Education

8 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS - THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2018 The program will be officially offered for the first time starting in September 2019, although some of the courses are already available. The new environmental geoscience stream will allow students to get the academic requirements needed to register as environmental geoscientists with Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba, the governing body that regulates the profession in the province. Hamid Mumin, chair of the geology department, is looking forward to incorporating this new stream. "It's a great opportunity for our students, particularly those who are interested in dealing with real environmental issues in a very practical manner. At the same time, they will be able to obtain their professional degrees and designation as a professional environmental geoscientist," he said. "Right now in Canada, there are three professional degree possibilities within the overall field of geoscience. You can register as a professional geoscientist, a professional environmental geoscientist or as a professional geophysicist." For students who are interested in getting involved in the new environmental geosciences program, there are several ways to get started. "The first way is to start after high school for those people who may be aware of the program. Unfortunately, there generally aren't geology programs in high school so usually students aren't aware of it. But for those that are, they can enter the program right in their first year of university. They should make sure to speak to a faculty member so that they take the right courses and electives for that stream," Mumin said. "Perhaps a greater percentage of our students either take a general first year at our university or start in some other field and find out about geoscience while they're here. Then they transfer into the program after already having spent a year or more at the university. The third way is that we sometimes have students transfer into the program from other universities and colleges." BrandonU.ca Close friends on a cozy campus. Small classes where you get to know your professors. Genuine research opportunities. A 15-minute commute — if you walk. Real-world experience with a supportive co-op program. Small steps today that lead to big things tomorrow. Try Brandon University on for size. Find big success in small groups DIG INTO ENVIRONMENTAL GEOSCIENCE AT BRANDON UNIVERSITY By Jennifer McFee for the Free Press BRANDON UNIVERSITY At Brandon University, students will soon have one more academic option that provides an environmental approach to geoscience. Both geoscientists and environmental geoscientists are involved in areas such as geohazards, engineering infrastructure, water resources, earthquakes, erosion, minerals and energy extraction and mitigation, deposition and coastline concerns.

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