessons learned through the 4 previous FSDS cycles. For each target, the strategy identifies an indicator, and in some instances more than one, that will be used to measure progress. Baseline data provided for each indicator makethe starting point clear and provide a basis for future reporting.

Within one year after tabling the FSDS in Parliament, each federal organization that contributes to it is required to prepare its own departmental sustainable development strategy that supports the goals of the broader federal strategy. Each federal organization must also report on progress in implementing its departmental sustainable development strategy each year for at least 2 years after tabling its strategy. This way, federal organizations will have the opportunity to make course corrections as required throughout the FSDS cycle. Through this reporting, parliamentarians and Canadians will also be able closely track what individual federal organizations achieve over the next 4 years.

A whole-of-government FSDS progress report will complement individual departmental reports and assess the government’s progress in delivering on the strategy. It will include a clear rating system to assess progress using the most recent target-level indicator results and provide an assessment of whether each target has been categorized as either “achieved”, “underway”, “attention required”, or “no new data available”. Federal organizations will collect data and track progress on content for which they are responsible, contributing to the development of the whole-of-government progress report.

Updates to the online version of the strategy between 2022 and 2026 will support a results and delivery approach. Throughout the FSDS cycle, the strategy’s online version will add information on results achieved and on the contributions of individual federal organizations. For the first time ever, the strategy will also report milestone achievements in real time.

Some of the targets in this strategy reflect recent policy announcements, for which target indicators are still being developed, such as new targets under the Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. In these cases, finalized targets and indicators will be incorporated in the online version of the strategy when they become available, and they will also be reported on in the FSDS progress report.

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News from the Columbia Climate School

Summer 2024 Climate School Internship Opportunities

Yana Zeltser

Adrienne Day

The Climate School is offering internship opportunities for diverse administration and communications roles with sustainability-related projects. Current full-time Columbia and Barnard students (undergraduate, graduate, and PhD) are eligible to apply. 

Summer internships are paid at a rate of $22/hour. The maximum possible funding is for 260 hours (or 20 hours/week for 13 weeks) and the internship period runs June 1 – August 31. Students must be available to start on or about June 1st. Students hires are required to be within commuting distance during their summer employment at Columbia and must make their own housing arrangements.

The application deadline is Sunday, April 7 at 11:30 pm ET. Decisions will be made shortly after the deadline.

Read the full position descriptions below carefully for specific requirements for each position. To apply, visit the application here . While you may apply for more than one position, you must submit separate applications for each. To apply for multiple positions, return to the form after you submit it to select another position.

For each position application, you will need to submit your cover letter and resume combined into a single file.

Contact Yana Zeltser ([email protected]) with questions.

The Summer 2024 Internship positions include:

• Advancing Land Based Investment Governance (undergraduate, graduate)
• Climate School-WE ACT Thriving Community Technical Assistance Center Program (undergraduate, graduate, PhD)
• Communicating Climate Science and Impacts of Environmental Stressors on Vulnerable Ecosystems and Communities (graduate)
• Coordinating Indigenous and NGO participation in climate negotiations (undergraduate, graduate, PhD)
• DEI + Sustainability Summer Fellowship Project (graduate)
• Institutional Partnerships (undergraduate)

Internship Position Descriptions:

1. Project Title: Advancing Land Based Investment Governance Student type desired: undergraduate, graduate Department/Program: Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment Project Objectives : Under the Advancing Land Based Investment Governance (ALIGN) consortium, CCSI and two partner organizations provide responsive technical support to governments, civil society, local communities and Indigenous Peoples in strengthening national policy on land-based investments. The project responds to concerns that land-based investments (including renewable energy investments) are often seen as critical to advancing sustainable development though may also contribute to dispossession, environmental degradation, and conflict. ALIGN activities are under way in multiple countries across Sub-Saharan African and the Asia-Pacific. Thematic foci include land rights, climate change, and energy transition policy. Anticipated Tasks :  1) Tracking web and social media content related to ALIGN activities to support responsiveness to dynamic legal and policy landscapes and inform ALIGN strategy development. 2) Developing twitter and website content on ALIGN projects; social media content has proved valuable in reaching target government and private sector stakeholders. 3) Supporting communication and efficiency across consortium and external partner organizations through developing and updating project tracking spreadsheets and note-taking in meetings. Proposed benefits of this project to the intern: The intern will have the opportunity to learn from external partners in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia about the environmental and human rights concerns surrounding land-based investments, as well as about public sector efforts to improve investment governance. The intern will develop social media, written communication, stakeholder engagement and organizational skills as well as their attention to detail. They will learn about responsible land-based investment, investment governance, and community and Peoples’ rights in the context of resource investments, and cross-cutting areas including the just transition. Networking opportunities with CCSI staff and fellow interns will be available. Skills Required:   Strong attention to detail, excellent written communication skills, strong organizational and interpersonal skills, knowledge or experience of issues relating to land-based investment governance, community and Peoples’ rights, climate change, the energy transition and cross-cutting themes would be preferred but is not required. French is a plus. 2. Project Title: Climate School-WE ACT Thriving Community Technical Assistance Center Program Student type desired: undergraduate, graduate, PhD Department/Program: Columbia Climate School

