Masters Degrees in Forestry & Arboriculture, United Kingdom

Can the world’s forests be managed sustainably? This one-year course will develop your understanding of forest ecosystems and their role in the global environment, and of the goods and services that forests can provide.

The MSc Environmental Forestry course has been running for more than 25 years, and its graduates are now working in forestry all over the world. We have close links with forestry and environmental organisations in the UK and overseas, and staff of these organisations make regular contributions to the course. Lectures, seminars and independent learning are supported by an active programme of field practicals, forest visits and a week-long study tour, during which students discuss management and policy issues with forestry professionals.

ICF logoThis course is accredited by the Institute of Chartered Foresters and gives partial fulfilment of Professional Membership Entry.

Course Structure
The programme has two parts.

Part 1: runs from September to May and consists of four taught modules, a study tour, and a research planning module component. The taught part of the course is based on lectures, seminars, practicals and directed study, allowing an opportunity to examine a broad range of topics in detail and develop personal skills and expertise. A range of different assessment methods are used including reports, presentations, practical write-ups and online and written exams.

Part 1 must be completed successfully before proceeding to Part 2, the dissertation phase.

Part 2: June to September is set aside for production of a dissertation on a topic selected by the student in consultation with their academic supervisor. Dissertations can be in almost any aspect of forestry that interests you; they can have a temperate or tropical focus, and can include field work either locally, elsewhere in the UK, or overseas.

Part 1 Subjects:

Forest Resources & Assessment: This module provides an overview of the status of world forests, trends and causes of deforestation and degradation, consequences for ecosystem services, and policy responses. It then addresses the practical approaches required to assess the ecological condition of forests, which is necessary to inform appropriate forest management and conservation to meet these challenges.

Silviculture (Temperate or Tropical streams):This module develops an understanding of silviculture and forest management and the interaction of management systems with the physical environment. A common component explore the silvicultural systems and interventions used to realise desired future forest conditions, and the module then divides two streams, focussing on the specific practices of temperate or tropical regions.

Natural Resource Management gives students a theoretical understanding of the systems approach to managing natural resources, as well as a practical grounding in the ways in which natural resource managers can draw on different kinds of knowledge sources.

Management Planning: This module develops an understanding of the management planning process, and its use in the sustainable management of rural resources. Students develop management plans for real-world forestry situations which involves setting management objectives, considering landscape features, devising appropriate monitoring and evaluation techniques and quantifying the costs of management operations.

Research Methods: The module will form a foundation for the dissertation research project. This module will develop the basic numeracy, modelling, statistical, planning and optimisation methods, and GIS skills required to conduct research in a range of managed and un-managed ecosystems, and develop the skills required for future research and professional careers.

Study Tour: This module gives students the opportunity to see how the principles of natural resource management that are discussed in earlier parts of their course are put into practice. During visits to areas which are managed for a range of objectives (details vary between courses and from year to year) students meet resource managers working on behalf of different stakeholders and engage in discussion with them.

Part 2:

Dissertation: Execution and written presentation of a suitable scientific project which is devised by the student and an individual academic supervisor and validated by the Programme Director. A suitable project entails a worthwhile scientific question, of direct relevance to the degree programme being undertaken, established within the context of current knowledge and concepts that allows the formulation and testing of one or more hypotheses. This normally involves up to 5 months full-time work, typically including: 2-3 months for data collection from the field, laboratory or computer; 1-2 months for data analysis; and 1-2 months for writing-up.

Professional Accreditation

This degree is accredited by the Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF) and qualifies students for associate membership

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In this one-year MSc programme, you have the opportunity to learn about how trees, people and agriculture can be combined in sustainably managed farms, forests and landscapes. There is a long tradition of agroforestry practice in many parts of the world, but recently it has become a major focus in international development and is now at the forefront of innovation in natural resource management. Bangor is a world leader in agroforestry with a fantastic reputation for its research activities and our graduates are either already employed when they start the course and/or have a strong track record in finding employment within the sector. Students and academic staff are active collaborators with international organisations such as the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center, Costa Rica (CATIE) and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). You can expect to develop the skills required for a research and professional career from the comprehensive programme we offer.

