Graduate Courses

REM 601-5 (Fall)
The Social Science of Natural Resources Management
An introduction to the relevance of social science perspectives, data and analytical tools in resource management, especially as these complement, supplement or critique perspectives from natural science or economics.

REM 602-5 (Spring)
Natural Resource Management II: Advanced Seminar
A professional group workshop course focusing on specific resource and environmental problems. Prerequisite: eight REM courses or permission of instructor.

REM 609-5 (Spring)
Evaluation of Management Strategies for Living Resources
This course examines living-resource management as a control system, including open loop (set point) control, closed loop (feedback) control, passive and active adaptive management. We explore the processes for the design of living-resource management systems, including interpreting policy as operational objectives, iterative development and stakeholder consultation, assessment methods, decision rules, evaluation using closed loop simulations, performance measures, trade-off between multiple objectives and methods for the presentation of results. The course includes a laboratory project to evaluate a management approach for a selected resource using computer simulations. Prerequisite: REM 611, 612 or 613 or permission of instructor.

REM 610-5 (Spring)
Applied Environmental Toxicology and Environmental Management of Contaminants
A study of the environmental behavior and toxic effects of chemical substances in the environment and the application of methodologies for their assessment and management.

REM 611-5 (Fall) (Syllabus)
Applied Population and Community Ecology
A review of population, community, and ecosystem ecology; implications of these areas for methods of resource management and environmental assessment.

REM 612-5 (Spring)
Simulation Modelling in Natural Resource Management
Methods of constructing simulations models and analyzing them through sensitivity analysis. Application of simulation modelling to research and management of environmental and resource systems. Topics will include management of wildlife, forests, insect pests, fisheries, pollution problems, energy resources, and recreational land use. Prerequisite: REM 611 or permission of the instructor.

REM 613-5 (Spring)
Methods in Fisheries Assessment
Introduction to fishing methods, fisheries ecosystems and the effects of fishing. Application of models of fish population dynamics, methods of data analysis and the quantification of uncertainty. Introduction to selected methods for providing scientific advice on the productivity and status of fish stocks. Focus will be primarily on biological aspects of fisheries assessment while illustrating how these interface with economic, social and institutional concerns of managers.

REM 614-5 (Fall)
Advanced Methods in Fisheries Stock Assessment
Combines fish population dynamics with statistical estimation to provide quantitative assessments of the status of fish populations and fisheries. The course builds upon REM 613 by developing a broader range of biological and mathematical models of fish populations and management procedures, as well as approaches for testing the reliability of these methods. Lab tutorial sessions develop quantitative models, estimation, and simulation approaches for performing and evaluating stock assessment methods that are currently applied in fisheries and wildlife management. Prerequisite: REM 613 or permission of instructor.

REM 621-5 (Fall)
Ecological Economics
Introduction to economic concepts for management of the environment and specific natural resources. Key issues are definitions of sustainability, the substitution capability between human-made and natural capital, and the appropriate application of economics to sustainable development analysis and policies.

REM 625-5 (Spring)
Risk Assessment and Decision Analysis for Management of Natural Resources
Use of quantitative methods of risk assessment and decision analysis to explicitly take uncertainty into account when making decisions in management of natural resources. Methods of quantifying uncertainty and the resulting risks. Examples from management of forests, wildlife, fisheries, water resources, energy, and toxic chemicals. Communicating information about uncertainties and the resulting risks to resource managers, the public, and scientists. Advantages and limitations of various quantitative methods. Includes computer laboratories. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

REM 631-5 (Spring)
Earth Systems and Global Change in Environmental Management
Reviews how human and natural processes across earth systems and over a range of scales interact to affect the hydrological cycle, climate, and land surface processes that are relevant to resource management.

REM 641-5 (Fall)
Law and Resources
A study of legal interventions related to resource planning and environmental control. The course looks at several aspects of environmental and recourse law including administrative and constitutional law, fisheries and forestry regulation, and native rights.

REM 642-5 (Fall)
Sustainable Community Planning and Regional Development
Theory and techniques of regional analysis; planning models and their application to key resource sectors.

REM 643-5 (Fall)
Environmental Conflict and Dispute Resolution
This course examines theoretical aspects of conflict and dispute resolution in natural resource management settings and is designed to assist students in understanding the nature of environmental conflict and the role of environmental dispute resolution (EDR) techniques.

REM 644-5 (Fall)
Public Policy Analysis and Administration
Analysis of methods of policy-making and problem solving with particular emphasis on natural resource issues. Topics include goal setting, problem definition, program scheduling, policy evaluation, policy implementation and public administration. A practical analysis of the structure and processes surrounding major contemporary policy issues.

REM 646-5 (Spring)*
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment and Environmental Management
Systems Evaluation and application of current methodologies for social, economic, and biophysical impact assessment and the ISO 14001 standard for environmental management systems.

REM 647-5 (Spring)
Parks and Outdoor Recreation Planning
The course examines a combination of both ecological and market-based resource assessment and planning techniques for conservation and use of parks, forests, and protected areas. Visitor behavior and management in recreation and protected areas settings will be examined.

REM 648-5 (Summer)
The Tourism System
This course will examine the social, environmental and economic components of tourism. Topics will include theoretical concepts and elements of tourism, historical evolution, spatial patterns, and case studies of tourism development in various parts of the world. Discussion of tourism planning and management will focus on the development of tourism as a renewable resource.

