Environmental Protection

Environmental protection technologists provide an invaluable service to society by helping protect and sustain the long-term health of our local and global ecosystems.

Environmental consultants, industry and government seek out graduates from our Environmental Protection Technology program. They do this because our graduates have developed the skills needed to offer professional advice on a wide range of subjects, including environmental impact assessment, hazardous and non-hazardous waste management, waste reduction and reuse strategies, air, soil and water pollution prevention and monitoring, compliance auditing, and contaminated site investigation and remediation. This skill set is based on an integrated, hands-on training program that gives graduates a good working knowledge of physical and life sciences, including general biology, ecology, toxicology, chemistry, physics and statistics. Specific topics covered by the program include:

Although graduates typically work within a team of professionals, they must also be able to work independently and take initiative as required; the program helps promote these attributes. Successful completion of the two-year program will prepare graduates for employment at the technology level within industry or government; often with excellent potential for upward mobility as job experience grows.

For more information, please visit the department web page at www.kwantlen.ca/environment

An advisory committee works closely with the program to maintain and update the curriculum and employment focus to ensure that graduates are well prepared for the job market. This committee consists of potential employers from the public and private sectors, as well as several graduates of the program who are currently well established in the field.

Graduates are employed with environmental consulting firms, with federal, provincial or municipal departments, with industries possessing their own environmental staff, or are self-employed.

Program graduates have experienced a high rate of employment in the environmental field. They are currently employed with government and industry in a variety of technology-level positions. The Co-operative Education component of the program has proved to be extremely valuable, with several of the graduates obtaining positions with their Co-op employers. Examples of the type of work performed by Co-op students and graduates include: air, water, and soil sampling; wastewater systems investigations; contaminated sites assessments; contingency planning and spills response; waste permitting and compliance investigations; laboratory analysis; habitat evaluation; environmental auditing; environmental policy and legislation; recycling; composting; solid waste management; and public education.

Some graduates continue their education towards a Bachelor’s Degree, getting credit for their 2-year technology diploma.

In addition to the general University College admission requirements, applicants must have at least:

All applicants must attend an information session (normally November and February) or, if from outside the Vancouver and Fraser Valley area, must complete a telephone interview.

The two-year program, which contains two four-month work terms, consists of the following sequence:

Graduates are able to enter, either directly or at a later stage in their career, into upper levels of the following programs: Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science at Royal Roads University, Bachelor of Science at UNBC, Bachelor of General Studies at Open University, Bachelor of Technology at BCIT (environmental engineering and environmental health), and Bachelor of Business Administration in Entrepreneurial Leadership at Kwantlen University College.

The Association of Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of British Columbia (ASTTBC) has accredited this program as meeting the Canadian Technology Standards at the technology level. ASTTBC, the professional association for the province’s technologists and technicians, is mandated with the role of certifying technologists and technicians, as well as accrediting technician and technology programs offered by the colleges and institutes. Program accreditation provides assurance of high educational standards through a review process that is nationally and increasingly internationally recognized. Program accreditation permits graduates to be certified as technologists in their profession, a credential sought by many employers, and allows instant recognition of qualification for positions across Canada, the United States, and elsewhere.

The Environmental Protection Technology program is in the process of seeking national accreditation through the Canadian Technology Accreditation Board.

Upon successful completion of this program, students are awarded a Diploma of Technology in Environmental Protection. Students in the co-op option are awarded a Diploma of Technology in Environmental Protection, Co-op Option.