Diploma in Education – Outdoor Environmental Education

About

The UBC Outdoor Environmental Education (OEE) diploma program is designed for teachers and other professionals who wish to specialize in using the natural outdoor environment for integrated learning experiences. The OEE courses will help educators incorporate outdoor learning into their daily practice incorporating place-based learning, nature learning and sustainability learning.

The curriculum will support educators in facilitating outdoor learning experiences that enhance their students' knowledge and connections to the natural world.

Courses

The Diploma in Education (OEE) consists of 30 credits at the 300-400 level within the thematic areas of:

Environmental
Indigenous
Healthy Living
Outdoor Skills

The diploma program includes 12 credits of required courses, and 18 credits of pre-approved electives. Students must complete a cluster of courses in OEE which may be selected from any of the thematic areas.

NOTE: A maximum of 12 credits may be used for transfer credit to the Diploma in OEE from another post-secondary institution, such as TRU Open Learning or Athabasca University, which are 300-400 level. These must be approved by the UBC Program Coordinator.

Required Courses:

12 credits total, 3 credits each

EDCP 323* - Outdoor Environmental Education: Curriculum and Pedagogy
EDCP 423* - Advanced Methodology in Outdoor Environmental Education
EDCP 328** - Environmental Education
3 credits from a course from Indigenous Studies thematic area

Suggested plan:

*EDCP 323 & 423 are offered on a rotational basis ever second year in Summer session
**EDCP 328 is scheduled every Summer session, term 2

Pre-Approved Elective Courses from Thematic Areas:

18 credits total
Pre-approved electives from one of the thematic areas listed below:

AGRO 444 - Agroforestry
APBI 324 - Introduction to Seed Plant Taxonomy
APSC 364 - Applied Sustainability: UBC as a Living Laboratory
ASTU 360 - Community-Based Research and Knowledge Creation
BIOL 302 - Community and Ecosystem Biology
BIOL 306 - Advanced Ecology
BIOL 343 - Plants and Peoples
BIOL 371 - Flora of British Columbia
BIOL 416 - Principles of Conservation Biology
BIOL 427 - Ornithology and Herpetology
CONS 330 - Conservation Science and Sustainability
CONS 481 - Conservation Planning and Wildland Recreation
EDCP 329 - Agriculture in the Classroom
EDCP 353 - Curriculum and Pedagogy in Agricultural Sciences: Secondary
EDCP 356 - Curriculum and Pedagogy in Earth and Space Science: Secondary
EDCP 380 - Research and Practice in Outdoor Environmental Education
EDCP 400B - Field Based in OEE approved thematic
EDCP 453 - Biology for Teaching: Topics and pedagogical approaches - Secondary
EDCP 446 - Forest Education
EDCP 448 - Conceptions of the Natural World: Implications for Science Education
EDCP 450 - Teaching Life Science Beyond the Textbook
EDCP 451 - Teaching Physical Science Beyond the Textbook
EDCP 455 - Earth and Space Science for Teaching: Topics and Pedagogical Approaches - Secondary
EDCP 456 - Botany for Teaching: Topics and pedagogical approaches - Secondary
EDCP 457 - Zoology for Teaching: Topics & Pedagogical Approaches - Secondary
EDCP 467 - Special Topics in Curriculum & Pedagogy
EDCP 468 - Directed Study in Curriculum & Pedagogy
EDCP 496 - Global Ed and Curriculum
ENVR 410 - Energy, Environment, and Society
EOSC 311 - The Earth and its Resources
EOSC 312 - The Earth System and Environmental Evolution
EOSC 314 - The Ocean Environment
EOSC 315 - The Ocean Ecosystem
EOSC 326 - Earth and Life Through Time
FRST 303 - Principles of Forest Science
FRST 395 - Forest Wildlife Ecology and Management
FRST 439 - International Forestry
GEOG 310 - Environment and Sustainability
GEOG 311 - Urban Environments
GEOG 315 - Environmental Inventory and Classification
GEOG 317 - The Physical Environment of British Columbia
GEOG 318 - Sustainability in a Changing Environment
GEOG 410 - Environment and Society
GEOG 423 - Development of Environmental Thought
HIST 394 - Darwin, Evolution, and Modern History
HIST 396 - Environmental History of North America
PHIL 435 - Environmental Ethics
POLI 351 - Environmental Politics and Policy
SOCI 354 - Community Studies
SOCI 360 - Sociology and Natural Resources

