Forestry

• A.A.S. degree

• B.S. degree
• 121 credit hours (minimum) required
  • 40+ credits must be in 300/400 level courses
  • 60+ credits must be in the liberal arts and sciences
• Paul Smith’s Colleges A.A.S. in Forest Technology and B.S. in Forestry degree programs are both accredited by the Society of American Foresters

The following shows percentages of forestry program graduates employed or pursuing further education within 18 months of graduation. Numbers were obtained from alumni surveys conducted from 2010 to 2014, with 86% of forestry program alumni responded to these surveys.

• Forestry Technician
• Procurement Forester
• Log Buyer
• Wildland Firefighter
• Logger
• Forest Products Industry

At the end of the program students will be able to:

• Ecological Forest Management Concentration
  • Analyze and synthesize the ecological and biophysical underpinnings of forests
  • Analyze forestry production cycles
  • Analyze forest inventory and natural resources data, both spatially and non-spatially
  • Develop and express informed perspectives and opinions on the biophysical and sociopolitical contexts in which forestry is practiced
  • Integrate forestry knowledge and experience to develop forestry-related arguments and plans that reflect an appreciation of the diverse uses and values associated with forest resource and their sustainable management
  • Integrates ecological principles with active forest management techniques to balance ecological, social, and economic considerations
• Forest Operations Concentration
  • Analyze and synthesize the ecological and biophysical underpinnings of Forests
  • Analyze forestry production cycles
  • Analyze forest inventory and natural resources data, both spatially and non-spatially
  • Develop and express informed perspectives and opinions on the biophysical and sociopolitical contexts in which forestry is practiced
  • Integrate forestry knowledge and experience to develop forestry-related arguments and plans that reflect an appreciation of the diverse uses and values associated with forest resource and their sustainable management
  • Evaluate costs and benefits related to forest resource management
  • Evaluate costs and benefits related to forest resource management
• Forest Biology Concentration
  • Analyze and synthesize the ecological and biophysical underpinnings of forests
  • Analyze forestry production cycles
  • Analyze forest inventory and natural resources data, both spatially and non-spatially
  • Develop and express informed perspectives and opinions on the biophysical and sociopolitical contexts in which forestry is practiced
  • Integrate forestry knowledge and experience to develop forestry-related arguments and plans that reflect an appreciation of the diverse uses and values associated with forest resource and their sustainable management
  • Describe and interpret biophysical and ecological concepts and principles that underpin the functions of forest ecosystems, including plant and animal communities, disturbance ecology, and water & nutrient cycling

At the end of the program students will be able to:

• Identify the ecological and biophysical characteristics of forests.
• Measure and map land and forest resources and watersheds.
• Demonstrate forestry field skills and practices using forestry-related technology and equipment.
• Collect and interpret forest inventory and natural resources data, both spatially and nonspatially.
• Explain the biophysical and socio-political contexts in which forestry is practiced.
• Systematically gather data, synthesize information, and test hypotheses related to forest science to develop woodlot management strategies.
• Communicate and conduct oneself in a professional manner.

Detailed information is available in our Program Planning Guide.

• Core Forestry Required Courses:  Intro to Forestry; Dendrology; Forest Production Processes; Forest Health; Forest Mensuration I; Forest Mensuration II; Silviculture; Forest Ecology; Forest Soils; Forest Management; Forest Policy; Advanced Silviculture; Intro to Wildlife Management; Geospatial Technologies; Watershed Management; Field Surveying I; Senior Capstone Project
• Forestry Summer Session:  Forest Production Processes; Forest Mensuration I; Field Surveying I
• Forestry Concentration Requirements
  • Ecological Forest Management Concentration: General Ecology; Timber Harvesting; Natural Resource Economics; Field Surveying II
  • Forest Biology Concentration: Biology II; Plant Biology; General Ecology; Genetics; Chemistry II; Organic Chemistry; Choice of Biological Science Cluster
  • Forest Operations Concentration: Financial Accounting; Wood Properties; Timber Harvesting; Forest Products; Natural Resource Economics; Field Surveying II

More program information and a full course list can be found in the College Catalog. For program planning sheets, click here.