Experience Guide

Be Inspired: Maximize Your Academic Opportunities

First Year

• Take required Geography courses and explore other programs of interest.
• Learn about co-op – apply at the end of your first year.
• Attend departmental events with other first-year students and meet the Geography faculty.
• Live in the Outdoor Adventures Residence Learning Community to enhance your academic and social success.

Middle Years

• Explore courses in related areas of study and begin thinking about a minor or an option to complement your degree.
• Consider taking social entrepreneurship or entrepreneurship courses.
• Complete your required field studies and methods courses and take courses with a fieldwork/lab component.
• Submit your academic work to the Laurier Undergraduate Journal of the Arts for a chance to be published.
• Investigate the learning supports offered through the Mathematics and Statistics Learning Labs.

Final Year

• Learn about Research or Instructional Assistantship opportunities in Geography.
• Consider completing a thesis in your final year to research an area of interest.
• Obtain your certification for the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software.
• Register for a seminar or capstone course with a field or community placement.
• Pursue the Professional Geoscientist designation (BSc students only).
• Thinking of pursuing graduate school?
  • Talk to your professors and visit the Career Centre.
  • Sign up for a scholarship proposal-writing workshop or book a writing consultation for help with your proposals.

Be Involved: Explore Work, Volunteer and Leadership Experience

First Year

• Join student clubs such as the Laurier Naturalists, Geographers Without Borders or a special interest club. Or create your own!
• Participate in workshops and events with your residence or off-campus LOCUS community.
• Volunteer in the community at a school or a non-profit organization.
• Explore your interests by volunteering on campus with Accessible Learning, Laurier International, Wellness Education, the Sustainability Office and more.
• Join intramural sports, sport clubs or participate in recreational activities.
• Engage in the First-Year Leadership Program including Campus Councils, House Council and the Leadership Certificate.

Middle Years

• Enrich your learning experience by enrolling in a course with a Community Service-Learning component.
• Join the Laurier Sustainability volunteer list.
• Be a student representative on the department council.
• Build important networks through educational outreach and environmental work (e.g., rare Charitable Research Reserve, Sustainable Waterloo Region, Waterloo Region Nature club).
• Look for summer fieldwork opportunities with faculty members.
• Join the Canadian Association of Geographers as a student member.
• Learn to write articles, draw illustrations or take photographs with Laurier’s weekly newspaper, The Cord.

Final Year

• Apply for an executive/coordinator position with a student club or committee.
• Provide environmental assistance to outside advisory panels (e.g., Laurel Creek Citizens’ Working Group).
• Attend the Career and Job Fairs to network with employers.
• Submit a paper or attend a conference, such as the Canadian Association of Geographers conference.
• Look into the LaunchPad program for the opportunity to  launch an innovative new venture.
• Attend the Geography and Environmental Studies "Life After Laurier" event.
• Apply for funding for a sustainable initiative on campus through the Sustainable Hawk Fund.
• Share your Laurier experience with prospective students at open house events.

Be Engaged: Broaden Your Perspective

First Year

• Learn about and get involved with diversity, equity and inclusion centres of activity and engagement.
• Visit Laurier International to learn about international options available to you.
• Complete the Intercultural Certificate with Laurier International.
• Engage in training on consent, bystander intervention and disclosure related to sexual violence.

Middle Years

• Consider enrolling in a language course.
• Gather for Soup Tuesday at the Indigenous Student Centre.
• Consider the Alternative Reading Week trip with Habitat for Humanity.
• Attend the Library Culture Series.
• Study abroad for an academic term.
• Attend workshops, events or discussion groups to learn about diversity, equity and inclusion.

Final Year

• Participate in Indigenous Education Week.
• Earn your Certificate in Accessibility with Accessible Learning.

Be Inspired: Maximize Your Academic Opportunities

First Year

• Take required Environmental Studies courses and explore other programs of interest.
• Learn about co-op – apply at the end of your first year.
• Attend departmental events with other first-year students and meet the Environmental Studies faculty.
• Live in the Outdoor Adventures Residence Learning Community to enhance your academic and social success.

