Thompson Rivers University
AC-4: Graduate Program

The environment is a complex of biological, geological, physical, chemical, social and cultural factors that interact to influence the life of an individual or community. Our environment is threatened by global issues, such as overpopulation, global climate change, and habitat fragmentation. Many of these are issues caused by humans, and in turn they are threatening the very well being of humans. The problems we face today are not solvable by science alone, but by an equal discovery and knowledge of culture, sociology, economics, politics and ethics. The TRU Master of Science in Environmental Science provides an integrative, multi-disciplinary approach to the study of the environment. Thompson Rivers University (TRU) is ideally located to study environmental issues because of its proximity to a wide variety of diverse regional ecosystems. Kamloops is a small city of approximately eighty thousand people centred in the Southern Interior of British Columbia. The Thompson/Okanagan region and neighbouring Cariboo Plateau provides rare native grassland ecosystems, freshwater wetlands, lakes and rivers, and a rich diversity of forested ecosystems, all within easy access of TRU,as well as mountain and ocean ecosystems withing a few hours drive. The location of the University also provides collaborative potential with a number of neighbouring institutions and agencies, such as B.C. Ministry of Forests and Range, Agriculture Canada Research Station, B.C. Ministry of Environment, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, B.C. Grassland Conservation Council, and Ducks Unlimited Canada. The TRU MSc in Environmental Sciences program fills local, regional, provincial, national and international needs for environmental professionals. The program is designed to produce graduates who are innovative and have multi-disciplinary skills and broad knowledge in the field of environmental science. It is structured to be unique, flexible and relevant.