The prerequisites are that you have some working or volunteer experience and a strong interest in doing environmental restoration work. If you lack an appropriate experiential and/or academic background, the faculty coordinator may advise that you take a biology or geography course either before or while you are taking the program.
The courses are aimed at broadening your knowledge about what is required to complete restoration projects that will consider the complexity of natural systems (rather than fix a specific problem without regard for the whole system). A combination of practical and scientific knowledge (rigor, respect, and relevance is our motto) will give you up-to-date information, introduce you to controversies in the field, and suggest some ideas about how to proceed. To succeed at this program, you need a genuine interest, openness to diverse points of view, and awareness that environmental work requires more than technical skill or a right/wrong approach. If you have had no or limited experience with environmental work, you may need to take a biology and/or geography course outside the program.
The diploma option requires formal admission to UVic as well as admission to the program. The certificate option requires admission to the program only.
We usually recommend the diploma option to students. It is four courses longer and you therefore get a wider course of study. Also, although certificate and diploma students do exactly the same work in each course and both credentials are recognized in the working world, the certificate is non-credit and therefore the courses are not transferable to other programs at UVic, and may not be transferable to other educational institutions. If you choose the diploma option, you may be able to use some of the courses towards a degree or another university credential in the future.
People choose the certificate option when they are certain that they will not want to use the credit towards any other university or college program. For example, one of our students has been working in the field for 25 years. He feels he is past the age where he might be interested in pursuing an advanced university degree but does want to enhance his professional knowledge. Another student already has several advanced credentials from previous university study and does not anticipate needing credit for further university study, but does want the practical focus on restoration that this program provides.
All students should apply to the program outlining their work and educational backgrounds, and their reasons for wanting to join the program. An application fee of CAD$120 is applicable.
A secure online application form is available, or you may send a letter by regular mail to:
Janet Pivnick, Program Coordinator
Division of Continuing Studies
PO Box 3030 STN CSC
University of Victoria
Victoria, BC V8W 3N6 Canada
If you choose to send your application through the mail, please be sure to include, along with the information outlined above, your complete name, address, e-mail address, phone number, UVic student number if you have one, and the application fee.
In addition, if you are applying for the diploma option, you will need to apply to the university or, if you have been admitted previously, ensure that your registration status is current. Your registration status is current if you have been admitted previously to the university and have taken at least one course within the past year. Please see the following links for more information:
The online application to UVic is geared to students coming out of high school and can be frustrating for adult students. We recommend that you download the PDF application form and mail it in. It can be found at http://registrar.uvic.ca/recruiting/documents/UVicApplicationForm.pdf
Go to https://registrar.uvic.ca/undergrad/records/forms/forms.html and complete the online form for the session in which you will start your courses.
Please note that UVic's late registration/application fees do not apply to the Restoration of Natural Systems program. If you are re-registering or applying to the university after the deadline you should not do so online. To avoid automatically applied late registration/application fees please call UVic Admissions at +1 (250) 721-8121 to have an application package mailed to you.
The Restoration of Natural Systems program is designed for people with both traditional and non-traditional educational backgrounds. As long as you are accepted to the program, you will be admitted to the university under special provisions for diploma students.
Note: You do not need to send transcripts except to satisfy the English requirement.
Applications to the Restoration of Natural Systems Program are accepted on a continuous basis. However, if you apply too close to the beginning of a term, courses may be full by the time you are admitted. In general, we recommend that you apply at least two to three months before you plan to begin the program.
Courses are offered in the evenings, in semi-distance formats (five days on campus), or through distance education. To date, several courses have been developed for “true” distance. Currently, most out of town students take advantage of the courses offered in the five-day format.
You can complete almost the whole program where you live by taking the courses we offer in a distance format and by using the transfer credit option. However, the two field study courses require in-person attendance for five days each.
The remaining four electives may be taken as transfer credit from an institution near you or from a distance provider such as Opening Learning or Athabasca. Transfer credit must be at a third year level and must be approved by the faculty coordinator for the RNS program. For more information, see the transfer credit guide http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/rns/resources/ in the Student Resources section.
All of the courses in the program are the equivalent of 1.5 units of credit at UVic. Each course requires 36 to 39 instructional hours, plus a usual minimum of 80 hours of reading, research, and completing assignments outside class during the term the course is offered. You should count on about 8 to 10 hours per week, per course, during the term.
The week-long courses are not shorter versions of the courses. Although the instructional hours are arranged to occur within a one week period, you still need to plan to spend another 80 hours during the term to complete the course. (Note: for these courses you will have readings and perhaps an assignment to complete in advance of the lecture week, and a final project to complete when the week is over.)
The list of courses we send you indicates their location. In addition, we will send you a letter approximately one month before the course starts with location, course outline, how to purchase your course pack or textbook, and any other information you need for the course. You can also check Web TT through the Records website at http://registrar.uvic.ca/undergrad/
We will send you a list of RNS courses available for each term along with a registration form and instructions about how to register and withdraw from courses. Please call +1-250-721-8481 or e-mail jrai@uvcs.uvic.ca with any registration concerns.
The program is designed to meet the needs of part-time students who may be working and/or living at a distance from UVic. You may take up to six years to complete the requirements. Many people go through the program more quickly by taking three courses (or more) per year (one in each of the three terms). This depends on the other responsibilities in your life (see hours required for each course above).
