Program Overview

Introduction to Forest Engineering

Forest engineers help design, construct, and evaluate the operational systems that make the forest industry function. This includes designing and building new roads and forestry equipment, planning harvest operations, integrating new technologies, and optimizing transport logistics. It also means looking after the environment. These roles involve the hands-on application of engineering skills.

About the Program

The Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Forest Engineering is a hybrid of civil engineering, forestry, and management. It requires people who have the skills to solve engineering problems in a large landscape while balancing economic, environmental, societal, and health and safety requirements.

Entry Requirements

The entry requirements for the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Forest Engineering are explained on the College of Engineering website. Students must see the regulations for a BE(Hons) for detailed degree requirements.

Planning Your BE Degree

First Year

The Engineering First Year is the first year of study in the BE (Hons) programme and is common to all Engineering degrees. It gives students a thorough understanding of the fundamental subjects, namely Engineering Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Engineering Mechanics.

Specialisation - Years 2 through 4

After successfully completing the first year, students progress through the basic engineering and forestry courses to design and management courses in their second, third, and fourth years, specializing in Forest Engineering.

Practical Work and First Aid Requirements

Students must hold a UC-approved, valid First Aid Certificate at some stage while enrolled for a BE (Hons) Forest Engineering degree, and they must complete practical work training. Failure to complete the practical work requirement could delay graduation.

Workshop Training Course

Students undertake two training courses in the first week of the Semester One term break:

• Unit Standard: 17769 DKO General Health, Safety, and Environmental Requirements in Forestry (one day)
• Attend the Programme Field Trip to Hanmer Springs and Matariki Rayonier forests (two days)

Outgoing Student Exchanges

Our students have an opportunity to go on exchange programmes to North America to study forestry at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and Virginia Polytech and State University, in Blacksburg, Virginia, USA.

Fees and Funding

The exchanges are available to School of Forestry third-year students who will enrol at UC and complete coursework at either UC or the North American university, or one semester at each. Students can travel to North America in one or both semesters. Enrolment at UC through the period of the exchange covers all tuition fees, and no additional tuition is paid to the North American school. Personal medical insurance must be purchased as a requirement of the exchange.

Course Work

Exchange students typically stay in North America for six months to a year and take a combination of required papers and electives that complement the BForSc.

Scholarships and Funding

Scholarships and prizes available to all UC students are listed on the UC Scholarships database.

Careers

Forest engineers have a wide skill-set that provides work opportunities both at home and abroad. Graduates can take employment in the forest industry, but because of the multi-disciplinary nature of forest engineering, job opportunities are also available in areas including general engineering consultancy, local and regional councils, government agencies, resource management, and research.

Sought-After Skills

Forest engineers have rewarding careers with significant responsibility and exciting challenges. They earn respect in industry through their professionalism and have the same eligibility for membership in the Institution of Professional Engineers of New Zealand (Engineering New Zealand) that their Civil, Mechanical, Natural Resources, Electrical, Chemical and Process, and Geological Engineering colleagues enjoy. Forest engineers can also become members of the New Zealand Institute of Forestry.

Forest Engineering Video Compendium

Some great forest engineering video clips are available on the web that are really informative as to how our harvesting systems work. We have compiled what we think are really good ones in each of the following categories: General Harvesting, Cable Logging, Ground-based, Cable Assist, Historical. Video and still image sources are individually referenced for each clip.

IUFRO Interview

Listen to Rien Visser's interview with IUFRO about his research, study at UC, and international exchange opportunities.