The overall aim of the programme is to provide an integrated education in natural resource management, combining ecological and social dimensions of agricultural and forest sciences, focussed on application to real world systems where trees interact with agriculture. The programme is designed to develop both subject-specific knowledge and cognitive and key skills. The course has a world focus and the University has strong links with agroforestry organisations which means that many of our students have undertaken fieldwork in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas, as well as in Wales/UK. Besides fantastic overseas opportunities, we also have a university farm (Henfaes Research Centre) located a short distance outside of Bangor where many students carry out experiments for their final projects.

This course is accredited by the Institute of Chartered Foresters and gives partial fulfilment of Professional Membership Entry.

We work in partnership with the World Agroforestry Centre.


Course Structure
The programme has two parts. Part Part 1: runs from September to May and consists of five taught modules and a study tour. The taught part of the course is based on lectures, seminars, practical sessions and directed study, allowing an opportunity to examine a broad range of topics in detail and develop personal skills and expertise. A range of different assessment methods are used including reports, presentations, practical write-ups and online and written exams. Part 1 must be completed successfully before proceeding to Part 2, the dissertation phase.

Part 2: June to September is set aside for production of a dissertation on a topic selected by the student in consultation with their academic supervisor. Dissertations can be in almost any aspect of agroforestry that interests you; they can have a temperate or tropical focus, and can include field work either locally in Wales, elsewhere in the UK, or overseas.

Part 1 Subjects:

Agroforestry Systems and Practice: This module explores agroforestry systems and practices worldwide and introduces the concepts behind them. Through a series of case studies, the module explores ecological and biophysical interactions in agroforestry systems, and considers the range of social, economic and ecosystem benefits they deliver, including ways in which we are trying to reduce the environmental impact of food production and overcome constraints to food security.

Silviculture: The purpose of the module is to develop students’ understanding of the silviculture of single trees and trees in complex systems. This module develops an understanding of the principles and practice of silviculture, the place of silviculture in the sustainable cultivation of trees, and the role it plays in delivering ecosystem services from trees, woodlands and forests. We explore the unique characteristics of forest soils and of soil physical, chemical and biological properties, how these influence site productivity and how these are influenced by land management.

Natural Resource Management: The purpose of this module is to give students a theoretical understanding of the systems approach to managing natural resources to provide various ecosystem services, as well as a practical grounding in the ways in which natural resource managers can draw on a variety of knowledge sources to inform themselves and others of the impacts of land management interventions.

Research Planning and Communication: This module seeks to develop students’ understanding of the role of science and the scientific process in formulating and addressing context relevant questions, and communicating scientific output to different audiences. During the course of the module, students will devise, conduct and write up a policy-relevant scientific study.

Natural Resource Development: The purpose of this module is to introduce the international development context to students and to give a practical grounding in project planning. During the module, students will develop a full project proposal in line with funding guidelines for an agroforestry based natural resource development intervention.

Study Tour: We round off the taught part of the course with a study tour which gives students the opportunity to see the practical application of natural resource management principles that are discussed in earlier parts of the programme. During visits to areas which are managed for a range of objectives, you will meet and discuss with different stakeholders and collect information relevant to a specific research topic.

Part 2:

Dissertation: Execution and written presentation of a suitable scientific project which is devised by the student and an individual academic supervisor and validated by the Programme Director. A suitable project entails a worthwhile scientific question, of direct relevance to the degree programme being undertaken, established within the context of current knowledge and concepts that allows the formulation and testing of one or more hypotheses. This normally involves up to 5 months full-time work, typically including: 2-3 months for data collection from the field, laboratory or computer; 1-2 months for data analysis; and 1-2 months for writing-up.

Previous MSc dissertation projects and training courses held in collaboration with the World Agroforestry Centre can be viewed here.

Professional Accreditation

This degree is accredited by the Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF) and qualifies students for associate membership.

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Your programme of study

University of Aberdeen Environmental and Forest Management programmes comes from one of the oldest forest management research areas in the UK. Aberdeen has been teaching Forestry for decades. Forestry is combined with environmental management to provide a very useful range of skills and knowledge to apply across environmental areas. With increasing deforestation there are also opportunities to provide more forests, sustainable forests and carefully managed forests. You visit local forests and take a resident field trip with a project you can undertake anywhere in the world. There will always be a requirement for specialists within forestry management to ensure the longevity of crops and sustainability of environmental resources.

