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Do you wish to combine your interest in human-driven global change with your interest – and skills – in pure sciences? Do you aspire to a career focused on wicked problems, i.e., complex socio-environmental issues that do no have a single, clear, straightforward solution? If so, enrolling in an Earth System Science (ESS) program may be the answer.

ESS programs recognize that tackling global change and complex problems requires interdisciplinary efforts and as such, ESS reaches across three academic departments at ɬÀï·¬: Earth and Planetary Sciences, Geography, and Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. ɬÀï·¬ is one of six Canadian universities, and the only university in Quebec, to offer an ESS bachelor’s program (B.Sc.) or specialization (major, minor).

Through required courses, students enrolled in ESS programs are mentored to develop a set of core competencies that are essential to understand, model, and predict past, present, and future process interactions in the Earth System. Those core competencies pertain to:
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System thinking
Solving problems with multiple interacting parts cannot be reduced to looking for simple cause-effect relationships. Systems thinking – which is a problem-solving approach used in environmental science, sustainability science, business and management, public policy, and other fields – uses mental models to better characterize system component interactions. ESS courses apply mathematics as well as systems thinking principles and tools to the Earth System.

Data science
Given the cross-scale nature of the Earth System, from local to global, Earth System scientists need to collect data from various sources and extract insights and knowledge in the form of patterns or predictions, to inform decision-making. In the present era of Big Data, ESS core courses focus on numerical literacy related to statistics, computer programming, and modelling.

Teamwork
Earth System challenges are too multi-faceted and too complex to be solved by isolated individuals or a single discipline. Strategies and tools for effective collaboration are a hallmark of ESS courses.

Communication
Global change problems are societal and scientific in nature, thereby requiring Earth System scientists to communicate with diverse audiences. ESS courses emphasize the importance of oral and written communication for both academic (i.e., scientific) and non-academic (e.g., policymakers) audiences.
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Reasons to enroll in ESS programs are multiple, but the top five include:

1. Branding
   ESS is an emerging discipline explicitly cited in documents by the European Commission, the Canadian Space Agency, the U.S. National Science Foundation, the World Meteorological Organization, and other leading organizations worldwide. An explicit reference to ESS in your degree title therefore signals your interdisciplinary training to future employers and graduate schools.
2. Skillsets
   ESS programs balance required courses focused on core competencies, and complimentary courses meant to provide students with breadth and depth in interdisciplinary knowledge pertaining to Earth System components and interactions.
3. Flexibility
   Beyond the required courses aimed at developing core competencies, ESS programs offer tremendous variety and flexibility to students in choosing their complementary courses.
4. Research opportunities
   Faculty members in the three academic departments delivering ESS programs are active researchers who recruit undergraduate students to work in their research groups every year. Undergraduate research positions are excellent opportunities to further develop systems thinking, data science, teamwork, and communication skills.
5. Community
   ESS students form close-knit cohorts, with laboratories, lounges, and computer rooms serving as social anchors, which enhances student experience.

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