Program Overview

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Your degree in Urban Forestry

Skills you’ll develop

While studying Urban Forestry, you’re developing interdisciplinary skills to plan and manage urban green-spaces and ecosystems for human welfare, ecological health, and the protection of cities’ support systems. You’ll develop important ways of thinking that can lead us to a more sustainable future.

These skills may include:

• Green-space planning and design methods
• Forest and green-space management
• Smart data, modelling and visualization
• Community engagement and consultations
• Analyzing access to greenspaces and equity issues
• Understanding how social, economic, and political systems affect biophysical systems
• Understanding of urban ecology and management, including ecosystem services, wildlife, and wetlands
• Developing a systems understanding of climate change and environmental issues
• Technical skills in geographic information systems (GIS), statistics, and computer programming
• Understand the research, theory and principles of natural resources conservation
• Developing and delivering effective presentations for a variety of audiences
• Technical report writing

Career possibilities

Career opportunities vary widely across a range of fields including urban forest, climate change and sustainability consulting, urban forest management, arboriculture, research, education, urban planning, landscape architecture, and others. Upon graduation, many students can apply to become an International Certified Arborist.

There are many career paths that can combine your academics, skills, and experience with your different interests. Some career options may require further education or training.

• Arborist
• Architect
• City forester
• Conservationist
• Consulting arborist/urban forester
• Ecotourism manager
• Environmental educator
• Ethnobotanist
• Green infrastructure planner
• Landscape architect
• Land use planner
• Municipal arborist
• Natural resources consultant
• Non-profit director
• Parks and recreation manager
• Park naturalist
• Parks technician
• Planning technician
• Policy analyst
• Researcher
• Sustainability consultant
• Tree risk/health assessor
• Urban greenspace designer
• Urban forestry planner
• Urban planner

Make the most of your degree

Your experiences will open doors to new opportunities and help clarify your understanding of your values and interests.

• UBC Forestry Co-op Program
  Gain paid work experience related to your degree by alternating academic terms with work terms through the Co-op Program.
• Work Learn Program
  Develop valuable skills through a part-time, on-campus job and grow your professional network.
• Forestry Tri-Mentoring Program
  Connect with peers and industry mentors around career interests and build your communication and networking skills.
• UBC Sustainability programs and clubs
  Browse on-campus paid and volunteer opportunities related to sustainability.
• Sustainability Ambassadors
  Develop collaboration and leadership skills through an on-campus volunteer role.
• UBC Centre for Sustainable Food Systems
  Check out educational and community-building events at the UBC Farm.
• Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions internships
  Apply your classroom knowledge to real-world settings through climate change mitigation or adaptation projects.
• Environmental mentorship program
  Find a mentor through the Connecting Environmental Professionals organization.
• UBC Climate Hub
  Facilitate the sharing of climate knowledge to empower youth to become Climate Ambassadors in their own communities.
• UBC Sustainability research opportunities
  Participate in research and project-based roles to advance sustainability at UBC and in the region.
• UBC Environmental Policy Association
  Learn about the impact of global climate change policies through various discussion-based events.
• AMS Sustainability
  Access resources and funding to support your sustainability-related initiative or project.
• Common Energy UBC
  Join action teams to implement sustainability initiatives and practices into all aspects of the UBC community.
• UBC Student Environment Centre
  Access funding for projects that address environmental and sustainability issues.
• ECO Canada job board
  Check out environmental employment opportunities.
• Go Global
  Learn more about international opportunities available for UBC undergraduate students.
• Haida Gwaii Institute Semesters
  Take immersive, UBC-accredited courses in Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, on topics including Natural Resource Science, Marine Conservation, Community Resilience, and more.
• NSERC Undergraduate Research Awards
  Receive funding to work on research-related jobs and projects.
• Federal Student Work Experience Program
  Apply for government positions across Canada through this student recruitment initiative.

Build your network

Employers often hire people they know, so help them get to know you. You can build your network through clubs, classes, informational interviews, and more. There are many ways to make connections and find mentors.

The professional associations below are also great resources for meeting people, learning about specific industries, and finding job and volunteer opportunities. Most have reduced membership rates for students and new grads.

• ArborCanada
• Association of BC Forest Professionals
• BC Wildlife Federation
• BIOTECanada
• British Columbia Conservation Foundation
• British Columbia Environment Industry Association
• Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists
• Canadian Institute of Forestry
• Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication
• Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society
• Clean Energy BC
• Connecting Environmental Professionals Vancouver
• Energy Council of Canada
• Environmental Careers Organization (ECO) Canada
• Environmental Studies Association of Canada
• Federation of BC Naturalists
• Nature Trust British Columbia
• Nature Vancouver
• Science Writers and Communicators of Canada
• Society of Commercial Arboriculture
• Tree Canada
• Utility Arborist Association
• Pacific Northwest Chapter of the ISA
• International Society of Arboriculture
• BC Recreation and Parks Association
• International Forestry Student Association
• Society of Municipal Arborists

Connect with alumni

Find UBC Bachelor of Urban Forestry graduates to learn about where they’re working, and their career and academic paths.

More information

From your Forestry degree, you’ll develop skills and experiences that can translate into many career paths. Check out other things you can do with your Forestry degree.

Related pages

Your degree in Bioeconomy Sciences and Technology

Your degree in Forest Sciences

Your degree in Forest Management or Operations

Your degree in Conservation

Your degree in Urban Forestry

Your degree in Wood Products