Law (Non-Thesis): Environment (LL.M.) (45 credits)
Offered by: Law (Faculty of Law)
Degree: Master of Laws
Program credit weight: 45
Program Description
**This program is currently not offered.**
The 45-credit, LL.M. program, non-thesis option, in Environment is offered in collaboration with the Bieler School of Environment. The program considers how various dimensions (scientific, social, legal, ethical) interact to define environment and sustainability issues. It complements previous legal education through specialized graduate-level coursework and in-depth research. The program focuses on selected areas of legal scholarship and includes a written, supervised, substantial, and publishable paper in a area of interest related to the environment.
Candidates must remain in residence for three terms for which full-time fees will be charged. The third term is devoted to the Research Project, usually taken in the Summer of the first year, meaning that students usually complete their program within one calendar year. If the research project is not completed in this time, students must register for additional sessions as needed. All degree requirements must be completed within a maximum of three years of the date of first registration.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Research Project (15 credits)
The non-thesis option requires a substantial supervised research project during the third term of registration, a 15,000-word paper, assessed by the supervisor on a pass-fail basis, and typically completed in the Summer.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CMPL 655 | Research Project 1. | 15 |
Research Project 1. Terms offered: Summer 2025 A major research paper on a current topic. | ||
Required Courses (9 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CMPL 610 | Legal Research Methodology 1. | 1.5 |
Legal Research Methodology 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Legal research methodology, including electronic legal research and the formulation of research plans. | ||
| CMPL 611 | Legal Research Methodology 2. | 1.5 |
Legal Research Methodology 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Legal research methodology, including electronic legal research and the finalization of research plans. | ||
| CMPL 615 | Master's Thesis 4. | 6 |
Master's Thesis 4. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Thesis research report. | ||
| LAWG 601 | Communication 1. | 1.5 |
Communication 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Key writing and research strategies for graduate students in law. | ||
| LAWG 602 | Communication 2. | 1.5 |
Communication 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Key writing and research strategies for graduate students in law. | ||
Complementary Courses (21 credits)
12-15 credits chosen from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CMPL 500 | Indigenous Peoples and the State. | 3 |
Indigenous Peoples and the State. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Current legal topics relating to Indigenous peoples, including the concept of Indigenous title, and constitutional aspects of contemporary land claims. Aspects of Canadian law relating to Indigenous peoples, their constitutional status, and hunting and fishing rights. | ||
| CMPL 546 | International Environmental Law and Politics. | 3 |
International Environmental Law and Politics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Examination of institutions and processes for global environmental protection. Consideration of means for advancing international cooperation for environmental protection, focusing on international law. Analysis of obstacles to applying international law to environmental problems. Examination of a range of governance structures for environmental protection and the way in which they operate. | ||
| CMPL 580 | Environment and the Law. | 3 |
Environment and the Law. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Environmental law, with emphasis on ecological, economic, political, and international dimensions. | ||
and/or other Faculty of Law offerings at the 500 level or higher.
3-6 credits chosen from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENVR 610 | Foundations of Environmental Policy. | 3 |
Foundations of Environmental Policy. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Analysis of current environmental policies to reveal implicit and explicit assumptions regarding scientific methods, hypothesis testing, subject/object, causality, certainty, deities, health, development, North-South concerns for resources, commons, national sovereignty, equity. Discussion of implications of such assumptions for building future environmental policies. | ||
| ENVR 614 | Mobilizing Research for Sustainability. | 3 |
Mobilizing Research for Sustainability. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Through workshops and practice, students will develop communication strategies and acquire collaboration and leadership skills to foster innovation and help translate knowledge into action to address complex environmental and sustainability issues. Students will learn methods, build skills, and develop mindsets that can enable their research to have an impact on the most pressing issues in sustainability. | ||
0-3 credits chosen from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENVR 585 | Readings in Environment 2. | 3 |
Readings in Environment 2. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Interdisciplinary literature project/essays related to environment, enabling advanced-level study under guidance of Environment faculty in areas outside the scope of individual departments. | ||
| ENVR 630 | Civilization and Environment. | 3 |
Civilization and Environment. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Considers ways to reduce the human impact on Earth's life support systems through variables such as population size, wealth, technology, and conduct. Critically describes ethical frameworks for judging personal and policy choices, including post-collapse scenarios. | ||
| ENVR 680 | Topics in Environment 4. | 3 |
Topics in Environment 4. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Seminars and discussion of advanced, interdisciplinary aspects of current problems in environment led by staff and/or special guests. | ||
or 3 credits at the 500 level or higher recommended by the Advisory Committee and approved by the Environment Option Committee.