On this MSc programme you will to study the principles of forest and woodland management as well as general environment management and their application both in the UK and overseas. The programme is aimed at people interested in a career in environmental management, environmental services, timber production, community forestry or a combination of these. You learn the important aspects affecting forestry which include plant ecology, environmental pollution, GIS mapping, harvesting, statistical information, remediation , EIA, Analysis, Ecology and conservation and environmental management planning. All of these modules allow you to specialist and become a specialist in your chosen area.

Courses listed for the programme

Semester 1

Optional

• Core Skills in Environmental Science
• Experimental design and Analysis
• Statistics for Complex Study Designs
• Plant Ecology
• Global Soil Geography
• Environmental Pollution
• Ecosystems Processes
• Application of GIS
• Timber Harvesting and Measurement

Semester 2

Optional

• Remediation Technology
• European Forests Field Course
• Environmental Impact Assessment
• Environmental Analysis
• Ecology, Conservation and Society
• Woodland Conservation and Management
• Catchment Management
• Environmental Management Plan
• Applied Forest Ecology

Semester 3

• Environmental and Forest Management Project

Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page

Why study at Aberdeen?

• University of Aberdeen has been associated with teaching and researching the forestry discipline for decades the subject ties into its strengths in environmental and soil science
• The programme is ranked No.1 in Scotland for research excellence in earth systems and sciences
• Field work takes place in the region with plenty of natural resources on Royal Deesside, Cairngorms National Park, agricultural Aberdeenshire and Caledonian pine forests

Where you study

• University of Aberdeen
• Full Time and Part Time
• 12 Months or 24 Months
• September start

International Student Fees 2017/2018

Find out about international fees:

• International
• EU and Scotland
• Other UK

Find out more about fees on the programme page

*Please be advised that some programmes also have additional costs.

Scholarships

View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page and the latest postgraduate opportunities

Living in Aberdeen

Find out more about:

Your Accommodation

• Catered Accommodation
• Self-Catering     

Campus Facilities

• University of Aberdeen: A Global Community
• University of Aberdeen: We are international
• Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
• Student Support
• Clubs and Societies
• Sport
• Societies
• Review

Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs

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The course is a two-year world-class integrated programme aimed at qualifying graduates to deal with the huge challenges facing temperate forestry, agriculture and sustainable land use. The teaching staff are research active and the students will benefit from our wide range of research activities and contacts in the UK and overseas.

By joining the teaching and research experiences of five European leading educational institutions, this unique course will constitute an in-depth educational programme with inherent impetus to stay at the forefront of research-based teaching strongly linked to realities in many European and non-European countries.

The SUFONAMA course is offered by a consortium consisting of five institutions:

Danish Centre for Forest, Landscape and Planning,
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark,
School of the Environment and Natural Resources, Bangor University, Bangor, Wales, UK,
of Forest Sciences and Ecology, University of Goettingen, Faculty Goettingen, Germany,
Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden, and
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Detailed information on the SUFONAMA Masters course is available at: http://www.sufonama.eu/

ICF logoThis course is accredited by the Institute of Chartered Foresters and gives partial fulfilment of Professional Membership Entry.

This web-page describes the Sustainable Forest and Nature Management course as structured in the current academic session. While the aims of the programme and the broad structure of the degree are similar from year to year, details may change over time to meet the requirements of the profession and of academic audits, and to ensure that the programme remains effective and up-to-date.

First Year

The Course consists of a first study year at one of three institutions (Bangor, Copenhagen, Goettingen) and a specialising second study year with different topics offered by each of the five institutions. The students are required to spend the second year at another university than the first one. The aim of the first study year is to provide a thorough and broad introduction to sustainable forest and nature management. The learning outcomes are similar for the three first year institutions and allow students to choose freely among the five specialisation options in the second year. The first study year ends with a Joint Summer Module, run as a two-week excursion to a Consortium country.

