Major in Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment [Business]

Description of Field

The Major in Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment is fully integrated with Alberta’s world-renowned energy and resource-based economy, incorporating practical learning and dynamic interaction with business leaders. Students develop business and analytical skills that are applicable to the natural resources and energy markets, including environmental issues, and acquire a broad understanding of the resource and energy industries, from the exploration and project development phases, through extraction and transformation, to transportation, logistics marketing and market issues. This allows students to address and analyze key strategic questions facing today’s business leaders and policy makers. Throughout the program the many links between resource and energy questions and environmental issues are highlighted, analyzed, and understood.

The major allows students to address these types of business challenges

How can organizations, both private and public, profitably develop and market natural resources, while safeguarding the environment and ensuring sufficient resources for future generations?
How can firms use financial instruments to mitigate price risk in energy and resource markets?
How should governments manage public resources, both renewable and nonrenewable, in order to maximize total benefit to society?
How will the development of alternative energy sources impact prices in the future and what strategies should energy consumers develop in considering technological investment?
How can investors, both public and private, effectively plan today in order to account for the uncertainty related to future climate change regulation?

Career Opportunities

Natural Resources, Energy and Environment graduates may work in both the private and public sector, in Alberta, elsewhere in Canada, and throughout the World. Graduates may work in managerial positions related to the energy, resources and environmental sectors. They would be valuable to any organization working either directly or indirectly with the oil and gas, electricity, forestry or other industries in this sector, as well as large users of energy resources. They would be a valuable asset to any organization sensitive to environmental or conservation issues.

Sequence of Courses

★3 from

Year Four

BUEC 463 - Energy and the Environment: Industry Structure, Performance and Challenges
BUEC 464 - Environmental Management
BUEC 479 - Government and Business in Canada
B LAW 428 - Natural Resource and Environmental Law
ECON 467 - Environmental and Natural Resource Policy (See Note 6) OR
ENCS 473 - Environmental and Conservation Policy (See Note 6)
★6 Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment electives (See Note 4)
★3 in Senior Business Electives (See Note 7)
★6 in free electives (See Note 1)

Notes

See Policy on Elective Courses
See Policy on Elective Courses (4) . Students should not take BUEC 311 .
May be taken in either of Year Three or Year Four, however it is recommended that students take both courses in Year Three.
Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment electives may be chosen from the following courses: ACCTG 463 , AREC 365 , AREC 482 , ECON 269 , ECON 361, ECON 365 , ECON 366 , ECON 373 , ECON 471 , ECON 472 , FIN 413 , FORE 473, INT D 361 , R SOC 365 . Additional courses may be counted as NREE electives with the consent of the Department.
ECON courses used to satisfy the requirements of this major may not also be used to satisfy the requirements for coursework outside the Faculty of Business.
ECON 467 is a capstone course and may only be taken by students in Year Four. Students must have completed one of ECON 269 , ECON 365 , ECON 366 or ECON 369 prior to taking ECON 467 . ENCS 473 may be substituted for ECON 467 .
See Courses in the Faculty of Business .
BUEC 363 is an acceptable elective in the NREE major but is not open to students with credit in BUEC 463 . It is not a substitute for BUEC 463 . Credit will be granted only where it is taken prior to taking BUEC 463 .

Minors

Students with a declared major in Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment may choose to do a minor in any subject area of Business. See Minors for Business Students . Minors are not required. Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment students are permitted to count one of the secondary core courses required in the Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment major as one of the four courses constituting their minor.
Students with a declared major in another area may complete a minor in Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment by completing both B LAW 301 and ECON 281 (whether or not they are required by the student’s major). An additional ★9 in Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment courses at the 300- or 400-level from the following list is also required: BUEC 463 , BUEC 464 ; B LAW 428 , ECON 365 , ECON 366 , 369.