Pursue Undergraduate Program in
Sustainable Environmental Management
Explore some of the most critical issues facing the earth today: the climate crisis, the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services, waste management, energy consumption and sustainable solutions. In the Sustainable Environmental Management program, you will investigate how the environment and its resources are managed, and how transitions toward more sustainable systems can be accelerated. You’ll learn key problem-solving, innovation and holistic strategies, combined with an understanding of policy, law and regulation, and economic and social dynamics with applied aspects of environmental science and technology.
As you learn first-hand about energy, water, food and waste, you will develop the technical skills to analyze, synthesize and evaluate political, economic and social dimensions of environmental problems, including biodiversity loss, climate change, policy and planning responses, and pathways to sustainability transitions and innovation, especially those that address environmental and social injustices.
You will explore such critical issues as:
- Low-carbon sustainable energy transition
- Environmental policy and governance
- Environmental law
- Ecological economics
- Climate change science and mitigation
- Urban ecology
- Sustainability and just transitions
- Community energy and planning
Students benefit from practical experience through hands-on classroom activities, field and lab-based exercises, and community engagement. The program offers educational work placements and opportunities to participate in the Las Nubes EcoCampus in Costa Rica.
You will develop transferrable skills in critical thinking, leadership, and project management to effectively engage in environmental issues in government, the private sector, and not-for-profit sectors in Canada and abroad, and make positive contributions toward a sustainable future.
Program Details
Offered By
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
Degrees Offered
BES
Fall Entry
Yes (first and upper year)
Winter Entry
Yes (first and upper year)
Summer Entry
Yes (first and upper year)
Ways to Study
Full-Time, Part-Time
Sample Schedule (First-year)
- Environmental Management
- Environmental Science
- Physical Geography: Weather and Climate
- Physical Geography: Dynamic Earth
- The World Today: An Introduction to World Geography
- The land we’re on: Treaties, art and environment
Possible Career Paths
- Sustainability officer
- Energy Assessor
- Policy advisor
- Waste management specialist
- Green Entrepreneur
- Environmental Outreach and Stewardship Coordinator
- Environmental Consultant
Viewbooks
Undergraduate
View Viewbook (PDF)
Transfer & Mature
View Viewbook (PDF)
Indigenous
View Viewbook (PDF)
International
View Viewbook (PDF)
Admission Requirements
I am a high-school student I have completed at least one year of full-time study at college or university I have been away from high-school for at least two years I have never studied in a formal academic high-school environment Returning / Reactivating student (previously York) Visiting StudentsFaculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-to-high 70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 70.
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-to-high 70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 70.
Baccalauréat Français
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
- A maximum of 30 possible transferable credits may be granted for successful completion of the Baccalauréat Général. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
Bachillerato
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
- Minimum overall result of “Bien/Buena/Bueno/Good” on all academic courses.
- Some programs require a higher GPA.
CAPE
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
- A minimum overall average of 3 out of 7 is required. Higher grades required for certain programs.
- CAPE 2-unit courses, with results of 3 or better, are eligible for transfer credit, up to a maximum of 18 credits. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
- Extra courses will be assessed for transfer credit. Applicants with the DEC may be awarded up to one full year of transfer credit.
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-to-high 70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 70.
Chinese High School
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
Turkish High School
- Some programs require higher. Please review the requirements for your program below.
- Prerequisite courses should not be below a grade of 4.0 or 70%.
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
GCE
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
- GCE A2 examinations with results of "C" or better, are eligible for transfer credit, up to a maximum of 18 credits. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
To gain admission to this program, minimum average of C is required.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of C.
The overall average required for admission is determined each year on a program specific basis. Some programs have limited enrolment. Admission is not guaranteed, and all requirements are subject to change.
Hong Kong
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
International Baccalaureate
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
- IB Diploma with passes in six subjects: three passes at the Standard-level and three passes at the Higher-level, or two passes at the Standard-level and four passes at the Higher-level
- Transfer credit is granted for IB courses with Higher-level final grades of 5 or better, to a maximum of 30 credits. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
To gain admission to this program, minimum IB diploma point scores of 28 is required.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires minimum IB diploma point scores of 28.
The overall average required for admission is determined each year on a program specific basis. Some programs have limited enrolment. Admission is not guaranteed, and all requirements are subject to change.
Indian High School
- Some programs require a higher average. Please review the requirements for your program below.
- Prerequisite courses should not be below a grade of 55%.
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
- All-India Senior School Certificate (AISSCE)
- Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC)
- Indian School Certificate (ISC)
- Intermediate Examination Certificate
- Pre-University Examination Certificate
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-to-high 70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 70.
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-to-high 70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 70.
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-to-high 70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 70.
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-to-high 70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 70.
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-to-high 70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 70.
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-to-high 70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 70.
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-to-high 70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 70.
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
To be considered a mature student, you must:
be at least 20 years old by the end of the calendar year of admission to the University;
have been out of full-time high school studies for at least two years; and
have attempted less than one full year of studies at an accredited college or university.
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-to-high 70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 70.
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-to-high 70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 70.
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-to-high 70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 70.
Tawjihyah
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
United States High School
- Grade 12 graduation with a minimum overall average of "B" on Grade 11 and Grade 12 academic courses is required to be considered for most programs. Some programs require a higher average. Please review the requirements for your program below.
- SAT or ACT scores are not required for students studying in a recognized accredited US curriculum outside the United States, Puerto Rico or Guam.
- SATs/ACTs are considered in combination with high school grades.
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
For Fall (September) 2021 and Winter (January) 2022 entry, York University will deem the SAT/ACT as optional for students studying in a recognized accredited US curriculum high school in the United States, Puerto Rico or Guam. However, students who have completed a standardized test are encouraged to submit their test scores as it may support your application for competitive programs. SAT/ACT scores must be sent electronically from the College Board directly to York. Please browse the section below for pre-requisites and detailed admission requirements.
Note: An SAT/ACT test will be required from students who are not enrolled in a recognized accredited US curriculum high school in the United States, Puerto Rico or Guam or have not studied in a formal academic high-school environment.
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
- AP College Board examinations are eligible for transfer credit, for results of 4 or 5, up to a maximum of 30 credits. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) or National Examinations Council (NECO) - minimum 6 academic courses
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
BES
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-to-high 70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 70.
You are required to provide official evidence of academic achievement in secondary education. This can be demonstrated through:
- Final grades under the Ontario curriculum (obtained through correspondence, night school or through TVO)
- Credentials through other curricula, such as results from Advanced Placement (AP) or Advanced-level courses in the General Certificate of Education (GCE). (Students may register to sit for the AP and GCE examinations as private candidates.)
In the absence of final grades in courses:
- You must submit the results of standardized tests such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) with a minimum combined total of 1170 on the Critical Reading and Math components or a composite American College Testing (ACT) score of 24.
- Your application will be reviewed by an admissions sub-committee. If admitted, you will not be eligible for entrance scholarships. You will be considered for continuing student scholarships at the end of your first year of study, if you satisfy those criteria.
You may also be required to provide proof of language proficiency. You will be considered for entrance scholarships on the basis of your overall averages in the six 4U/4M (Ontario curriculum) or equivalent courses.