Second Year

You can specialise in the second year within the following topics:

Conservation and Land Management (Bangor)
Management of Forest and Nature for Society Copenhagen)
Forest and Nature Management in Changing Climate (Göttingen)
Forest Management in Scandinavia and the Baltic Region (Alnarp)
Mountain Forestry and Watershed Management (Padova).
The specialisation includes a master thesis based on research and fieldwork inside or outside the EU. When students have acquired 120 ECTS by studying at two Consortium institutions (at least 60 ECTS at each) they will obtain a SUFONAMA double degree and the Diploma Supplement. All SUFONAMA modular activities can be completed in English. The following degrees are awarded: MSc in Forestry in Copenhagen, MSc in Environmental Forestry and MSc in Conservation and Land Management in Bangor, MSc in Forestry in Goettingen, MSc in Forestry in Alnarp, and MSc in Forestry and Environmental Sciences in Padova.

Bangor Compulsory Modules:

Forest Resource Assessment: This module provides an introduction to world forest resources and policy
Silviculture: this module provides an understanding of temperate silviculture and forest management. It also highlights the interaction of management systems with the physical environment
Natural Resource Management: This module provides students a theoretical & practical understanding of the systems approach to managing natural resources to provide various ecosystem services.
Location Specific Knowledge and fieldwork in temperate forest and nature management: This module is essentially designed to allow for in-depth preparation for field work in temperate forest and nature management.
Contemporary temperate forest and nature management: climate change and management strategies: This module deals with a current hot topic and can take in students globally through its e-learning format
Preparing Field Work in the Temperate: This module develops in-depth factual location specific knowledge relevant to temperate forestry issues
Sustainable Temperate Forestry Management Summer School – this module applies data collection and evaluation methods in the field.

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Bangor University has been teaching forestry for over 110 years and since 2000, it has offered a range of exciting and innovative part-time distance learning forestry courses. The MSc forestry (distance learning) course has an excellent reputation for producing high quality, adaptable and professional graduates. Many of our alumni have successfully used the course to help them change careers, gain promotion, develop their business and/or simply satisfy their curiosity for trees and forests. The course is designed to provide students with training in the management of forest resources, understanding of the scientific, academic and practical principles which underpin forest management and forest ecosystem function and the interrelationships between government, industry and communities’ forests and associated land-use.

The course, fully accredited by the Institute of Chartered Foresters, provides students with detailed knowledge and expertise of direct relevance to the modern forest manager and those working in associated disciplines. The course is designed to be of specific interest to:

Individuals seeking academically-based education in forestry;
Individuals seeking a career in the management of trees and forests;
Individuals wishing to undertake further study while employed in the forestry, or a related, profession.

Once accepted onto the course, students choose to specialise in one of two distinct degree ‘streams’; Ecology and Management, or Trees, Forests and People. The Ecology and Management stream is designed for those with a stronger interest in ecology and science (including maths) whereas the Trees, Forests and People stream will appeal to those applicants with a thirst to learn more about the interrelationships between forests and society.

Teaching and learning for each module is supported by a guided reading handbook plus various learning materials hosted on our ‘virtual learning environment’, such as online lectures and seminars, e-books, journal articles, scientific reports, podcasts, and discussion forums.


What Will I Study?
Ecology and Management stream:
DDL-4202 Silviculture (20)
DDL-4204 Forest Ecosystems (20)
DDL-4205 Forest Inventory, Assessment &; Monitoring (20)
DXX-4532 Forestry Study Tour (20)
DXX-4505 Natural Resource Management (20)
DXX-4530 Forest Management Planning (20)
DDL-4999 Distance learning Dissertation (60)

Forest, Trees and People:
DDL-4202 Silviculture (20)
DDL-4206 Sustainable use of NTFPs (20)
DDL-4201 Social Issues in Forest Management (20)
DXX-4532 Forestry Study Tour (20)
DDL-4003 Forest History, Policy and Management (20)
DDL-4004 Agroforestry Systems & Practice (20) OR DXX-4505 Natural Resource Management (20)
DDL-4999 Distance learning Dissertation (60)

Work-Placements/Links with Industry
The course is closely linked with all aspects of the forest industry, both in the UK and beyond. Students are encouraged to seek opportunities and make their own links that relate to their own area of interest and expertise and are supported in this process. Students on the course receive regular updates regarding the latest news, jobs, placements and other opportunities in the forestry sector.

