ACE Certificate requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
ACE 134	Fishes of the Pacific Northwest	3
ACE 190	Temperate Rainforest Ecology	4
ACE 175	Wildlife Conservation & Monitoring	6
ACE 182	Stream Habitat Assessment & Restoration	6
GEOG 150	Physical Geog: Weather and Climate	3
GEOG 160	Physical Geography II: Geology, Geomorphology and Soils	3
BIOL 101	Introductory Biology I	3
BIOL 102	Introductory Biology II	3
Total Credits		31

Admission Requirements

• English Studies 11, English First Peoples 11, or equivalent
• Life Sciences 11
• Foundation of Math 10, Pre-calculus 10 or equivalent
• Chemistry 11

ACE Certificate program fees

Fees Academic Programs with International Enrollment

Fees	Domestic	International
Full-Time	31 credits
Tuition	$3,383.03	$14,372.84
Student Union Fees:	$115.36
Mandatory Fees (includes 12 credits of required lab fees):	$476.13	$528.77
Health and Dental Insurance:	$295.00	$624.85
Tuition and Mandatory Fees Total *	$4,269.52	$15,641.82
Books:**	$800.00
Tools/Equipment/Supplies:**	$600.00
Field School Fees (Cost will vary):**	$1,100.00
Estimated Program Cost:	$6,769.52	$18,141.82

Fees are effective as of August 1, 2026 for the 2026/27 academic year.

Books / learning resources are available at the CMTN Bookstore. Please visit your local campus for details or view your current booklist online by selecting your desired campus. 

* These fees are an annual cost. 

** Please note that these are approximate costs and may vary depending on courses taken.

Transferability

Certificate graduates can apply courses completed towards the ACE diploma program at Coast Mountain College. In addition, the majority of courses within the certificate transfer directly to colleges and universities in British Columbia.

BC Transfer System

The BC Transfer Guide is the main resource to look up the transfer of courses between institutions within the province.

Program graduates

The ACE program was first initiated in 1996, under the name Coastal Integrated Resources Management (CIRM). It was created in response to growing demands from employers for locally trained experts in the environmental field. In the fall of 2005, the program was expanded and renamed Applied Coastal Ecology to better reflect the new program model.

The ACE program has attracted students from as far away as Japan and Africa, as well as a host of Canadian cities and provinces spanning from coast to coast. A significant portion of of our enrolment comes from outside of Prince Rupert.

ACE graduates are generally well-known for their passion and commitment to the environment and the sustainable management of the great wealth of natural resources found in coastal ecosystems across the planet.

Employment & career prospects

Graduates have had exceptional professional and academic opportunities.

• 100% of graduates have found meaningful employment or have gone on to further their education following completion of the program
• 83% of graduates who found employment did so in a field related to their studies

We find our graduates engaged in employment across a wide range of related fields:

Consulting Firms:

• Archipelago Marine
• J.O. Thomas and Associates
• Oona River Resources Association
• Triumph Timber
• First Nations
• Self-employed contracting

Consulting firms generally look for employees that have both the foundational academic training needed to solve problems, as well as the practical hands-on skills needed to carry out consulting contracts in both field and office settings. Many consulting firms have stated that they prefer to hire graduates who possess hands-on experience/skills as well as the necessary academic training The ACE program has deliberately included a well-integrated mix of both academic and hands-on courses which together create a balance and prepare graduates to be effective and efficient and hit the ground running.

Government:

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada
• Ministry of Air, Land and Water
• First Nations governments
• Local municipal governments
• Teaching institutions

The ACE program utilizes various government agencies. Government representatives are used as guest lecturers and also serve as expert advisors on the program’s advisory committee. The committee has representation from several levels of government - from local to federal. This ensures the program’s curriculum remains up to date with governmental policies and procedures and makes ACE grads an attractive prospect to these agencies.

Private Industry:

• Technologists and biologists at mariculture operations ranging from Marine Harvest Canada to smaller-scale private operations
• BC Hydro and any other organization that requires environmental monitoring as part of their business
• Wildlife protection and fish-stream enhancement offices
• Non-governmental environmental organizations such as World Wildlife Fund, T Buck Suzuki Foundation, and EcoTrust Canada
• Guiding or working as wildlife interpreters for eco-tourism operations
• Various forestry operations
• Laboratory technicians
• A variety of international placements

The growth of coastal ecology-related opportunities with private industry has experienced a significant increase in recent years. Graduates have done exceptionally well in these settings, and in some cases make up the bulk of the technical expertise for such employers.