University Diploma - Environmental Protection Technology (Co-op )

University Diploma - Environmental Protection Technology (Co-op )

The Diploma of Technology in Environmental Protection is a two-year, full-time program that prepares you for a career as an environmental technician or technologist, who assists with field work, data management, inspection, and enforcement of regulations and laws in the environmental protection industry. You'll learn the skills needed to offer professional advice on a wide range of subjects, including environmental impact assessment; hazardous and non-hazardous waste management; waste reduction and reuse strategies; air, soil and water pollution prevention and monitoring; compliance auditing; and contaminated site investigation and remediation. Your skills are developed through integrated, hands-on training that gives you working knowledge of physical and life sciences, including general biology, ecology, toxicology, chemistry, physics and statistics. Beyond labs and textbooks, you'll also learn a host of soft skills including working within a team of professionals, working independently, time management and more. Co-operative education is a vital component of the EPT program and student success. EPT students complete eight months of paid, industry-related work while in the program. Most postings are close to home, but some students use their co-op work-terms to travel and work abroad.

Career Path

In the private sector, graduates typically work for environmental consultants, contractors or large companies with an environmental department. The public sector includes employment opportunities within all levels of government. Roles tend to feature a mixture of field or lab and office work, and duties within a given position can be varied as well. Further details on occupation types can be found at Eco Canada, the Environmental Careers Organization.