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The School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography offers a postgraduate distance-learning course in Tropical Forestry, which is aimed specifically at international students who have been awarded a scholarship by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC). We have secured CSC scholarships for 2017 entry. Up to 10 scholarships are available for applicants from the following developing commonwealth countries to study for our MSc Tropical Forestry by distance learning:

Bangladesh, Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

The scholarships are worth over £12,000 to cover tuition fees plus a generous bursary to enable scholars to attend a study tour which will be held overseas in July/August 2019. A small study grant is also available to help scholars with internet, computing and other distance learning study costs.These scholarships are will only available for entrants who are able to start the course in September 2017.

Overview
The Tropical Forestry MSc represents a natural addition to our highly successful and well-respected MSc Forestry, MSc Environmental Forestry and MSc Agroforestry degree courses.

The course provides part-time students from across the world with training in the management of forest resources, understanding of the scientific, academic and practical principles which underpin forest management, forest measurement and forest ecosystem function and the interrelationships between government, industry and communities’ forests and associated land-use.

The Tropical Forestry MSc is part-time and is completed in three years. It builds on the existing links and strengths of the highly successful forestry masters programmes in SENRGY: MSc Sustainable Forest Management (SUFONAMA), MSc Sustainable Tropical Forestry (SUTROFOR) and Forest and Nature for Society (FONASO). These programmes were developed by European Masters consortiums and funded by the EU Erasmus Mundus programme.

Our distance-learning course is designed to provide students with training in the subject of tropical forestry, understanding of the scientific, academic and practical principles which underpin forest conservation, protection and management and forest ecosystem function and the interrelationships between government, industry and communities’ forests and associated land-use. Suitable applicants include individuals working in forestry/forest-related industries/natural resource management, particularly in the fields of planning, regulation, policy, monitoring and environmental protection. The course is also suited to individuals working in forestry education who wish to further their knowledge and expertise in order to improve their teaching.

The course, which is accredited by the Institute of Chartered Foresters, is designed to provide students with detailed knowledge of direct relevance to professionals working in the field of Tropical Forestry. Key course modules cover the increasing importance of social issues in forest management, the complex challenges and multiple benefits of well-managed agroforestry systems and the sustainable use of non-timber forest products. Modules in inventory, assessment and monitoring look at other significant issues surrounding the sustainable management of global forest resources. The course also includes a compulsory 14-day study tour to a country with notable tropical forest resources in July/August 2019.

In line with our internal quality assurance procedures, some small revisions have been made to the MSc Tropical Forestry course structure for September 2017 entrants.

What Will I Study?
DDL-4202 Silviculture (20)
DDL-4004 Agroforestry Systems & Practice (20)
DDL-4205 Forest Inventory, Assessment & Monitoring (20)
DDL-4206 Sustainable use of NTFPs (20)
DDL-4201 Social Issues in Forest Management (20)
DDL-4545 Tropical Forestry Study Tour (20)*
DDL-4999 Distance learning Dissertation (60)

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The Tropical Forestry MSc represents a natural addition to our highly successful and well-respected MSc Forestry, MSc Environmental Forestry and MSc Agroforestry degree courses.

The course provides part-time students from across the world with training in the management of forest resources, understanding of the scientific, academic and practical principles which underpin forest management, forest measurement and forest ecosystem function and the interrelationships between government, industry and communities’ forests and associated land-use.

The Tropical Forestry MSc is part-time and the full MSc is completed in three years. It builds on the existing links and strengths of the highly successful forestry masters programmes in SENRGY: MSc Sustainable Forest Management (SUFONAMA), MSc Sustainable Tropical Forestry (SUTROFOR) and Forest and Nature for Society (FONASO). These programmes were developed by European Masters consortiums and funded by the EU Erasmus Mundus programme.

Our distance-learning course is designed to provide students with training in the subject of tropical forestry, understanding of the scientific, academic and practical principles which underpin forest conservation, protection and management and forest ecosystem function and the interrelationships between government, industry and communities’ forests and associated land-use. Suitable applicants include individuals working in forestry/forest-related industries/natural resource management, particularly in the fields of planning, regulation, policy, monitoring and environmental protection. The course is also suited to individuals working in forestry education who wish to further their knowledge and expertise in order to improve their teaching.

