Environmental assessment and monitoring programs are powerful tools in the process of environmental, economic, and socially sustainable development. This course is designed to introduce students to different types of environmental assessment and monitoring, their components and associated regulations and guidelines, with particular focus on Alberta. This introduction will provide students with a foundational understanding of the process of environmental management in Alberta and Canada. It will help students reflect on how environmental management impacts their lives and work, and will provide the tools needed to embark on further learning related to environmental assessment and monitoring. The practical aspects of this course will cover data collection and management. Information collected in environmental assessment and monitoring is only valuable if collected in a scientifically rigorous manner with the end uses in mind. Data must also pass legislative and scientific scrutiny. Students will be introduced to the basics of designing environmental monitoring plans, methods and techniques for monitoring, sampling procedures, measures of various parameters, and methods to ensure data quality and management meet the objectives of the assessment/monitoring program. Students will have hands-on opportunities with sampling tools and techniques, and will complete the course with basic skills and knowledge to participate in environmental monitoring and assessment programs.