Honours Bachelor of Environmental Design and Planning (Co-op)

Fanshawe College

Participate in building sustainable, harmonious, democratic communities through environmental design and planning. Engagement with people and place responsibly, respectfully and creatively is cultivated through the education and experience of Fanshawe’s Honours Bachelor of Environmental Design and Planning program. This pragmatic degree connects design thinking to learning and doing through case studies and community-based projects. In conjunction with co-op work semesters, you prepare for a rewarding career locally, provincially, nationally and internationally. The Honours Bachelor of Environmental Design and Planning (BEDP) degree offers learning within four integrated academic cores: environmental design, planning, geographic information systems (GIS), computer-aided design and communication. Emphasis is on the use of GIS for context analysis and computer-aided design visualization. The curriculum has artistic and scientific appeal. Students explore, analyze, conceptualize and present design and planning problems, opportunities, ideas and solutions. Sustainability is a program principle for action. It informs design and planning goals related to places’ ecological, economic, socio-cultural and aesthetic dimensions and is demonstrated through applied community projects. This four-year, honours degree combines the theory, knowledge and techniques of landscape architecture, urban design and planning with training in geographic information systems and computer-aided design. Become proficient in the application of industry-standard digital technologies and cutting-edge design and communication methods to real world problem-solving and presentation of ideas. Work on case studies and community-based projects with sustainability in mind. Through this environmental design program, you may participate in four co-operative work placements, applying your academic and experiential knowledge and skills to community projects. A capstone project culminates the degree. It requires you to demonstrate proficiency in problem identification, analysis, conceptualization and communication of your design-thinking and solutions. Academic projects and four work terms (one a compulsory co-op placement) allow students to apply their learning and gain valuable practical experience leading to careers in both the private and public sectors upon graduation. Alternatively, the BEDP degree qualifies one for graduate studies in allied fields: architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, planning, geographic information systems/science and geodesign. Graduation qualifies you for private sector employment with planning and GIS consultants, landscape architects and developers or in the public sector, with municipalities, conservation authorities and provincial ministries. The degree also prepares you for graduate academic programs.