Programs
Graduate Programs in Environmental Applied Science and Management
Professional Certifications
Why should students be concerned with Certification?
What types of Environmental Certification are available?
How do the requirements for Certification match with Ryerson University Programs?
Certification Programs of Note:
Professional certification is official recognition from an accrediting authority that an individual has achieved a specified level of knowledge, skills, and/or abilities, in addition to meeting a set of pre-established standards, a set of established criteria, or fulfillment of a legal requirement.
Ryerson University and The School of Graduate Studies (SGS) support the advancement of our student's academic and professional goals in the Master of Environmental Applied Science and Management (ENSCIMAN) program. It is clear that many students (and alumni) would benefit from information, direction and support for those interested in pursuing professional certification.
Because the ENSCIMAN program at Ryerson University is multi-disciplinary in nature, no single certification would likely be of interest or of benefit to every student in the program. The certification that one might seek depends largely on that person's background (undergraduate or previous career related work) and/or future career or academic aspirations. Therefore, several options for certification are presented and briefly evaluated, and web links each to certifying body's homepage are provided.
Why should students be concerned with Certification?
Today's environmental industries are highly competitive. Several years ago, a bachelor's degree was the baseline requirement for entry into an environmental career. More recently, the expansion of environmental sectors and liability requirements have raised the bar for entry of environmental practitioners in their careers. A scan of environmental employment opportunities offered by employers hiring at the intermediate and senior levels revealed that advanced degrees, certificates or some form of recognition by professional certifying associations is called for.
Professional certification is a method of marketing one's skills, knowledge, and commitment to professional and personal development. Many employment opportunities in the environmental sector refer specifically to one of several types of professional certification, such as a P.Eng, a P.Geo. or equivalent. In the last few years, certifications that directly relate to environmental practitioners have emerged as an alternative for individuals that are trained in fields other than engineering or geology.
The advantages of certification for the individual are that it signals to prospective employers that the possessor has achieved a specific level of expertise, is committed to maintaining or advancing that level of expertise, and will take on a professional role with responsibility and accountability for his or her actions. For individuals embarking on their career paths or entering into new areas of environmental practice, the certification also offers chances to network with other professionals, the possibility for mentorship, career guidance and access to technical expertise.
Certification in a professional organization can benefit students by signaling to employers and colleagues that they are committed to professional development.
What types of Environmental Certification are available?
Generally there are four types of environmental certification, which include the following.
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Legal certifications recognized through legislation (Provincial or Federal). An example is the Professional Engineer (P.Eng) certification or the Registered Professional Planner (RPP).
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Third-party certifications, issued by a third-party organization but meeting an established standard. An example is the Qualified Environmental Professional (QEP) certification.
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Independent certifications, issued by an independent organization but without meeting all established standards. An example is the Canadian Certified Environmental Practitioner (CCEP) certification.
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Specialty association-based certifications, issued by a specialty association to internally recognize the expertise of some or all of its members. An example is the Registered Professional Biologist (RPBio) certification.
Often, an environmental professional will hold more than one certification, such as a P.Eng and a QEP, or a CCEP and an RPBio.
How do the requirements for Certification match with Ryerson University Programs?
Requirements for each certification vary according to the certifying body and are normally specified on the web site or in the application packages of the respective association. Some certifications have requirements that are specified in government legislation (P.Eng or P.Geo) and others have requirements that meet an accepted standard (QEP and EPI), while others have developed their own set of requirements (CCEP and CEPIT).
The Masters program in Environmental Applied Science and Management (ENSCIMAN), at Ryerson University, provides students with the basic requirements and expertise to enter into the first stage of professional certification with two prominent environmental certifications. These certifications are stated as either internships or in-training. Because of stringent requirements for full professional certification, however, students may also be required to complete additional specialty courses and will have to acquire the necessary work experience. Often, course or thesis work at the graduate level can be considered in lieu of work experience.
The websites of respective certifying bodies generally include reading lists, study guides and sample examination questions to aid students in preparing for application and admission to their organizations. Two environmental certifications, the EPI/ QEP and CEPIT/ CCEP match closely with the Ryerson University environmental program. Table 1 shows how the certifications and their respective internships match with the ENSCIMAN program offered at Ryerson University.
|
Professional Certification |
Ryerson University Program / M.A.Sc. ENSCIMAN |
|
EPI
|
High degree of fit between curriculum and requirements |
|
QEP
|
With additional specialty courses/ work experience* |
|
CEPIT
|
High degree of fit between curriculum and requirements |
|
CCEP
|
Excellent with required work experience |
Table 1 Match between some environmental certifications
and ENSCIMAN program at Ryerson University.
*Examples of additional courses might include advanced courses directly related to the applicants' area of practice, for example, practical courses dealing with field screening equipment, remediation planning and design, advanced toxicology or other specialty areas. In addition, a portion of the required work experience must be determined to be at an advanced level of responsibility.
A survey of environmental career postings on the internet site Workopolis (www.workopolis.ca) indicated that several job postings at the intermediate and senior levels in Ontario call for a P.Eng, P.Geo., or an equivalent designation. Based on the stringency of the admission requirements for the two environmental certifications outlined in the previous pages, it is believed that the CCEP and especially the QEP certifications could serve as an ‘equivalent' designation, depending on the particular position being considered.
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