The course, which is accredited by the Institute of Chartered Foresters, is designed to provide students with detailed knowledge of direct relevance to the modern forest manager. Key course modules cover the increasing importance of social issues in forest management, the complex challenges and multiple benefits of well-managed agroforestry systems and the sustainable use of non-timber forest products. Modules in inventory, assessment and monitoring look at other significant issues surrounding the sustainable management of global forest resources. The course also includes a compulsory 14-day study tour to a country with notable tropical forest resources.

What Will I Study?
DDL-4202 Silviculture (20)
DDL-4004 Agroforestry Systems & Practice (20)
DDL-4205 Forest Inventory, Assessment &; Monitoring (20)
DDL-4206 Sustainable use of NTFPs (20)
DDL-4201 Social Issues in Forest Management (20)
DDL-4545 Tropical Forestry Study Tour (20)
DDL-4999 Distance learning Dissertation (60)

Work-Placements/Links with Industry
The course is closely linked with all aspects of the forest industry, both in the UK and beyond. Students are encouraged to seek opportunities and make their own links that relate to their own area of interest and expertise and are supported in this process. Students on the course receive regular updates regarding the latest news, jobs, placements and other opportunities in the forestry sector.

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Course Overview

The objective of this MRes is to provide a cutting-edge interdisciplinary programme that attracts and trains to a high level the best students from around the world, who are interested to pursue a research career in tropical forest ecology.

The aim is to provide students with high-level research training in the latest developments in tropical forest ecology, covering the physical and biological aspects of the forest ecosystem and with an emphasis on understanding the linkages between these two components. This will best prepare students for a career in tropical forest ecology research and possible PhD studies.

Course Structure

The course involves three months of full time teaching, a three week field course in Sabah, Malaysia and a 30 week independent research project.

Taught Element

* Statistics and Programming in R
* Experimental Design and advanced Statistics
* Environmental data and Geographic Information Systems
* Scientific writing and science communication
* Forests as linked ecological systems
* Understanding and modelling climate systems
* Understanding and modelling hydrological systems
* Understanding and modelling biogeochemical systems
* Understanding and modelling biodiversity
* Understanding and modelling metabolic ecology
* Field skills: sampling methods and taxonomy
* Field skills: hydrological measurements
* Field skills: biogeochemical measurements
* Field skills: community ecology

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The course

On a national and international scale there is an increasing need to reconcile the need for increased food production with the need for conservation of natural resources. There is also a need for people to understand and deal with complex land situations such as within agricultural systems. This course is intended to provide students with a detailed understanding of basic and applied agro-ecology and the issues associated with, on the one hand, the increased and shifting needs for food production and on the other the need for conservation and management of natural resources. Sustainable food production and sustainable intensification are of high policy importance both nationally and internationally. Agro-ecology is a key aspect of sustainable intensification.

How will it benefit me?

An understanding of agro-ecology and the organisms and systems that underpin agricultural systems can facilitate the ability to manage agricultural systems in a more sustainable manner.
This course will provide the foundation for a career in both conservation and in agriculture.
The course will provide you with specialized training in agroecology and farmland conservation.

You will be able to:

Appraise the role of agro-ecology within the wider context of global food security and sustainable food production
Evaluate the strategic and operational issues and conflicts affecting the sustainable management of agricultural ecosystems in order to select the most appropriate conservation management solutions.
Evaluate the interactions between organisms and consider these when making management recommendations for successful agro-ecological landscapes
Develop the ability to solve conflicts in agro-ecosystems by the application of novel research techniques

The course will:
Prepare you for a career in conservation agriculture, or agriculture or conservation more widely.
Offer vocational training in the field of agroecology.
Enable you to make a more informed choices for further study, such as PhD studies or other career development

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The course

Forests are the lungs of the world. The great boreal forests cover almost 17 million square kilometers of North America, Europe and Asia. Tropical forests cover perhaps 6.5 million square kilometers and temperate forest systems another 10 million square kilometers. Tropical forests are renowned as sources of biodiversity, the northern boreal forests are major regions of carbon sequestration and they too are under threat through timber and mineral exploitation. Without forests our climate would be drastically different from the one we experience today, much of the globe would be desert and uninhabitable. Yet despite their importance as sources of biodiversity and climate regulation they are, especially in the tropics and the far north, constantly under threat. In temperate regions commercially managed forests are important sources of much needed products for our homes and industry. They are also important refugia for threatened wild life and provide educational and recreational uses for a significant proportion of the population. Despite their importance we still know very little about how to manage them sustainably and how to protect our rapidly shrinking natural forests and woodlands and the organisms that live within them.

