The School of the Environment is an innovative interdisciplinary unit within the Faculty of Arts & Science, it brings together and leverages the enormous breadth of environmental teaching and research expertise throughout the Faculty. The School fosters opportunities for interdisciplinary research and scholarship in environment, spanning the sciences, social sciences and humanities.<br>The School offers core programs in two areas: Environmental Science BSc Major and Minor, and Environment Studies BA Major and Minor. These programs are ideally suited to be taken in conjunction with another program(s) in a related academic field. For example, the Environmental Science Major could be combined with a Major in Environment & Health, Environmental Ethics, Earth and Environmental Systems, Environmental Geography, Forest Conservation Science, Physical & Environmental Geography, Biomedical Toxicology, Chemistry, Physics, Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, or Environmental Biology, while the Environmental Studies Major could be combined with a complementary BA Major such as Political Science, Economics, Women and Gender Studies, Human Geography, Forest Conservation, Architecture, or BSc Major, such as Environmental Biology, Physics, or Forest Conservation Science. These programs of study provide students with a powerful combination of disciplinary depth and interdisciplinary breadth. The School's Environmental Science BSc Major and Minor programs reflect the fact that most environmental issues are complex and involve aspects drawing from many different areas of science. These programs provide students with a breadth of knowledge spanning scientific disciplines, and the tools to understand and integrate scientific principles from across the physical and biological sciences, and across multiple spatial and temporal scales. At its core, environmental science is concerned with the scientific analysis and development of creative solutions to environmental problems. Students are exposed to disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge and research skills necessary to function as an environmental scientist.<br>The Environment and Toxicology Specialist program is an interdisciplinary program which spans the social, physical and life sciences and integrates study of the effects of chemicals not only on the health and behaviour of human beings but on whole ecosystems as the adverse effects associated with therapeutic and environmental chemicals are discussed. This program emphasizes the application of knowledge of environmental toxicology and risk assessment and prepares students for a variety of job opportunities following its completion. Graduates of the Environment and Toxicology program may pursue careers in scientific research, environmental science, conservation science, governmental agencies, consulting agencies, and within chemical, manufacturing or agriculture industries. Students learn to integrate basic environmental and life science with particular aspects of clinical toxicology and related areas through lectures, tutorials, and laboratory and independent research project experience. The senior independent research project course enables students to gain valuable research experience while working under the supervision of an individual faculty member in either a laboratory-based or a non-laboratory-based setting.