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Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies

MSc in Natural Resource and Environmental Management: course descriptions

CERMES Core Courses


ENVT 6000 - Concepts and Issues for Environmental Managers

Environmental and natural resource management address complex issues of sustainable development from local to global level. This introductory course provides an overview of key concepts and fundamental issues with which environmental managers should be familiar. In doing so, it covers topics addressed in greater detail in specialization streams so that all students acquire a broad and integrating perspective. It encourages participants to examine and explore subjects of interest to them within broad topic headings.
 

ENVT 6001 - Introduction to Environmental Planning and Management

This course covers a wide range of areas including perspectives on environmental management and planning; international and regional agreements; arrangements for environmental planning, policy design, implementation, and evaluation; and people-centred practices in planning and management.  Persons with backgrounds in natural science, social science and other disciplines will find it relevant to their education and experience. It is online, interdisciplinary, and prepares participants for a variety of careers related to the environment.
 


ENVT 6002 - Professional Skills for Environmental Managers

This course equips students with a portfolio of skills that will allow them to present themselves, and to conduct and present their work, in a professional manner. It starts by addressing fundamental issues of verbal and non-verbal communication geared at enhancing the students’ ability to share information in a range of settings. The improvement of writing skills and the delivery of professional and persuasive presentations are all covered in this course.  It provides students with knowledge and skills required to prepare literature reviews. There is also an introduction to word processing and presentation. In addition, the course will provide a basic introduction to group dynamics to facilitate students’ ability to function effectively in team settings.




ENVT 6100 - Environmental Impact Assessment

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is an essential process in support of sustainable development. This course introduces key concepts and processes involved in environmental impact assessment. The intent of the course is to increase students’ understanding of the role of EIA in resource management to the extent that they should be prepared to work as part of an EIA team in their field of expertise.
 
ENVT 6120 - Measurement and Analysis in Natural Resource Management

This two-part course aims to prepare students for their research projects and lifelong research activities. It covers both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and a range of widely or commonly used data analysis techniques that are useful to natural resource and environmental managers. Key statistical concepts underlying the data analysis techniques are explained and hands-on data analysis using statistical software is used to reinforce knowledge and skills.
 
ENVT 6101 - Geoinformatics for Environmental Management

About 80% of all datasets or information used in policy and management decisions on natural resources and environmental management are spatial in nature. As such, an understanding of and ability to handle spatial data or information is crucial to management effectiveness and successful career in environmental and natural resources management. This course comprises basic theoretical and practical concepts in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing (RS).

The GIS component deals with the concepts and techniques for collecting or creating, processing, storing and analysing spatial data. The RS component deals with the theory and techniques requisite for handling optical satellite images.  Knowledge and skills in these two technologies are essential for successful careers in Geography, Natural Resources and Environmental Management. Geo-informatics is useful and applicable in almost all disciplines and economic sectors.

Topics to be covered include the nature of GIS, spatial data capture and storage, spatial data models, spatial analysis, satellite remote sensing and image analysis. This course is targeted at MSc Natural Resources and Environmental Management students and anyone interested in acquiring basic theoretical understanding and practical skills in geo-informatics.

This course seeks to equip students with the theoretical understanding and practical skills in geo-informatics that underpin natural resources and environmental management. The course assumes no previous knowledge or skills in Geo-informatics.
 

ENVT 6102 - Resource Economics

This course surveys a range of economic issues relating to environmental problems and solutions.  Economic principles are developed and applied to evaluate environmental issues such as property rights, externalities, conservation, and public goods as well as public and private decisions involving the use and allocation of natural resources.  After an introduction to markets, potential policy and institutional remedies to general environmental market failures are evaluated. This is followed by an introduction to cost-benefit analysis and economic valuation methods.

The theoretical foundations for economic efficiency and optimal use are then developed and applied to the management of natural resources. Specific resource management areas such as forests, fisheries, land, minerals, and water are examined, with special attention given to coastal and marine resources. The course concludes with an examination of the economics of global environmental issues.
 


Research Project

ENVT 6900

The Research Project is to be undertaken immediately after the end of Semester II from July to October. Students are required to submit their research paper at the end of this period for examination.  Research projects are typically supervised by CERMES faculty and must be in priority research areas relevant to the students’ specialisation stream.  External non-CERMES persons can also act as supervisors, but they must be qualified experts in the relevant research areas, and approval must be granted by CERMES with CERMES faculty overseeing the project as secondary supervisors.
 
Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies
Telephone: (246) 417-4316 Email: cermes@cavehill.uwi.edu