Are you passionate about the land, air and water? If you are looking to start a career within the diverse and everchanging environmental industry, this two-year diploma program will teach you about the natural and built environment and how to tackle complex environmental problems. You will develop practical skills around monitoring, sampling, canoeing, species and plant identification, as well as mapping for a variety of environmental projects. As you move through the program, you will build your knowledge of ecosystem management, soil and groundwater quality, health and safety, indoor air, erosion mitigation, legislative requirements and geospatial techniques.
Each semester includes a substantial field component on the vast natural landscape of our King Campus located on the Oak Ridges Moraine, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s Lake St. George Field Centre in Richmond Hill, and Newnham Campus.
This two-year diploma program prepares you for a range of entry-level positions in the environmental field. The program also offers the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks (MECP) approved Entry-Level Course (ELC) curriculum and exam for Drinking Water Operators in the water and wastewater industry.
It is strongly recommended that you have a valid driver’s license, as most employers require a G class licence for co-op positions.
It is strongly recommended that you have a laptop before the first day of this program. It should include the following technical specifications:
Ontario College Diploma
4 Semesters (2 Years)
September
This program is offered in Seneca's hybrid delivery format with some courses available in Seneca's flexible delivery format. Some coursework is online and some must be completed in person. Students will need to come on campus to complete in-person learning requirements. For courses offered in the flexible delivery format, professors use innovative learning spaces and technology to teach students in a classroom or lab and broadcast in real time to students attending remotely. In flexible courses, students have the choice of coming on campus or learning online.
Throughout this program you will develop the following skills:
Students interested in completing a co-op work term should apply to the Environmental Technician (Co-op) (ETMC) program.
Graduates of the program can explore the following career options:
| Course Code | Course Name | Weekly Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | ||
| BEA101 | CAD Fundamentals | 4 |
| COM101 | Communicating Across Contexts | 3 |
| or COM111 | Communicating Across Contexts (Enriched) | |
| EVP151 | Environmental Field Practices | 4 |
| EVS141 | Environmental Science | 3 |
| GTY171 | Geomorphology and Soils | 4 |
| MTA100 | Mathematics 100 | 5 |
| Semester 2 | ||
| CHE251 | Chemistry and the Environment | 5 |
| DMA251 | Data Management and Analysis | 3 |
| FSC200 | Field School: Stream Assessment | 2 |
| GEO251 | Geospatial Data Collection and Techniques | 5 |
| SAR251 | Site Assessment and Remediation | 4 |
| TEC400 | Technical Communications | 3 |
| WTP100 | Work Term Preparation * | 1 |
| plus: General Education Course (1) | 3 | |
| Work-Integrated Learning Term | ||
| ETM331 | Environmental Technician, Co-op * | 30 |
| Semester 3 | ||
| ATE351 | Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecology | 4 |
| ESA351 | Environmental Sampling and Analysis | 5 |
| FSC300 | Field School: Plant Identification | 2 |
| GEM351 | Soil Science and Geomechanic Principles | 4 |
| GEO351 | Geospatial Analysis | 4 |
| HWM351 | Hydrology and Watershed Management | 4 |
| plus: General Education Course (1) | 3 | |
| Semester 4 | ||
| AIR451 | Air Pollution | 5 |
| EAL451 | Environmental Auditing and Legislation | 3 |
| ERM451 | Erosion and Sediment Management | 4 |
| FSC400 | Field School: Soil and Groundwater | 2 |
| GEO451 | Image Analysis and Interpretation | 5 |
| WWT451 | Water and Wastewater Processes and Treatment | 6 |
| plus: General Education Course (1) | 3 | |
Work-Integrated Learning option only
Note: The following course will not fulfil a General Education requirement: NAT260 Environmental Science.
This Seneca program has been validated by the Credential Validation Service as an Ontario College Credential as required by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.
As a graduate, you will be prepared to reliably demonstrate the ability to:
Canadian citizens and permanent residents may satisfy the English and/or mathematics requirements for this program through successful Seneca pre-admission testing.
International admissions requirements vary by program and in addition to English requirements, programs may require credits in mathematics, biology, and chemistry at a level equivalent to Ontario’s curriculum, or a postsecondary degree or diploma, equivalent to an Ontario university or college. Program-specific pre-requisite courses and credentials are listed with the admission requirements on each program page. To review the academic requirements please visit: Academic Requirements - Seneca, Toronto, Canada (senecapolytechnic.ca).
As a leader in academic pathways, we offer a range of options that will allow you to take your credential further in another Seneca program or a program at a partner institution.
To learn more about your eligibility, visit the Academic Pathways web page.
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