One Health Minor (B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.)) (24 credits)
Offered by: Agricultural & Env.Sc.-Dean (Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences)
Degree: Bachelor of Science (Agricultural and Environmental Sciences)
Program credit weight: 24
Program Description
The B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.); Minor in One Health provides an interdisciplinary framework for addressing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. It integrates approaches to managing cross-sectoral health challenges, including zoonotic disease emergence, antimicrobial resistance, and climate-related health impacts, through consideration of biological, ecological, and social dimensions of health.
Required Courses (9 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANSC 350 | Food-Borne Pathogens. | 3 |
Food-Borne Pathogens. Terms offered: Winter 2027 Exploration of the taxonomy, characteristics, epidemiology, mechanisms of pathogenicity, disease, incidence, and factors affecting the survival and growth of pathogenic microorganisms in foods of animal origin; principles of detection, prevention and control of food-borne pathogens (bacteria, fungi, protozoa, helminths, viruses). | ||
| LSCI 207 | One Health Fundamentals. | 3 |
One Health Fundamentals. Terms offered: Fall 2026 Foundational and guiding principles of One Health to better understand current and reflect on future challenges that are affecting various socio-economic and cultural groups. Fundamental concepts in One Health will be emphasized through core themes such as emerging and zoonotic pathogens, climate change, antimicrobial resistance, and global food system resilience. | ||
| NRSC 515 | Water and Health | 3 |
Water and Health Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Anticipate, recognize, evaluate, and control water-related hazards such as: biological, chemical, and physical. Considerations for public health and environmental management. | ||
Complementary Courses (15 credits)
6 credits from the following: *
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEOG 403 | Global Health and Environmental Change. | 3 |
Global Health and Environmental Change. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Major themes and contemporary case studies in global health and environmental change. Focus on understanding global trends in emerging infectious disease from social, biophysical, and geographical perspectives, and critically assessing the health implications of environmental change in different international contexts. | ||
| MIMM 413 | Parasitology. | 3 |
Parasitology. Terms offered: Winter 2027 A study of the biology, immunological aspects of host-parasite interactions, pathogenicity, epidemiology and molecular biological aspects of selected parasites of medical importance. Laboratory will consist of a lecture on techniques, demonstrations and practical work. | ||
| PARA 410 | Environment and Infection. | 3 |
Environment and Infection. Terms offered: Winter 2027 Infectious pathogens of humans and animals and their impact on the global environment are considered. The central tenet is that infectious pathogens are environmental risk factors. The course considers their impact on the human condition and juxtaposes the impact of control and treatment measures and environmental change. | ||
| PARA 424 | Fundamental Parasitology. | 3 |
Fundamental Parasitology. Terms offered: Winter 2027 Systematics, morphology, biology and ecology of parasitic protozoa, flatworms, roundworms and arthropods with emphasis on economically and medically important species. | ||
* Note: Choose either PARA 410 and MIMM 413; or PARA 424 and GEOG 403; or PARA 410 and PARA 424.