This course covers a broad range of topics in conservation and forestry related topics. All students receive training in fundamental skills which will enable them to enter a conservation or forestry related work environment or a research career in conservation or forestry and woodland ecology. There is, however, considerable flexibility enabling each student to focus on specialist subjects consistent with their interests and future career intentions. The MSc was designed in response to demands from conservation bodies for people with practical conservation skills as well as a strong academic background and has a strong practical field based component in each taught module.

A distinctive and integral feature of our MSc is the high degree of input from forest and conservation scientists in collaborating governmental organizations and consultancies. This participation takes a variety of forms, including guest lectures, field visits and specific training courses, but may also include providing research projects in their organizations.

Examples of collaborating organizations include, Butterfly Conservation, CEH Wallingford, Forest Research, The James Hutton Institute, The Natural History Museum London, and Rothamsted Research.

How will it benefit me?

Having completed the MSc you will be able to recognize the major biotic and abiotic problems affecting temperate and tropical trees and forests. The course will develop your analytical skills to enable you to recognize and resolve environmental, conservation and landscape management problems using fundamental principles of forest ecology and integrated forest management. You will also be able to show how forest and tree protection is directed to economic and social objectives and how ecological processes can be used to meet these objectives. You will also learn how to source and evaluate the latest developments in technology, and produce integrated management solutions that pay due regard to silvicultural, social and environmental requirements. There is, however, considerable flexibility enabling each student to focus on specialist subjects consistent with their interests and future career intentions Students also learn how to disseminate issues and ideas relating to forest ecology and conservation to a range of audiences using various methods of communication.

The research project for the MSc will allow you to test hypotheses relevant to pure and applied forest conservation research by designing, carrying out, analysing and interpreting experiments or surveys. You will also learn to evaluate and interpret data and draw relevant conclusions from existing entomological studies.

The aims of the MSc are to provide students with which will (a) prepare them for a career in sustainable forest management and/or conservation (b) prepare them for PhD studies (c) enable them to make a more informed choice for their PhD research and (d) offer practical vocational training in the area of conservation

The MSc covers a broad range of topics providing specialized training in practical conservation and forest ecology and all students receive training in fundamental skills which will enable them to enter an appropriate work environment or a research career. There is, however, considerable flexibility enabling each student to focus on specialist subjects consistent with their interests and future career intentions. 

Funding

The full-time and two year part-time courses are eligible for a postgraduate loan.

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Do you want to be involved in a land and resource management sector that exemplifies real growth and sustainable development? Are you interested in working in a dynamic and positive environment, making decisions that can affect landscapes, environments and timber production potential for decades to come? 

Interest in forestry and forest products has never been higher as the economic, environmental and social benefits of woods and forests are widely-recognised in the minds of governments, scientists, businesses and communities. 

Investment in forests and forestry is strong and continues to attract UK and global investors seeking the excellent returns and high environmental integrity that forestry offers. The forest management industry is actively seeking new management level staff to meet current and future workloads and development opportunities.

Global forest resources show both losses and gains in physical area and the policy and practice of forest conservation and protection has gathered pace and impact. New generation plantations offer the prospect to bring timber to world markets using faster rotations, advanced tree breeding, fully mechanised harvesting and greater technological input to planning and management of forests.  

The course

The postgraduate programme offers a solid and effective way of studying forestry with a strong applied focus. Input from industry professionals, many of them Chartered Foresters, will ensure that curriculum is relevant and current and that students benefit from the experience and insight of managers with real-world responsibilities. Industry visits and assignments based on professional projects and case studies reinforce this approach and help build links and networks. The central UK location of Harper Adams enables access to a wide range of forest resource types for teaching and study.

Funding

The full-time and two year part-time courses are eligible for a postgraduate loan.

Fifty per cent more forestry property was traded in 2013 compared to 2012, to the value of £97.3 million, 8.5 times the value traded in 2000. This made 2013 a record year, both in the total value of the market and its unit price.

UPM Tilhill & Savills Forest Market Report

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