Environmental Assessment (DEA)
Diploma in Environmental Assessment (DEA)
Why pursue a Graduate Diploma in Environmental Assessment?
Rapid unsustainable development, accelerated resource extraction, and significant shifts in environmental governance have all contributed to escalating ecological crises in our society. Now more than ever, we need critical minds to rigorously apply environmental assessment as a tool to support the struggles for social and environmental justice and to reflect on possibilities for further improvement of the environmental assessment process.
The Graduate Diploma in Environmental Assessment provides a unique learning experience where you will address today’s most pressing environmental problems by developing skills in data analysis, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and policy development. These skills will help you address pressing issues of environmental destruction that undermine the living conditions of future generations. Under the direction of our acclaimed faculty members, you will examine research in various fields, such as political ecology, science and technology, and critical geographies, while maintaining a particular focus on Canadian and Indigenous affairs.
Benefit from an environment where graduate students regularly collaborate with researchers on numerous projects and publications. Our students have co-authored research papers in distinguished peer-reviewed journals, including Environmental Impact Assessment Review, the Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, and Biodiversity and Conservation.
Take advantage of opportunities to make connections with other researchers interested in global environmental change. The City of Montreal is home to various international institutions that include the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and Future Earth.
Join a cohort of students who are dedicated to understanding the broad implications of present-day environmental issues and how they can enact actual change. Course materials and resources are designed for students who want to pursue their studies at more advanced academic levels and for working professionals interested in the environmental field.
Program details
A Bachelor's degree in an appropriate discipline in Arts or Science is required. Students who lack appropriate Ecology, or Geographic Information Systems, Physical Geography or Statistics are required to take preparatory courses such as BIOL 205, Introduction to Sustainability; a 300-level physical geography course; GEOG 362, Statistical Methods or GEOG 363, Geographic Information Systems. Those lacking a social science background may be required to take GEOG 355, Resource Analysis and Management, or a similar course.
Students admitted to the Diploma in Environmental Assessment (DEA) may subsequently apply, in a future admission cycle, to the Master of Environment (MEnv), if they have maintained a minimum CGPA of 3.30. A new application is required, with three letters of reference from current or recent professors. Courses taken in the Diploma with a grade of B+ or better may be transferred to the MEnv degree after admission. The Graduate Committee assesses the new applications with the other applications for the cycle.
Proficiency in English. Applicants whose primary language is not English must demonstrate that their knowledge of English is sufficient to pursue graduate studies in their chosen field. Please refer to the Graduate Admission page for further information on the Language Proficiency requirements and exemptions.
Credits. A fully qualified candidate is required to complete a minimum of 30 credits as follows:
- Compulsory Courses. All students must take 15 credits: ENVS 601, ENVS 652, ENVS 653, ENVS 668.
- Elective Courses. All students must take 15 credits from: BIOL 618, ECON 659, ENVS 604, ENVS 605, ENVS 620, ENVS 664, GEOG 620, HENV 610, HENV 625, HENV 655, HENV 660, HENV 670, HENV 675, HENV 680.
Your completed application will include:
- Application form and Fee
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Three Letters of Reference and assessment form (two of which must come from academic referees)
- Statement of purpose (250 to 500 words maximum) should include the type of experience and background you have and your expectations of the program
- Transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended
- Proof of Canadian citizenship (if applicable)
- Applicants whose primary language is not English, are required to submit official language test scores, unless exempted.
Please apply online. Read the how-to guide for application procedures.
| DEGREE |
FALL (September) |
WINTER (January) |
SUMMER (May/June) |
| Environmental Assessment | Diploma | Feb. 1 | n/a | n/a |
Courses typically offered include:
- Indigenous Peoples and the Environment
- Economics for Environmentalists
- Environmental Law and Policy
- Community-Based Conservation
Consult the graduate calendar for a complete list of current courses.
We are committed to providing you the support you need to focus on your studies. A limited number of teaching assistantships are available for students, valued at $4,500 per semester.
In some cases, research assistantships are available for specific projects.
Please also consult Concordia’s graduate funding page and Financial Aid and Awards.
Faculty members regularly publish their research findings in reputable, peer-reviewed journals, including Development and Change, the Journal of Political Ecology, Ecological Indicators, Ecology and Society, and Geoforum.
Faculty research interests include:
- geographic information systems
- historical and economic geographies of the Americas
- landscape ecology and road ecology
- political ecology
- political economy
- indigenous resource management
- quantification and assessment of landscape structure and landscape change
- urban sprawl
- remote sensing
- workforce development
The David B. Frost GIS Laboratory is a state-of-the-art Geographic Information Systems teaching and individual study computer lab. Computers run the latest version of ArcGIS, as well as support programs for Computer Assisted Design, remote sensing and image editing.
The Geography, Planning and Environment Graduate Students Association hosts seminars and social events for all graduate students in our department. Become an elected officer and participate in a number of committees that make a vital contribution to university activities.
Students admitted to the Diploma in Environmental Assessment (DEA) may subsequently apply, in a future admission cycle, to the Master of Environment (MEnv), if they have maintained a CGPA greater or equal to 3.30. A new application will be required, with 3 letters of reference from current or recent professors. Courses taken in the Diploma with a grade of B+ or better will transfer to the new MEnv degree after admission. The Graduate Committee will assess the new applications with the other applications for the cycle.
