Online and Remote Learning

Learn to think like a lawyer in this bedrock introduction to the Canadian legal system. Whether you’re applying to or about to enter law school, seeking Canadian legal accreditation or interested in the Canadian legal system for other reasons, you’ll take bold first steps into the world of legal thinking and analysis. You’ll read and analyze four influential cases, discuss why certain decisions were reached, prepare case briefs and complete quizzes to test your comprehension of the material. You’ll see how cases fit together, including how past decisions influence future cases, and will emerge better prepared to sit law school exams (LSAT) with confidence. This course is presented in partnership with the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and features materials prepared by leading academics within the Faculty. This is an online, self-directed course, and you can work through the modules at your own pace. You can expect to complete the course in a month, but have up to three months to complete it. WATCH VIDEO Read, analyze, and effectively brief legal cases. Understand the foundations of the Canadian legal system. Explain the concept of legal precedent and its application by the courts in practice. Prepare for and write law school exams.

Explore basic science, key approaches and common challenges in the field of environmental management. In this interdisciplinary course, you’ll learn what’s being done in Canada and around the world to mitigate climate change, and manage oceans and fisheries, freshwater resources, forests, endangered species, agriculture, urban environments, mining and energy. Through course readings, online discussions and written assignments, you’ll explore a wide range of environmental issues and emerge better equipped to engage in environmental management at scales from local to global. After completing this course you’ll be able to: Know the history of environmental management and how it has shaped current perspectives. Explore a variety of case studies that reveal the strategies behind environmental management initiatives, outcomes achieved, and challenges faced. Identify the roles of key organizations and bodies in environmental management, planning and regulation as well as the relevant stakeholders. Understand how decision-making should be informed by science, ethics and values. Manage environmental challenges, such as sustainable development and resilience, based on contemporary approaches and best practices.

More than half the world’s population now lives in urban areas,  resulting in ever-larger ecological footprints and stress on the planet. In this course, you’ll examine widely-accepted core principles and a range of approaches and strategies designed to shift urban areas in Canada and around the world towards sustainability. You’ll investigate sustainable forms of development that rely on innovation, and solutions that promote reduced consumption, pollution and waste. You’ll explore promising practices that can enable any urban area, from a small neighbourhood to a major city, become more sustainable. After completing this course you’ll be able to: Appreciate the impact of cities on land, water, air and biodiversity, and the challenges involved in shifting to sustainability. Understand what makes a sustainable city, including key principles, planning approaches and common conceptual models. Examine the global urbanization shift and urban environmental initiatives from around the world. Know how urban form, transportation, water and waste management, green space, biodiversity and energy use contribute to urban sustainability Explore innovative ways to design and implement policies and strategic approaches, including partnerships and local initiatives.

All human activities have an impact on our environment. In this course, you’ll learn how environmental impact is assessed and defined, and how it’s best managed and mitigated. You’ll look at the roles played by different stakeholders in dealing with environmental concerns, trade-offs that must sometimes be made, and ways to resolve conflicts that inevitably arise. You’ll consider a range of management strategies and discover how all levels of government in Canada have a shared, although complex, responsibility for environmental management and sustainable use of natural resources. After completing this course you’ll be able to: Know how environmental impacts are assessed and defined. Explore what all levels of government can do to mitigate human impact on the environment. Consider different management strategies and the roles played by various stakeholders. Examine dispute-resolution techniques to ease conflicts that arise over environmental concerns. Survey a range of approaches to environmental management, drawing on examples from Canada and other parts of the world.  

Risk assessment is a critical element of environmental management. In this survey course, you’ll explore its major elements and better understand how environmental risk is defined, as well as how risks may be evaluated and managed. The course includes four dynamic modules that focus on specific risks: food; climate change; human health; and nuclear power. You’ll explore ways to manage environmental risks as they become increasingly complex, with the aim of promoting sustainability. Lively discussions will allow you to share your own relevant professional experience and benefit from that of others. After completing this course you’ll be able to: Define risk in the context of environmental management. Identify factors that alter people’s perception of risk. Examine concepts such as exposure and consequence assessment and analysis models. Discuss the important elements of effective risk communication. Understand the particular challenges related to ecological risk assessment. Apply risk assessment concepts to specific environmental risks.

