Simon Fraser University
AC-4: Graduate Program

Our mission is to improve sustainable resource and environmental practices by advancing, applying, and disseminating relevant knowledge and expertise to meet that objective. The School of Resource and Environmental Management (REM) provides an opportunity for interdisciplinary research and education on natural resource and environmental issues of local, national, and international interest. REM offers graduate programs in various areas of resource and environmental management and a selection of undergraduate courses that can complement a wide array of undergraduate degrees at SFU. The degree programs are intended for individuals with undergraduate training and experience in fields such as biology, engineering, chemistry, forestry, and geology, as well as business administration, economics, geography, planning, and other social sciences. Graduate students take an integrated sequence of courses, pursue further complementary courses in their area of specialization, and complete a research project on a topic involving more than one traditional discipline. The aim is to give students increased familiarity and competence in: understanding the dynamics of natural resources, the strategies and techniques of natural resource and environmental planning, decision making and management, and the biological, physical, social, economic, and institutional implications of resource and environmental management decisions.

The Development and Sustainability Graduate Certificate links faculty teaching and research across nine units and three faculties in the university, and enables students to coordinate their graduate studies so as to concentrate on the tensions between development and sustainability, using a multidisciplinary approach. Students graduate with a regular graduate degree offered by their home units (masters or doctorate), plus a graduate certificate that recognizes their concentration in the field of development and sustainability studies. Students move through their programs in their departments while also being in regular contact with those with common interests in development across the university. Development and Sustainability studies are focused on socio-economic, ecological, and technological changes that affect the quality of life of individuals and groups in different environments all over the world. The obstacles to a sustainable social and ecological transformation are large but the pressures are urgent and the issues usually transcend the boundaries of conventional academic disciplines such as: anthropology; business; communication; ecology; economics; education; geography; history; humanities; law; political science; psychology; resource and environmental management; sociology; and, women’s studies.

A Post Baccalaureate Diploma (”post bac” or PBD) is a program designed for those who already have undergraduate degrees or the equivalent. It is not a master’s degree, but it is more advanced than a Bachelor’s degree. Totaling 30 units, this PBD program combines SCD theory and guided practice, plus 300- and 400-level electives from many disciplines. Four Core courses (SCD/REM 301, SCD/REM 401, SCD/REM 403, SCD/REM 404) plus four to five pre-approved elective courses permit students to shape their program to their own interests. This program includes a required, student-designed practicum (SCD/REM 404) in a community organization. This program is an excellent fit for those who are making a major change of field in later life, or who have previously obtained a highly specialized Bachelor’s degree in a different discipline. For recent graduates, who already have the breadth of knowledge equivalent to this program’s extensive elective course requirements, the shorter SCD Certificate program is recommended. SCD Students and Professionals work on projects like these: A well-run community theatre or museum that is a valued part of the local economy Fair trade with developing countries A car sharing co-operative that combines public and private transportation, and pays dividends, too A local currency that encourages community trading A community-owned, selectively-logged, sustainable forest Organic farmers’ markets in the heart of the city Aboriginal communities building their economies based on traditional values and ways A tourism industry that pays and houses youth well An ecologically-managed organic beef ranch A built community that takes care of its own energy generation and waste