This is an ARCHIVED version of the Kwantlen University College Calendar for 2000-2001 and is provided for historical reference only. See the current version of the Calendar for updated information.

Environmental
Protection Technology

Offered at Richmond

Full-time September start

Graduation

Upon successful completion of this program students will be awarded a Diploma in Environmental Protection Technology.

Description

The Environmental Protection Technology program is accredited at the Technology level by the Association of Applied Science Technologists and Technicians (ASTT) of British Columbia. The ASTTBC is a professional association, which registers and certifies technicians and technologists in British Columbia. Accreditation provides assurance of high educational standards in technology programs in institutes of technology and community colleges through a program that is nationally recognized.

The quality of our environment is an increasingly important concern. Society has recognized that we must not continue wasting our resources and polluting the environment.

Analysis by industrial and government sectors has demonstrated a definite need for well-qualified personnel in the environmental protection field. An Advisory Committee works closely with Kwantlen in establishing goals, objectives and curriculum content to assure that graduates are well prepared for the job market.

To further prepare the student, the curriculum is designed in a Co-operative Education format with two four-month work terms.

Kwantlen has been successful in arranging unique and challenging co-op placements with government agencies such as Environment Canada, with environmental consultants, with industry and through the establishment of municipal/district partnerships. In some placements, Kwantlen students have served as supervisors to high school students performing their own co-op activities.

General Objectives

Upon successful completion of this two-year program, graduates will be prepared for employment at the technical level in industry or government positions that monitor, evaluate and reduce pollution and other impacts on the environment.

Graduates will be "hands-on" oriented; they need not be "chemical technicians" but will have a broadly based background. The broad range of courses will enable them to assist with environmental management efforts that require a holistic approach. Graduates should have excellent presentation and interpersonal skills. They will be able to go out in the field and properly collect information regarding the presence and effects of pollutants in a wide variety of situations. They will have comprehensive knowledge of waste reduction and management methods and issues. Graduates will be capable of data handling and acquisition using commercially available computer software.

Specific Objectives

In addition to a working knowledge of physical and life sciences including chemistry, physics, biology and ecology, graduates will be trained in the following skills:

1. Field sampling: air, water, and soil
2. Written and oral communication
3. Solid, liquid and air treatment methods and waste minimization
4. Hazardous goods and waste handling methods
5. WHMIS implementation and compliance evaluation
6. Emergency planning and spill response methods
7. Recycling and waste minimization program design
8. Environmental issues analysis and environmental law and ethics

Career Opportunities

The program has experienced a high rate of employment of its graduates in the environmental field. Graduates are currently employed with government and industry in a variety of technical positions. Examples of the type of work being performed by current graduates include air and water sampling, solid waste management and education, wastewater systems investigations, contaminated site assessments, spill management, and waste permitting and compliance investigations.

The Co-operative Education component of the program has proven to be extremely valuable, with several of the graduates obtaining positions with their co-op employers. Some areas of employment students have worked in include: recycling, composting, field sampling of water, air and soil, site investigation, contingency planning and spill response, lab analysis, habitat evaluation, environmental auditing, environmental policy and legislation, and public education.

Student Profile

This program has attracted students from a wide range of backgrounds and age, with an equal number of males and females.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the regular College requirements, applicants must have:

Unless applicants have higher level math, Mathematics 12 must have been completed within the last 5 years. Otherwise applicants must demonstrate math currency by taking the mathematics placement test. It is preferred that Physics 11 and Chemistry 11 also be completed within 5 years of entering the program. All applicants must attend an information session (normally November and February) or, if from outside the Vancouver and Fraser Valley area, complete a telephone interview.

Note: Effective for the fall 2001 intake of new students, Chemistry 12 with a minimum of C+ will be the new chemistry admission requirement.

All students who enroll in the Environmental Protection Technology program must also participate in Co-operative Education.

In addition to the normal academic requirements, satisfactory work semesters are required for graduation in a Cooperative program. A student's transcript shows completion of each work semester, but no formal academic credit is given for them. A student must complete all the requirements of a Co-operative Education program to receive her or his diploma.n.

Content

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

Year One

Fall Semester

BIOL 1110 Principles of Biology: The Biosphere
CHEM 1105 Introductory Chemistry
CISY 1105 Microcomputer Hardware and
Applications Development
 ENVI 1120 Environmental Issues and Communication Skills
ENVI 1125 Environmental Physics
MATH 1115 Statistics I
COOP 1101 Communications and the Job Search

Spring Semester

BIOL 1210 Principles of Biology: The Organism
ENVI 1216 Introduction to Geology, Hydrology and Atmospheric Processes
ENVI 1220 Environmental Issues and Analysis
ENVI 1225 Environmental Chemistry
 ENVI 2315 Water and Soil Sampling

Summer Semester

COOP 1110 Co-op Work Semester I

Year Two

Fall Semester

BIOL 2322 Ecology
COOP 1201 Communications and the Workplace
 ENVI 1210 Electronics with Instrumentation
ENVI 2305 Introduction to Environmental Toxicology
ENVI 2310 Solid Waste Technology
ENVI 2320 Environmental Emergency Planning and Response

Spring Semester

COOP 2110 Co-op Work Semester II

Summer Semester

COOP 2301 Communications and the Professional
 ENVI 2405 Environmental Legislation
ENVI 2410 Water and Wastewater Treatment Methods
ENVI 2415 Air Monitoring and Pollution Control
ENVI 2420 Hazardous Waste and Contaminated Site Management
ENVI 2425 Health and Safety on Contaminated Site

Transfer

The Environmental Protection Technology program's focus is to prepare students for a career after their two years at Kwantlen. However, should graduates wish to further their formal education, official transfer credit to other institutions is available for many of the program courses.

The program currently has an agreement with Royal Roads University accepting graduates into the 3rd year of their Environmental Science Degree Program. The program is also finalizing an agreement with BCIT for entry of our graduates into 3rd year of their Environmental Engineering Technology Degree. Articulated transfer agreements between Kwantlen and other post-secondary institutions are in the planning stages.

Kwantlen University College
http://www.kwantlen.bc.ca
604-599-2100
Contact the Admissions Department
PREV NEXT