Our planet is undergoing dramatic, far-reaching change, much of it caused by human activities. In this course you’ll explore global-scale environmental issues such as climate change, destruction of marine ecosystems, degradation of freshwater resources, tropical deforestation, desertification, and biodiversity loss.  You’ll explore the obstacles and challenges being faced around the world, and assess strategies to address problems and find workable solutions. You’ll emerge with a firmer grasp of societal changes needed to limit and potentially reverse the damage to the planet and ensure a more sustainable future. Understand the underlying and proximate causes of global environmental change. Know the impacts on specific environments, such as forests and marine and coastal ecosystems.  Leverage academic and other sources to investigate what societies around the world are doing to respond to global environmental issues– and what more needs to be done  Find effective strategies and workable solutions to ensure a sustainable future.  Probe related ideas and themes, including scientific uncertainty, environmental justice, poverty, and sustainable development.

Organizations of every size and scope need well-run corporate social responsibility programs. This course will teach how to improve sustainability reporting and manage your organization’s social and environmental impacts. You’ll learn how better public reporting can improve your company’s reputation, keep its workforce loyal and engaged, improve access to capital and increase efficiency through resource reduction. You’ll get a clearer picture of the state of sustainability reporting in Canada and the tools you need to enhance your own organization’s efforts. Know the state of international sustainability reporting, with a focus on Canadian content. Probe widely-accepted reporting frameworks, such as the Global Reporting Initiative. Apply best practices to develop reporting that adds value while avoiding common costly pitfalls. Assess and critically evaluate information in other organizations’ reports. Emerge with tips and tools to launch or improve your organization’s sustainability reporting.

Learn the principles and concepts of greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting and reporting at both the organizational and project levels. In this course, you will be introduced to the science of climate change and the structure of cap-and-trade and offset schemes, in regulated and voluntary settings. You will learn how to apply the ISO 14064-1 and ISO 14064-2 standards for the accurate, complete, consistent, transparent, relevant and conservative reporting of greenhouse gas emissions. You’ll gain the confidence and skills you need to develop greenhouse gas inventories for organizations and for emission reductions and reversals. The science behind climate change and the concepts and principles of GHG quantification and reporting The processes applied to GHG accounting and reporting at organizational and project levels applying the ISO 14064-1 and ISO 14064-2 standards Practice quantifying greenhouse gas emissions using established methods How to develop a greenhouse gas inventory quality control process How to produce a greenhouse gas report and prepare for third-party verification

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions must be reported in many jurisdictions, and some organizations are also voluntarily reporting their emissions. In this course, you’ll learn the principles and process of GHG validation and verification for organizational GHG emission inventories and GHG emission reduction (offset projects). You will learn how to apply the ISO 14064-3 standard for completing this work, including how to plan validations and verifications, conduct a risk assessment, evaluate evidence and reach a validation or verification conclusion. Fundamental validation and verification (V&V) processes and principles. Planning validations and verifications using a risk assessment and sampling methodologies. Evaluate the sufficiency and appropriateness of validation and verification evidence, including evaluating discrepancies Prepare a validation or verification statement

Psychological thrillers, gritty crime/mystery, and unsettling horror get preferential treatment as we delve into the darker side of fiction to explore our fascination with the evil of this world and beyond. In this course we will dissect popular works; analyzing stories and writing styles in order to determine what effectively produces fear, dread, and unease on the page. Learn about masterful "Thriller" authors and what makes their work resonate. Apply concepts of plotting, pacing, and characterization to create compelling chills. Produce the opening chapter of an original work of dark fiction.