Honours in BES
The BES Honours program is intended for students who want to pursue advanced studies at the undergraduate level, including the completion of an Honours Thesis research project.
To develop an understanding of the types and range of research topics that students have investigated for their thesis, browse the archive of past BES Honours theses.
A separate document about the program - BES Honours Regulations (rev Nov 2023) - is available for download.
Who Is the Contact Person for the Honours Program?
BES Honours Coordinator: Dr. Jason Grek-Martin
Why Do Honours?
Students should consider doing the Honours program if they are:
- Interested in pursuing independent thesis research on a topic related to a particular aspect of environmental studies.
- Interested in working closely with faculty members in the BES program who will provide supervision and guidance on the thesis research project.
- Interested in applying for graduate programs, as many programs either require or strongly recommend applying with an Honours degree.
What are the Admission Requirements for the Honours Program?
The overarching Honours regulations for the Faculty of Arts will apply to students wishing to enter, continue and graduate with an Honours BES degree. The Honours option requires BES students to achieve a higher standard of academic performance and to complete a thesis, encompassing research related to environmental studies.
- In consultation with the BES Program Coordinator, students should formally declare their interest in taking an Honours degree after completing sixty (60) credit hours in the program.
- The prerequisite for admission into Honours is a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00, with no grades below C (2.00).
- To graduate with an Honours degree, students must achieve a minimum degree grade point average of 3.00.
- In addition, Honours students must also complete an independent thesis research project as part of the BES Honours Thesis course (BEST 4599). This full-year course would normally be completed in the final year of the program and would replace six (6) of the required credit hours in approved BES electives. Before students may register for BEST 4599 they must get the approval of a faculty member teaching within the BES program, who agrees to act as the student’s thesis supervisor.
How is an Agreement with a Faculty Member Reached to Supervise an Honours Thesis?
Follow these steps:
- Reflect upon your research interests in environmental studies and identify topics you would consider exploring further.
- Determine which faculty members teach and do research in the areas that most interest you. Note that these faculty members can be from any department or program at the university, as long as they teach within the BES program.
- Approach the identified faculty members and express your interest in undertaking a thesis research project under their supervision.
- If a faculty member agrees, discuss project possibilities and narrow down a research topic.
What is the Honours Thesis Proposal Development Seminar Series?
The Department of Geography and Environmental Studies runs an Honours Thesis Proposal Development Seminar Series during the Winter term preceding the Honours Thesis year. This series is open to BES students and consists of five seminar periods at two-week intervals spread throughout the term. Participants are led through the development of a thesis proposal from the starting point of having a basic idea about their intended research project. The series is designed for students to have their proposal be submitted for approval by April 30.
After receiving approval for their thesis proposal (but not before), students may proceed with their research in the summer (e.g., reading for the literature review; planning for an executing data collection).
Contact the BES Program Coordinator no later than the beginning of the Winter term preceding your Honours thesis year to indicate your intention to participate in the seminar series.