An overview of the state of environmental assessment education at Canadian universities

Abstract

PurposeEnvironmental assessment (EA) is a proactive planning tool designed to consider the ecological, cultural, socio‐political and economic impacts of potential projects, making it a major tool for achieving sustainable development. Meaningful EA requires a bridging of the natural sciences with the social sciences to broaden understanding of the overall environmental impacts of development projects on humans, the natural environment and other organisms. As a result of this complexity, education and training needs are great. The purpose of this paper was to consider EA educational opportunities at Canadian universities and to test a model for the analysis of the state of such education.Design/methodology/approachThe research design used a qualitative interactive approach, including a survey of 2001 university course calendars, participant observation and semi‐structured interviews.FindingsResults indicate that the number of universities offering EA courses has tripled to 40 since the mid‐1980 s. While this is a positive finding, data illustrate that the bulk of the courses offered are survey‐oriented and introductory in nature, with little opportunity to specialize. This cursory approach is exacerbated by a lack of teaching resources and instructor development. Despite the nature of the courses offered, many professors encourage critical thinking and use innovative teaching techniques, including role‐playing, to promote self‐reflection. In fact, the interdisciplinary approach to the curricula and the promotion of critical thinking outside disciplinary boundaries are two strengths of current EA programming.Originality/valueIn light of this state of formal EA education in Canada, more research and international level dialogue are warranted.