About the Program
Real, marketable skills upon graduation
Students will graduate with professional skills that are in high demand, preparing them for a variety of careers through which they can influence environmental policy and practice, while doing work that reflects their passions.
Students will learn to:
- Deconstruct environmental sustainability challenges with an understanding of their scientific, economic, and political underpinnings.
- Critically evaluate and integrate knowledge from key disciplines in environmental sustainability.
- Develop effective evidence-based policy solutions and strategies for adoption in a given socio-economic and political context.
- Perform critical evaluation of sustainability policies, reports and regulations.
- Develop and implement sustainability plans and strategies.
- Collaborate with diverse stakeholders in the context of environmental decision-making and creative problem-solving.
- Communicate effectively about environmental sustainability issues in diverse settings.
Careers in sustainability
Are you looking for more from a career than just a job? Do you want to contribute to the sustainability of your community? Here are just a few examples of the kinds of careers in environmental sustainability that our graduates can enter:
- POLICY ADVISOR to a minister
- SUSTAINABILITY MANAGER for an industry association
- SENIOR POLICY ANALYST for government
- LEADER of a sustainable community initiative
- RESEARCHER for a sustainability think tank
- ENTERPRENEUR for an environmentally progressive company
- EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of a non-governmental organization
- OFFICER in energy efficiency
Tackling Today’s Challenges
Students in the program benefit from the unique, real-world approach to learning that has them working on relevant and timely issues even before they graduate. As part of this approach, students have the opportunity to learn from and work alongside leaders in environmental sustainability inside and outside the university community.
Here are just three of the many areas of research underway at uOttawa:
- The transition to a sustainable economy
From carbon taxes to feed-in tariffs, economic instruments are part of the policy toolkit for progress on many sustainability problems. Students in our program can engage with Sustainable Prosperity, a green economy think-tank based at the Institute of the Environment that is leading the charge on helping Canada transition to a more sustainable economy. - Energy and climate change
How Canada and the rest of the world choose to produce and consume energy in the future will have profound implications for everyone. Students in this program can join faculty and students from across campus working in labs, in classrooms and with partners in the public and private sector on finding sustainable and ethical ways to power the future in the context of a changing global climate. - Toxics, science and law
When deformed frogs and changing birth ratios call into question the regulatory framework for the management of toxic substances in Canada, how do science and law interact to identify effective solutions? Students can participate in the development and evaluation of innovative approaches to bring science into the courtroom, and community issues into political discussions.
Is this program for you?
- Are you passionate about the environment and do you want to direct that energy into your work?
- Are you interested in influencing change, either through public policy, greening business or hands-on action, leading to a more sustainable future?
- Are you a creative thinker who enjoys exploring unconventional perspectives when seeking out solutions?
- Are you a recent graduate who is searching for a meaningful career that aligns with your values?
- Are you working in government, the private sector or civil society and wish to deepen your capacity for integrated problem-solving?
If you are seeking a career that makes a difference, the Master’s of Environmental Sustainability might just be for you.
Visit the Campus
We welcome students to visit the campus in person. To book an appointment, please contact the academic coordinator for the Master’s of Environmental Sustainability:
Jean-Marc Thibault
613- 562-5895
envirograd@uOttawa.ca
Please note: In order to ensure the best experience possible during your time on campus, we request that you contact us at least 3 business days in advance of your visit. Thank you for your cooperation.
You are also welcome to contact faculty members of the program directly if you would like to set up a time to meet with them personally. Please view the membership directory for contact information.
We look forward to meeting you.