Forestry Major (B.S.F.)
https://colsa.unh.edu/natural-resources-environment/program/bsf/forestry-major
Forestry is an interdisciplinary profession, embracing the sustainable management of forest ecosystems for productivity, biodiversity, and health. The Forestry program’s goals are to provide a solid professional preparation with a strong field component, founded in a broad general education, and with the flexibility to allow students to pursue special abilities and interests. The Bachelor of Science in Forestry (B.S.F.) degree is accredited by the Society of American Foresters.
Forestry graduates help manage and conserve public and private forests, addressing major environmental challenges including climate change, biodiversity protection, and sustainable resource management. They use science, planning, and geospatial technology to protect and restore forest ecosystems, ensure a sustainable forest product industry, provide wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities, and conserve soils and watersheds.
Program Mission, Goals and Objectives
The mission of UNH’s Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, of which the Forestry Program is an integral part, is to serve as an educational center for the scholarly study of environmental and social sciences, and their application to the policy and management of natural resources from local to global scales. This is accomplished through education, research and outreach. This mission reflects UNH’s larger mission to provide comprehensive, high-quality undergraduate programs and graduate programs of distinction, including a strong commitment to serving the public good and promoting the excitement of discovery among faculty and students.
The goal of the Forestry Program is to train natural resource professionals to sustainably manage forested landscapes for diverse objectives and in ways that balance changing social, cultural, economic, and environmental interests and priorities.
Our educational objectives are to:
- Develop a strong knowledge base about the ecology and dynamics of forest ecosystems, including interactions between trees, wildlife, insects, soils, water, humans, and other ecosystem components.
- Understand how different policies and management decisions affect forest dynamics over short to long time scales, and on different spatial scales.
- Cultivate the necessary skills to manage forests for diverse objectives and to assess, respect, and balance the interests of different groups to achieve societal benefits.
- Be able to critically evaluate scientific information and integrate this with professional experience and changing societal values to support adaptive management of forest resources.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Requirements | ||
BIOL 528 | Applied Biostatistics I | 4 |
Select one of the following: | 4 | |
Calculus for Life Sciences | ||
Finite Mathematics | ||
Calculus I | ||
NR 415 | Natural Resources Field Methods | 2 |
NR 425 | Field Dendrology | 4 |
NR 433 | Wildlife Ecology | 0 or 4 |
BIOL 409 | Green Life: Introducing the Botanical Sciences | 4 |
or BIOL 412 | Introductory Biology: Evolution, Biodiversity and Ecology | |
CHEM 403 | General Chemistry I | 0-4 |
or CHEM 411 | Introductory Chemistry for Life Sciences | |
or PHYS 401 | Introduction to Physics I | |
EREC 411 | Environmental and Resource Economics Perspectives | 4 |
or ECON 402 | Principles of Economics (Micro) | |
NR 501 | Studio Soils | 4 |
NR 504 | Freshwater Resources | 4 |
NR 506 | Forest Entomology | 4 |
NR 527 | Forest Ecology | 4 |
NR 600 | Work Experience | 0 |
CMN 500 | Public Speaking | 4 |
or THDA 522 | Storytelling, Story Theatre, and Involvement Dramatics | |
NR 602 | Natural Resources and Environmental Policy | 4 |
NR 643 | Economics of Forestry | 4 |
NR 658 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
FORT 579 | Forest Fire Control and Use | 2 |
NR 729 | Silviculture | 4 |
NR 757 | Remote Sensing of the Environment | 4 |
NR 782 | Forest Health in a Changing World | 4 |
or SAFS 651 | Plant Pathology | |
NR 745 | Forest Management 1 | 4 |
NR 749 | Forest Inventory and Modeling | 4 |
Select one of the following: | 4 | |
Recreation Resource Management | ||
Social Impact Assessment | ||
Issues of Wilderness and Nature in American Society | ||
Total Credits | 80-88 |
1 | NR 745 Forest Management may be used to satisfy the University's Capstone requirement. The Capstone may also be satisfied through created work or product, or some form of experiential learning (e.g., honors thesis, mentored research project, and other special student activity). Departments are responsible for certifying that graduating seniors have met the capstone requirement for their majors. |
Sample Course Sequence for Forestry
First Year | Credits | |
---|---|---|
BIOL 528 | Applied Biostatistics I | 4 |
ENGL 401 | First-Year Writing | 4 |
Select one of the following: | 4 | |
Calculus for Life Sciences | ||
Finite Mathematics | ||
Calculus I | ||
NR 415 | Natural Resources Field Methods | 2 |
NR 425 | Field Dendrology | 4 |
NR 433 | Wildlife Ecology | 4 |
BIOL 409 or BIOL 412 |
Green Life: Introducing the Botanical Sciences or Introductory Biology: Evolution, Biodiversity and Ecology |
4 |
Discovery Elective (FPA, HP, ETS, HUM, or WC) | 4 | |
Discovery Elective (FPA, HP, ETS, HUM, or WC) | 4 | |
Credits | 34 | |
Second Year | ||
CHEM 403 |
General Chemistry I or Introductory Chemistry for Life Sciences or Introduction to Physics I |
4 |
EREC 411 or ECON 402 |
Environmental and Resource Economics Perspectives or Principles of Economics (Micro) |
4 |
NR 501 | Studio Soils | 4 |
NR 504 | Freshwater Resources | 4 |
NR 506 | Forest Entomology | 4 |
NR 527 | Forest Ecology | 4 |
NR 600 | Work Experience | 0 |
Oral Communications Skills Course | 4 | |
Discovery Elective (FPA, HP, HUM, ETS, or WC) | 4 | |
Credits | 32 | |
Third Year | ||
NR 602 | Natural Resources and Environmental Policy | 4 |
NR 643 | Economics of Forestry | 4 |
NR 658 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
FORT 579 | Forest Fire Control and Use | 2 |
NR 729 | Silviculture | 4 |
NR 757 | Remote Sensing of the Environment | 4 |
NR 782 or SAFS 651 |
Forest Health in a Changing World or Plant Pathology |
4 |
Discovery elective (FPA, HP, HUM, ETS, or WC) | 4 | |
Credits | 30 | |
Fourth Year | ||
NR 745 | Forest Management | 4 |
NR 749 | Forest Inventory and Modeling | 4 |
Select one of the following: | 4 | |
Recreation Resource Management | ||
Social Impact Assessment | ||
Issues of Wilderness and Nature in American Society | ||
Discovery elective (FPA, HP, HUM, ETS, or WC) | 4 | |
Elective | 4 | |
Elective | 4 | |
Elective | 4 | |
Elective | 4 | |
Credits | 32 | |
Total Credits | 128 |
All forestry majors must satisfy the B.S.F. requirements and all Discovery Program requirements. Students must satisfy the Inquiry requirement of the Discovery Program by completing an Inquiry or Inquiry-attribute course. Seniors must also satisfy the capstone experience requirement of the Discovery Program. The capstone explores areas of interest based on the integration of prior learning. The capstone requirement may be satisfied through a course (NR 745 Forest Management), created work or product, or some form of experiential learning (e.g., honors thesis, mentored research project, and other special student activity). Departments are responsible for certifying that graduating seniors have met the capstone requirement for their majors.