Project Objectives : Interns will support the Columbia Climate School-WE ACT Thriving Community Technical Assistance Center Program team. The Region 2: WE ACT TCTAC serves New York and New Jersey and aims to help underserved communities gain access to grant and funding opportunities so that they’re better positioned to advance and address environmental, climate, and energy justice issues. We (members of the TCTAC) offer training and technical assistance to build capacity for navigating grant application systems, writing strong grant proposals, effectively managing grants, and engaging in environmental and energy justice decision-making. As part of this team, the selected individual will support the following administrative efforts Anticipated Tasks :  1) Coordinating Technical Assistance requests; Track participant data; Collate data to provide program progress reports. 2) Identify and meet with potential technical assistance providers. 3) The intern will also support TCTAC Steering Committee Meetings and working groups including a) Set up meeting agendas, b) Note-taking, c) Coordinate follow up. 4) The intern will might also provide logistical support with a) In-person and virtual trainings, b) Community tours through our NY and NJ, c) WE ACT TCTAC cohort events Examples of key functions during placement may include: Supporting strategic partnership development, Assessing the impact of WE ACT TCTAC on disadvantaged communities, and Helping to develop content for internal and external outreach efforts. Benefits of this project to the intern: The intern will gain experience working with environmental justice and community-based organizations, strengthen data collection and organizational skills, and work collaboratively with a project team of members from diverse backgrounds (university staff, NGOs, CBOs, etc.)

Skills Required:   Excellent organizational skills, good people skills, some knowledge of and interest in environmental or climate justice (preferably courses taken or previous work experience). Students who are passionate and interested in environmental justice. 3. Project Title: Communicating Climate Science and Impacts of Environmental Stressors on Vulnerable Ecosystems and Communities Student type desired: graduate Department/Program: Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory Project Objectives : 1) Improve understanding on how climate change stressors (sea level rise, increasing temperature, eutrophication, hypoxia) impact ecological processes in vulnerable coastal environments, and communicate results to coastal communities, including underserved populations. 2)  Improve understanding on impacts of extreme events (intense storms, floods, droughts) on coastal ecosystems, habitat, and communities. 3) Improve understanding on why climate change is an environmental justice issue. 4) Capture and integrate input from local communities into our research. 5) Bridge and translate science to policy, decision makers, and the public. 6) Examine human-ecosystem interactions in urban coastal systems. Anticipated Tasks :  1) Develop web content relevant to this project 2) Develop social media content 3) Write blogs and essays 4) Interview project participants, collaborators and stakeholders involved in this project 5) Assist with development of short videos/recordings Benefits of this project to the intern:

Through this project, the intern will learn about the impact of climate change and extreme events on coastal ecological processes and ecosystem stressors. Through involvement in all phases of the project, the intern will have the opportunity to broaden the knowledge obtained in courses, become familiar with current literature on climate change and impacts on coastal ecology, biodiversity, coastal communities and water resources, and develop skills in communication of findings. They will also gain experience in working both independently and cooperatively with a diverse group of people, and understanding and applying writing/communications methods, ethics and conduct rules.

Skills Required:  

Creativity; Critical thinking and problem-solving; Initiative; Organizational Skills; Strong background and interest in climate change, environmental sciences and social science; Effective oral and written communication skills (e.g., essays, blogs, interviews); Experience with various social media and communication platforms (e.g., YouTube, Instagram); Experience with web content development (e.g., story maps); Teamwork and collaboration skills

4. Project Title: Coordinating Indigenous and NGO participation in climate negotiations Student type desired: undergraduate, graduate, PhD Department/Program : Columbia Climate School Project Objectives : This project seeks to expand the participation of Indigenous Peoples with two groups involved in the UNFCCC negotiations: an NGO, the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (iccinet.org), and a high-level group of nations, Ambition on Melting Ice (ambitionmeltingice.org), which includes a number of countries (Nepal, Chile, Peru, Tanzania) with substantial Indigenous populations. These two organizations press for climate action to address ice loss and sea level rise; though there is some Indigenous involvement through the Inuit Circumpolar Council (inuitcircumpolar.org) around sea ice, Indigenous engagement could be greatly expanded in regions of mountain glaciers and permafrost. Anticipated Tasks : 

1) The intern will coordinate with Indigenous organizations, such as the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (lcipp.unfccc.int) and national organizations, as well as with the two groups above.