Students may also choose distance education courses available through another post secondary institution, for example, Athabasca University, or Thompson Rivers University which may be used for transfer credits – up to a maximum of 12 credits. (3 credits each). These Athabasca University courses have been pre-approved; if students are interested in other ones, they must obtain pre-approval from a Faculty of Education Program Coordinator.:

CRJS 420- Environmental Protection and Enforcement
ENSC 495 - Environmental Science Projects
ENVS 361 - The Politics of Ecology: Applying Ecological Science to Environmental Concerns
ENVS 435 - Case Studies in Environmental Protection: Popular Education, Community Sustainability, and Global Connections
PHIL 371 - Ethics, Science, Technology, and the Environment
PHIL 375 - Philosophy of the Environment
POLI 325 - Canadian Environmental Policy and Politics
SOCI 348 - Sociology of Environment and Health
SOCI 450 - Environmental Sociology

These Thompson Rivers University – Open Learning courses courses have been pre-approved; if students are interested in other ones, they must obtain pre-approval from a Faculty of Education Program Coordinator.:

ENVS 3991 – Environmental Studies: Sustainability (3 credits)

A minimum of 3 credits are required from this section. Additional credits from this thematic area may be used as electives.

ANTH 304 - Ethnography of the Northwest Coast
ANTH 360 - Introduction to Ecological Anthropology
ANTH 377 - Arts of the Northwest Coast Peoples: The South
ANTH 461 - Anthropological Study of Local Ecological Knowledge
ANTH 462 - Special Topics in Ecological Anthropology
ARTH 376 - Arts of the Northwest Coast Peoples: The North
ARTH 377 - Arts of the Northwest Coast Peoples: The South
ARTH 443 - Seminar in Canadian Art
CONS 370 - Aboriginal Forestry
ECED 442 - Supporting Indigenous Infants and Young Children within the Context of Their Communities
EDUC 440 - Aboriginal Education in Canada
EDUC 441 - History of First Nations Schooling
EDUC 442 - Critical Issues in First Nations Education
ENGL 476 - First Nations Studies
HIST 475 - First Contacts in the Pacific
SPPH 404 - Indigenous Health: Historical Impacts and Contemporary Approaches
SPPH 409 - International Indigenous Experiences of Colonization

EDFN 4221 – Aboriginal Teaching and Learning (3 credits)

EDCP 325 - Approaches to Health Education
EDCP 326 - Curriculum and Pedagogy in Health Education
EDCP 327A - Special Topics in Health Education
FNH 350 - Fundamentals of Nutrition
FNH 351 - Vitamins, Minerals and Health
FNH 355 - World Problems in Nutrition
HESO 449 - Topics in Health and Society (by permission)
HMED 441 - Special Study in Subject Matter: Food Studies

Courses in Outdoor Skills may be available for transfer up to a maximum of 12 credits from other faculties and/or institutions and will require pre-approval from a Program Coordinator

Students may have already acquired certification from a prior learning experience, and in that case they may not wish to take further courses in this area

EDCP 468D – Directed Studies in Curriculum and Pedagogy may be taken with approval from the Faculty of Education Program Coordinator/Faculty to explore outdoor learning skills experiences in relation to curriculum and pedagogy

Admission Requirements

A 4-year, 120-credit UBC bachelor’s degree or equivalent.

Apply Now

Find out more information about how to apply and register.

For the most up-to-date information on this program, including admissions information and program requirements, please visit the UBC Calendar.

Apply via the Teacher Education Office

in partnership with:

This program is offered by the Department of Curriculum & Pedagogy.