9 credits from the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AEIS 230 | Indigenous Health and Nutrition. | 3 |
Indigenous Health and Nutrition. Terms offered: Winter 2027 Examination of the histories impacting the contemporary nutrition, environment, and health of the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island by integrating Western and Indigenous knowledge systems with best practices in supporting Indigenous decision-making. Topics include: Indigenous knowledge systems and methodologies, Treaties and Reconciliation, Residential and Day schools, food sovereignty, environmental contamination and climate change, community-based participatory research, Indigenous access to health care, reflexivity and cultural safety, media advocacy strategies. | ||
| ANSC 312 | Animal Health and Disease. | 3 |
Animal Health and Disease. Terms offered: Winter 2027 An introduction to the pathogenesis and control of diseases in farm animals. Immune response and other protective mechanisms. Implications of animal diseases and drug therapy for product safety and public health. | ||
| ANSC 514 | Coding for Production Data | 3 |
Coding for Production Data Terms offered: Fall 2026 An introduction to various methods used for advanced data analysis and their application within the agricultural and environmental sciences, including both classical approaches and machine learning methods; uni- and multivariate analysis; and supervised and unsupervised methods. A special focus on identifying advantages and weaknesses of the various approaches, selecting appropriate methods for specific problems, and avoiding pitfalls. Application of concepts to real- life data. | ||
| BREE 505 | Life Cycle Assessment for Sustainable Agrifood Systems. | 3 |
Life Cycle Assessment for Sustainable Agrifood Systems. Terms offered: Winter 2027 Examination of the methods for food system sustainability assessment and their trade-offs, focusing on conducting environmental life cycle assessment, life cycle costing, and an introduction to social life cycle assessment for agrifood systems (crops and livestock). Additionally, methods for trade-off analysis among the three sustainability dimensions – environment, economics, social – will be evaluated and applied to agrifood system optimization and sustainability decision-making. | ||
| BREE 533 | Water Quality Management. | 3 |
Water Quality Management. Terms offered: Fall 2026 The water phases of terrestrial ecological systems and the processes that link them. Physical, chemical, and biological properties of water, and water quality standards. The fate and transport of pollutants in rivers and streams, lakes, and wetlands. Methods to quantify soil carbon and nitrogen cycle to predict nutrient leaching. Impacts of human activities (e.g., agricultural drainage) on water quality and measures to improve drainage water quality. Assess the effectiveness of proposed engineering measures or management practices in improving or maintaining water quality of a real site/water body using numerical methods or a computer modelling approach. | ||
| ENVR 201 | Society, Environment and Sustainability. | 3 |
Society, Environment and Sustainability. Terms offered: Fall 2026 This course deals with how scientific-technological, socio-economic, political-institutional and behavioural factors mediate society-environment interactions. Issues discussed include population and resources; consumption, impacts and institutions; integrating environmental values in societal decision-making; and the challenges associated with, and strategies for, promoting sustainability. Case studies in various sectors and contexts are used. | ||
| MICR 331 | Microbial Ecology. | 3 |
Microbial Ecology. Terms offered: Winter 2027 The ecology of microorganisms, primarily bacteria and archaea, and their roles in biogeochemical cycles. Microbial interactions with the environment, plants, animals and other microbes emphasizing the underlying genetics and physiology. Diversity, evolution (microbial phylogenetics) and the application of molecular biology in microbial ecology. | ||
| MICR 341 | Mechanisms of Pathogenicity. | 3 |
Mechanisms of Pathogenicity. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of the means by which bacteria cause disease in animals and humans. Includes response of host to invading bacteria, bacterial attachment and penetration processes, and modes of actions of exotoxins and endotoxins. | ||
| MIMM 324 | Fundamental Virology. | 3 |
Fundamental Virology. Terms offered: Fall 2026 A study of the fundamental properties of viruses and their interactions with host cells. Bacteriophages, DNA- and RNA-containing animal viruses, and retroviruses are covered. Emphasis will be on phenomena occurring at the molecular level and on the regulated control of gene expression in virus-infected cells. | ||
| NRSC 221 | Environment and Health. | 3 |
Environment and Health. Terms offered: Fall 2026 Key chemical, physical, and social stressors in the environment, and how these affect the health of people and ecosystems. Hazards in air, water, food, and work environments. Historic, current, and future need for environmental health science, from scientific, personal, and practical perspectives. | ||
| NUTR 501 | Nutrition in the Majority World. | 3 |
Nutrition in the Majority World. Terms offered: Fall 2026 Current nutrition-related issues in the Majority World, emphasizing young children and other vulnerable groups. The integration of a life science and social science perspective. The multiple causes, consequences, policies, and interventions related to current nutrition. | ||
| NUTR 505 | Public Health Nutrition. | 3 |
Public Health Nutrition. Terms offered: Fall 2026 This course focuses on the nutrition status of populations, communities and groups of people using a public health lens. It identifies and assesses human nutrition issues and problems, their causes, influencing factors and social conditions using a social determinants of health framework. Offers opportunities to design and conduct needs assessments, design and plan programs and plan for their evaluation. The purpose and role of participatory approaches with diverse populations and Indigenous populations in particular will be analyzed. Health systems, public health and political influence in Canada, as related to nutrition will be addressed. | ||
| SOCI 331 | Population and Environment. | 3 |
Population and Environment. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Main topics and controversies linking population processes and the environment. Topics include how population processes influence the environment, population responses to changing environments, policies related to these effects, variation across and within developed and developing countries. | ||