Program Overview
The Forestry program at UNH provides a comprehensive education in forest ecosystem management, equipping students with a solid foundation in forestry principles, field experience, and a broad general education. Graduates are prepared for careers in natural resources management, including roles in government agencies, private forestry companies, and non-profit organizations, where they play a vital role in managing and conserving forests for productivity, biodiversity, and health.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
Description:
Forestry is an interdisciplinary profession that focuses on the sustainable management of forest ecosystems for productivity, biodiversity, and health. The Forestry program at UNH aims to equip students with a solid professional foundation in forestry principles and practices, complemented with a strong field component and a broad general education. The program's graduates play a vital role in managing and conserving public and private forests, tackling environmental challenges such as climate change, biodiversity protection, and sustainable resource management. They utilize science, planning, and geospatial technologies to protect forest ecosystems, ensure sustainable forestry practices, provide wildlife habitats, facilitate recreational activities, and safeguard soils and watersheds.
Program Goals and Objectives:
- Develop a comprehensive understanding of the ecology and dynamics of forest ecosystems, encompassing the interconnectedness of trees, wildlife, insects, soils, water resources, humans, and other components within these ecosystems.
- Comprehend the impact of policies and management decisions on forest ecosystems across various time and spatial scales.
- Cultivate essential skills for managing forests with diverse objectives, considering the interests of different stakeholders to optimize societal benefits from these ecosystems.
- Critically analyze scientific information, integrating it with professional experience and changing societal values to inform adaptive management strategies for forest resources.
Outline:
Course Schedule:
Year 1
- BIOL 528: Applied Biostatistics I (4 credits)
- ENGL 401: First-Year Writing (4 credits)
- Math Elective: MATH 424B (Calculus for Life Sciences), MATH 420 (Finite Mathematics), or MATH 425 (Calculus I) (4 credits)
- NR 415: Natural Resources Field Methods (2 credits)
- NR 425: Field Dendrology (4 credits)
- NR 433: Wildlife Ecology (0 or 4 credits)
- Green Life: Introducing the Botanical Sciences (BIOL 409) or Introductory Biology: Evolution, Biodiversity and Ecology (BIOL 412) (4 credits)
- Discovery Elective (4 credits)
- Discovery Elective (4 credits)
Year 2
- CHEM 403: General Chemistry I or CHEM 411: Introductory Chemistry for Life Sciences or PHYS 401: Introduction to Physics I (4 credits)
- EREC 411: Environmental and Resource Economics Perspectives or ECON 402: Principles of Economics (Micro) (4 credits)
- NR 501: Studio Soils (4 credits)
- NR 504: Freshwater Resources (4 credits)
- NR 506: Forest Entomology (4 credits)
- NR 527: Forest Ecology (4 credits)
- NR 600: Work Experience (0 credits)
- Oral Communication Skills Course (4 credits)
- Discovery Elective (4 credits)
Year 3
- NR 602: Natural Resources and Environmental Policy (4 credits)
- NR 643: Economics of Forestry (4 credits)
- NR 658: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (4 credits)
- FORT 579: Wildland Fire Ecology and Management (4 credits)
- NR 729: Silviculture (4 credits)
- NR 757: Remote Sensing of the Environment (4 credits)
- NR 782 or SAFS 651: Forest Health in a Changing World or Plant Pathology (4 credits)
- Discovery Elective (4 credits)
Year 4
- NR 745: Forest Management (4 credits)
- NR 749: Forest Inventory and Modeling (4 credits)
- Elective (4 credits)
- Recreation Resource Management (RMP 711), Social Impact Assessment (TOUR 767), or Issues of Wilderness and Nature in American Society (RMP 511) (4 credits)
- Discovery Elective (4 credits)
- Elective (4 credits)
- Elective (4 credits)
Careers:
Career Opportunities:
Graduates of the Forestry program are equipped for a diverse array of career opportunities in the field of natural resources management, including positions in government agencies, private forestry companies, non-profit organizations, research institutions, and academia. They are well-qualified for roles such as:
- Forest Managers and Planners
- Wildlife Biologists and Ecologists
- Conservation Scientists
- Environmental Consultants and Policy Analysts
- Geospatial Analysts
- Natural Resources Educators
- Research Scientists and Professors