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Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Surrey , British Columbia ,Canada

Diploma of Technology in Environmental Protection

Environmental protection technologists provide an invaluable service to society by helping protect and sustain the long-term health of our ecosystems.

Environmental consultants, industry and government seek out graduates from our Environmental Protection Technology program. They do this because our graduates have developed 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. This skill set is based on an integrated, hands-on training program that gives graduates a good working knowledge of physical and life sciences, including general biology, ecology, toxicology, chemistry, physics, and statistics. Specific topics covered by the program include:

  • Air, water and soil field sampling
  • Solid, liquid and air treatment methods
  • Waste minimization
  • Hazardous goods and waste handling methods
  • WHMIS implementation and compliance evaluation
  • Emergency planning and spill response methods
  • Recycling and waste minimization program design
  • Environmental issues analysis
  • Environmental law and ethics
  • Written and oral presentation skills
  • Computer software competency

Although graduates typically work within a team of professionals, they must also be able to work independently and take initiative as required; the program helps promote these attributes. Successful completion of the two-year program prepares graduates for employment at the technology level within industry or government often with excellent potential for upward mobility as job experience grows.

Students may complete the program over the course of three years. This is recommended for students who intend to work part-time while enrolled in the program or for those who prefer a lighter academic load. Please contact the Program Chair for details.

Intakes

  • Sep
  • Jan
  • May

Application Processing Time in Days: 7

Application Process

Offer Letter
20 Days
Letter of Acceptance
3 Days

Minimum English Language Requirements

English Level Description IELTS (1.0 -9.0) TOEFL IBT (0-120) TOEFL CBT (0-300) PTE (10-90)
Expert 9 120 297-300 86-90
Very Good 8.5 115-119 280-293 83-86
Very Good 8 110-114 270-280 79-83
Good 7.5 102-109 253-267 73-79
Good 7 94-101 240-253 65-73
Competent 6.5 79-93 213-233 58-65
Competent 6 60-78 170-210 50-58
Modest 5.5 46-59 133-210 43-50
Modest 5 35-45 107-133 36-43
Limited 4 32-34 97-103 30-36
Extremely Limited < 4 < 31 < 93 < 30

Job Opportunity Potential

An advisory committee works closely with the program to maintain and update the curriculum and ensure that graduates are well prepared for the job market. This committee consists of potential employers from the public and private sectors, as well as several graduates of the program who are well established in the field.

Graduates are employed with environmental consulting firms; federal, provincial or municipal departments; as environmental staff in large industries; or are self-employed.

Program graduates have experienced a high rate of employment in the environmental field. The Co-operative Education component of the program has proved to be extremely valuable, with several of the graduates obtaining positions with their Co-op employers. Examples of the type of work performed by Co-op students and graduates include: air, water, and soil sampling; waste-water systems investigations; contaminated sites assessments; contingency planning and spills response; waste permitting and compliance investigations; laboratory analysis; habitat evaluation; environmental auditing; environmental policy and legislation; recycling, composting and solid waste management; and public education.

PSW Opportunity

If your program was less than 8 months

  •    You aren’t eligible for a PGWP.

If your program was more than 8 months but less than 2 years

  •    We may give you a PGWP that’s valid for up to the same length as your study program.

For example, if you completed a 9-month program, we may give you a work permit for up to 9 months.

If your program was 2 years or more

  •    We may give you a PGWP that’s valid for 3 years.

If you completed more than 1 program

  •    You may be able to get a PGWP that combines the length of each program.

Each of the programs you completed -

  • must be PGWP-eligible and at least 8 months in length

Admission Requirement / Eligibility Criteria

To be admitted as a student in an undergraduate program, you must show that:

  • You meet KPU’s Undergraduate English Proficiency Requirement
  • You have graduated from high school (secondary school) or completed 24 or more undergraduate-level credits with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0*

*Don’t meet this requirement? If you will be 19 years of age or older on the first day of classes, it’s possible to be admitted as a mature student at the discretion of the Registrar. Get in touch with KPU International for more info.

For More Information Please Connect Our PSA Counselor