We researched employment opportunities (industry, government, business, resource, non-profit sectors) for two years from 1994-96 while we were designing the program. A strong need for people trained in the area of ecological restoration was identified. An extensive review of the program completed in March 2000 confirmed that this requirement is still strong. Much depends on the public/government’s continuing commitment to strong regulations concerning the environment. There is great potential – we believe that the program and the students in it will help to create many future possibilities.
One advantage of joining the program is that many of our current registrants are working in areas related to the environment. They work as environmental consultants (examples include cleaning up contaminated sites, designing CRD restoration projects, helping individuals restore private property), NGOs for non-profit organizations, lawyers, journalists, and in parks, mining, forestry, government, landscape, fisheries, policy formation, and other areas. Students looking for a career change into the field will meet these working professionals and make contacts that may lead to employment. We also receive job requests, which, along with other job postings, are listed in the RNS newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, e-mail rns.editor@gmail.com and ask to be added to the RNS newsletter listserv.
Please see the Fees section of this Web site
If you are a certificate student, use the receipt you receive when you pay your fees. If you are a diploma (credit) student, you pay your fees in two different places. Please keep the receipts you receive from Continuing Studies. This is the portion of the tuition for each course that you pay directly to the program; this is income tax deductible. At the end of February, accounting will mail you an income tax receipt for the balance of the tuition you paid during the previous calendar year.
Please see the Financial Assistance information in the Student Resources Section of this website http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/rns/resources/.
Yes, you have the same access to the library as all students at UVic. In addition, the Restoration of Natural Systems program maintains a library for the use of students in the program.
For transportation and other helpful information about the campus, please check the general information section of the Continuing Studies Web site, or consult the Continuing Studies Community Education and Professional Development Calendar. This may be downloaded as a PDF file, or you may request one be posted to you.
We also recommend that you look at the Campus Security Web site, for complete parking regulations, how to purchase parking permits, and other useful information; or call Campus Security at +1 (250) 721-7600.
Campus map are available here.
Whether you are planning to come for one week to take one of the intensive courses, or need housing for a term or more, you could check for on- and off-campus housing at the University's Housing, Food, and Conferences Web site, or call +1 (250) 721-8395 for information. You could also check our local newspaper, the Times-Colonist. During the summer (May to August) housing is readily available on campus in the student residences (which include family housing). During the winter, many hotels have low rates if you are looking for temporary accommodation.
Out-of-towners might also want to take a look at our About the University and About Victoria sections.
This is not an extra fee. UVic requires that every newly admitted student confirm the offer of admission by paying a deposit of CAD$200. This CAD$200 is deducted from the balance of the tuition you will pay to Accounting Services for the first course you take. You should not pay the CAD$200 unless you are sure you will take a course during the session in which you are admitted, as it is not refundable if you do not take a course.
Many Restoration of Natural Systems students receive a designation stating that the University English requirement is not satisfied because they do not have the formal indication acceptable to UVic of English proficiency. If you receive this designation, you need to arrange to take the Language Proficiency Index (LPI).
You can find information about the LPI at www.lpi.ubc.ca/or by calling +1 (604) 822-4146; you may also call the UVic English Department at +1 (250) 721-7236 to have information mailed to you. If required, you should complete the LPI early in the program so that you know whether or not you will have to take an English course. Some students in the program may satisfy the English requirement through writing the test, but if you are required to take English 115, or another first year English course, you will find the course valuable for increasing your writing skills.
Essentially, the Restoration of Natural Systems program staff are your advisors so you do not need to consult with Advising. The faculty coordinator will help you choose courses and will approve any transfer credit. When you are ready to graduate, we will write to Advising to notify them of your program. If you are planning to transfer to a degree program when you have finished your diploma, you should consult Advising once you have begun the RNS program (see next question).
You will need to familiarize yourself with the requirements for the degree by reading the UVic calendar. Most degrees require a certain number of credits in a major and a minor area of interest, as well as electives. In addition, there may be regulations such as no more than five 100 level courses can be applied to a degree. When you are nearing completion of your diploma you should go to the Advising Centre for Humanities, Sciences and Social Sciences (University Centre A205) to discuss a plan to work towards a degree. Most courses you will take for the diploma should be transferable to a degree, but it will depend on the degree you choose as well as a number of other factors.
With the permission of the faculty coordinator, you may transfer up to six credits of relevant coursework from other UVic departments or other universities as long as you have not previously used this credit towards a degree. The transfer credit must be at a third year level and be deemed to be a contribution to your understanding of environmental restoration. Conversely, you may transfer credits earned within the diploma to a degree program.
All credit (diploma) students need to be familiar with the regulations listed in the first 35 or so pages of the UVic calendar. See the UVic Calendar Web site or pick up a copy of the calendar at the Bookstore. If you have been admitted, you will receive a voucher for the calendar in your registration guide. If you have not yet been admitted, the cost of the calendar is CAD$4.00.
Valentin Schaefer, Faculty Coordinator, School of Environmental Studies
Janet Pivnick, Program Coordinator, Division of Continuing Studies
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Urban Restoration Walks
3/24
Creating Common Ground: A Community and Green Mapping Workshop
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