Middle Years

• Explore courses in related areas of study and begin thinking about a minor or an option to complement your degree.
• Consider taking social entrepreneurship or entrepreneurship courses.
• Complete your required field studies and methods courses and take courses with a fieldwork/lab component.
• Submit your academic work to the Laurier Undergraduate Journal of the Arts for a chance to be published.

Final Year

• Learn about Research or Instructional Assistantship opportunities in Environmental Studies.
• Consider completing a thesis in your final year to research an area of interest.
• Thinking of pursuing graduate school?
  • Talk to your professors and visit the Career Centre.
  • Sign up for a scholarship proposal-writing workshop or book a writing consultation for help with your proposals.

Be Involved: Explore Work, Volunteer and Leadership Experience

First Year

• Join student clubs or committees such as the Laurier Naturalists, EcoHawks or a special interest club. Or create your own!
• Participate in workshops and events with your residence or off-campus LOCUS community.
• Volunteer in the community at a school or a non-profit organization.
• Explore your interests by volunteering on campus with Accessible Learning, Laurier International, Wellness Education, the Sustainability Office and more.
• Join intramural sports, sport clubs or participate in recreational activities.
• Engage in the First-Year Leadership Program including Campus Councils, House Council and the Leadership Certificate.

Middle Years

• Enrich your learning experience by enrolling in a course with a Community Service-Learning component.
• Join the Laurier Sustainability volunteer list.
• Build important networks through educational outreach and environmental work (e.g., rare Charitable Research Reserve, Sustainable Waterloo Region, Waterloo Region Nature club).
• Participate in Sandbox workshops and attend the Entrepreneur Speaker series.
• Apply for funding for a sustainable initiative on campus through the Sustainable Hawk Fund.
• Look for summer fieldwork opportunities with faculty members.
• Learn to write articles, draw illustrations or take photographs with Laurier’s weekly newspaper, The Cord.

Final Year

• Apply for an executive/coordinator position with a student club or committee.
• Provide environmental assistance to outside advisory panels (e.g., Laurel Creek Citizens’ Working Group).
• Attend the Career and Job Fairs to network with employers.
• Submit a paper and/or attend a conference to showcase your research.
• Look into the LaunchPad program for the opportunity to launch an innovative new venture.
• Attend the Geography and Environmental Studies "Life After Laurier" event.
• Share your Laurier experience with prospective students at open house events.

Be Engaged: Broaden Your Perspective

First Year

• Learn about and get involved with diversity, equity and inclusion centres of activity and engagement.
• Visit Laurier International to learn about international options available to you.
• Complete the Intercultural Certificate with Laurier International.
• Engage in training on consent, bystander intervention and disclosure related to sexual violence.

Middle Years

• Consider enrolling in a language course.
• Gather for Soup Tuesday at the Indigenous Student Centre.
• Consider the Alternative Reading Week trip with Habitat for Humanity.
• Attend the Library Culture Series.
• Study abroad for an academic term.
• Attend workshops, events or discussion groups to learn about diversity, equity and inclusion.

Final Year

• Participate in Indigenous Education Week.
• Earn your Certificate in Accessibility with Accessible Learning.

Your graduate degree at Laurier will take you in many different directions and prepare you to be a leader in both your field and community. Your Laurier experience includes many opportunities to engage both in and outside the classroom.

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies provides academic leadership, administrative support and program advice to all graduate students. There are also scholarships and financial awards, fellowships and other teaching and research assistantship positions that you can access during your time at Laurier.

Graduate students gain knowledge about professional skill development through Laurier’s ASPIRE program. This program provides a framework for you to design an extracurricular learning plan for navigating your professional journey and entry to the workplace. There are also teaching certificates, career development workshops and other skill development opportunities.

The Graduate Students’ Association provides many services and supports with a focus on wellness. They provide various opportunities to be involved and contribute to the Laurier community.

The Laurier graduate school experience is more than research and scholarship – it’s about becoming an engaged citizen and applying your advanced knowledge to real-world problems.