REM 649-5 (Fall)
Tourism Planning and Policy
The course provides frameworks and methodologies for understanding the policy and planning initiatives of public and private sector organizations. Foundations for resource assessment, market analysis, product-market matching and regional tourism strategy development are explored in detail. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

REM 650-5 (Fall)
Energy and Materials Management and Policy
Management strategies and policies to achieve sustainable flows of energy and materials in the economy. Eco-efficiency strategies reduce these flows while resource substitution strategies seek more environmentally benign flows. Applies expertise from economics, ecology, thermodynamics, engineering, geology and behavioral sciences.

REM 651-5 (Fall)
Project Evaluation and Non-market Valuation Methods
This course extends environmental and ecological economics concepts to the field of project appraisal and non-market valuation. Includes the methods and limitations of standard cost-benefit analysis (CBA), as well as new techniques in the valuation of non-market environmental resources and ways to incorporate considerations such as the depletion of natural resources in project work. The course concludes with treatment of a number of alternatives to CBA, including multi-attribute techniques and the precautionary principle. Prerequisite: ECON 200, REM 621, or permission of instructor.

REM 652-5 (Spring)
Community Tourism Planning and Development
The course critically examines approaches employed by communities incorporating tourism into their development strategies. Techniques for optimizing the resource potential of communities from economic, social, cultural and environmental perspectives are explored with a view toward developing policies for ‘appropriate’ community tourism. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

REM 655-5 (Summer)*
Water Planning and Management
Evaluation of theoretical models and management experiences; federal, provincial and international institutional arrangements and jurisdictional responsibilities; emerging problems and opportunities. This is primarily a field course in which water and environmental management systems in British Columbia are compared with those in the states of Washington, Oregon, and California.

REM 656-5 (Summer)*
Environment and Development
Introduces students to issues of environmental resource use in developing countries. Covers environmental issues in development, integrated conservation and development projects, community-based resource management, and global and ecological economics perspectives. Includes a one-week field trip to Baja, Mexico.

REM 658-5 (Spring)
Energy and Materials Systems Modeling
Theory, background, and practical experience in the use of a range of techniques for policy modelling of energy and materials flows in society with the aim of demonstrating how more environmentally and socially sustainable trajectories can be achieved. Techniques include: simulation modelling, optimization modelling, econometric and other forms of parameter estimation, input-output modelling, game playing models, and integrated systems models. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

REM 660-5 to 663-5 (Varies)
Special Topics in Resource Management

REM 664-5
Directed Studies
This course provides opportunities tfor customized studies related to the student’s interests. It is recommended that documentation required for requesting directed studies be initiated at least one month prior to the semester’s registration period. The Graduate Administrator will supply the necessary forms for initiating Directed Studies. The Graduate Program Committee in REM requires that REM students wishing to do Directed Studies for credit must follow the guidelines listed below:
* Student will meet with the faculty member required to direct the study.
* Student will submit a course outline describing work to be completed.
* Outline must be approved by the faculty member and the graduate program chair.

REM 667-3
Special Topics: Advanced Topics in Applied Quantitative Ecology

REM 668-3
Special Topics
Special Topics in areas not currently offered within the offerings of the resource and environmental management program.

REM 670-5 (Summer)
Introduction to Forestry
Examines the theory and practice of forest management based on an understanding of the linkages between forest ecosystem dynamics, economics, policy and social management. Principles are illustrated with reference to contemporary forestry issues. Prerequisite: REM 611 or permission of instructor.

REM 671-5
Forest Ecology
Structure, function and development of forest ecosystems. Population, community, ecosystem and landscape approaches are used to enable students to understand the biology and management of forests in terms of the processes driving spatial and temporal dynamics.

REM 690-0
Practicum I
First term of work experience in the School of Resource and Environmental Management’s Co-operative Education Program.

REM 691-0
Practicum II
Second term of work experience in the School of Resource and Environmental Management’s Co-operative Education Program. Prerequisite: students must have completed at least one term’s courses and permission of REM’s co-op co-ordinator.

REM 698-3 (Fall)
Field Resource Management Workshop
An intensive field course introducing students to the diversity of issues and viewpoints concerning management of natural resources. Problem areas will include forestry, mining, fisheries and wildlife management, energy, recreation and land use planning.

REM 699-10
Research Project
A research project dealing with a specific interdisciplinary problem in resource management, administration or allocation. The study must result in the preparation of a formal paper and the presentation of a seminar.

REM 801-5
Principles of Research Methods
Students will develop skills and insight into the design, implementation and analysis of interdisciplinary research in natural resource and environmental management. This will help prepare students to carry out their own research projects. Students who entered REM during or prior to the Fall 1994 term and who have received credit for any one of MRM 601, 611 or 621 may not take REM 801 for credit.

REM 802-5 (Spring)
Research Approaches for REM Ph.D. Students
This course is designed for all REM Ph.D. students, although considerable course material may be of interest and value to other REM students. The course will emphasize preparing Ph.D. students for their breadth comprehensive exams by discussing and evaluating various viewpoints in published debates related to the three topic areas of comprehensive exams: resource and environmental economics, policy and planning and environmental science. The course will also cover planning and carrying out the Ph.D. research, as well as effectively communicating research results.

REM 899
Ph.D. Thesis

* REM 646 and REM 655 are offered in alternating years. Please see the course schedule for the current year.