2) They will track activities around cryosphere, mountain and permafrost issues within the UNFCCC processes and Indigenous Peoples organizations.

3) They will assemble case studies of effective adaptation and mitigation activities that involve full just partnerships between Indigenous Peoples and other organizations.

4) They will assist in preparing notes and documents leading up to COP29 in Azerbaijan, and support the development of the International Year of Glacier Protextion (2025) announced by UNESCO, and will prepare posts on this efforts for the GlacierHub within the Climate School website State of the Planet (news.climate.columbia.edu/features/GlacierHub).

Benefits of this project to the intern: The intern will gain knowledge and experience of international climate negotiations, learn the challenges and opportunities of promoting engagement of marginalized communities, and develop skills in locating and analyzing assessment and policy documents. The intern will also produce posts for State of the Planet which will have their byline and permanent URLs. Skills Required:   Familiarity with climate policy, climate science and impacts, and climate justice; Strong skills in managing documents and references; Writing skills for drafting documents and reports; Experience in related areas of climate justice preferred; International experience preferred.

5. Project Title: DEI + Sustainability Summer Fellowship Project Student type desired: graduate Department/Program: SUMA & Columbia Climate School Project Objectives : This project aims to strengthen DEI efforts and initiatives within the Sustainability graduate programs and Climate School partner programs. Students will engage in a variety of activities and work that highlights the close connectivity of DEI and Sustainability. This project will involve developing curriculum and programming that bring equity-centered perspectives on sustainability, integrate environmental justice knowledge, and enable students to deeply engage with social justice issues. In conjunction with offices and people throughout the network, this project will provide fellows with a high-level overview of strategy, planning, and development in DEI + Sustainability spaces. Anticipated Tasks :  This project aims to center DEI advancements with student feedback and development, EMPHASIS ON STUDENTS. Students will help develop workshops, skills seminars, course curriculum, and future DEI Initiatives for the Sustainability Programs, partner programs, and beyond. Students will brainstorm and build relationships with program administrations, Climate School & SPS leaders, and entities across the Columbia network. Students will also engage in the broadness of DEI + Sustainability, working individually and collectively, to craft presentations and resources to aid in marketing and recruitment for the programs. Students will also contribute to website and social media updates. Benefits of this project to the intern: Student will gain skills and competencies in DEI planning. Student will partner with SUMA administrators, faculty, and other campus leaders on their DEI efforts. Students will gain a better understanding of the strategy and development behind DEI Programming. Students will also gain valuable experience in working in higher education administration and leadership. Students will develop transferable skills that will be valuable, no matter the desired career path. Students will provide support for projects of the Sustainability Graduate Programs and on broader equity efforts at Columbia and in the surrounding community. Skills Required:   Interest in DEI work; Interest in Higher Education Administration; Sustainability Emphasis; Computer Skills; Public Speaking and Presentation Skills; Community Engagement; Be Available for In-Person & Virtual. 6. Project Title: Institutional Partnerships Student type desired: undergraduate Department/Program: Columbia Climate School, Office of Development Project Objectives : The Summer Intern will contribute to the following summer projects: 1) Continue to develop and refine the Climate School’s first development database of institutional funders and prospects. 2) Prepare Materials for Strategy Sessions and Pipeline Meetings 3) Prospect Research Anticipated Tasks :  Picking up where our previous intern left off, the new summer intern will continue to build and refine the development database. They will source and compile publicly available contact information on prospects and funders to the School to support the creation of an actionable database. The intern will also work closely to support the team in the preparation of presentation materials (slide decks, summary documents, agendas); take meeting notes and then synthesize and distribute them to meeting participants. Lastly, they will contribute to the development of prospect briefings for Climate School. Benefits of this project to the intern: The student will get an inside view of how the Climate School raises funding from the climate philanthropy sector, primarily foundations and corporations. The student will learn about key global funding priorities for the climate sector and how the Columbia Climate School’s education, research, and impact objectives match to these areas of giving. The student will uplevel their ability to use AI to efficiently and effectively accomplish routine tasks such as prospect briefings and create compelling PPTs. Skills Required:   Intern should have strong English language writing and project management skills; facility with Microsoft 365 platform, Google workspace, and LinkedIn. A familiarity with customer relationship management (CRM) databases is preferred, but not essential. Prior experience using ChatGPT, BardAI, or other generative AI models is most welcome. The intern should possess a curiosity for what drives philanthropic engagement in the climate sector, specifically towards an academic institution like the Columbia Climate School.

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