Forestry Degree

A Forestry degree is a great way to start a career in nature or science and it’s a fascinating way of learning about the world we inhabit and the way that we as a society or as a species are improving the world and simultaneously destroying it.

What is a Forestry Degree?

A Forestry degree is a degree that focuses on a number of areas, but it mainly looks at the management of natural resources, the distribution and management of lumber and preservation of wildlife.

A Forestry degree is a good way for students to learn about the natural world, and to gain an insight into how the world can be saved. With a Forestry degree, you will learn about purifying water, providing timber for construction and about how to reduce carbon pollution.

What can you do with a forestry degree?

There are plenty of jobs available with a Forestry degree. You might not think it, but many scientific professions require students to have an understanding of the natural world, and a Forestry degree is a great example of that.

Gifford Pinchot, the former governor of Pennsylvania in the United States, graduated with a Forestry degree from Yale University.

Consulting Forester is a good example of a job that you could take on out of university. This is someone who offers advice to landowners (like farmers) about the sale of their land. They will also help with things like pest-control, wildlife management, security and purification of groundwater.

An Environmental Biologist is another career that you can look into as well. This is a job where you will conduct research on sire and will develop wildlife management strategies to help out local farmers, conservation specialists or even national parks.

A classic job found with a Forestry degree is a tree surgeon, often known as an Arboriculturist. This is a job where you cultivate and manage trees and other plants. This is where you will advise on tree issues, discuss safe ways for the trees to be maintained and also make sure they and the public are protected and the immediate area is safe and secure.

With a lot of degrees like this, you can also look into the possibility of becoming an Ecologist. This is a job that focuses on ecosystems and organisms. They look at preserving wildlife, but also studying it. An Ecologist also monitors inhabitant's natural habitats and their progression over time.

You can also become a Wetlands Specialist, this is someone who improves and maintains water cleanliness and also implements new projects that are for the ecosystem’s benefit.

How will I be assessed for a Forestry Degree?

A Forestry degree is both theoretical and practical-based.

The theoretical side will cover assignments set by your course tutor, coursework, examinations, research, independent study and a dissertation.

For the practical side, you will be asked to carry out a wide range of scientific experiments and write reports on your findings. You will be asked to demonstrate knowledge of a lot of different organisms, such as trees, plants or habitats and will be asked to show how to preserve these areas, effective security measures and also how to operate effectively on them, where needed.

What skills will I learn?

A Forestry degree will provide you with a number of important skills and will also help you to enhance an existing skillset too.

First of all, your written skills will see a marked improvement. Most degrees have theoretical elements and they all require students to be able to report their findings and to argue their points in a fair, calm and reasoned manner. You will need to be able to write clear and concise briefs for when it comes to experimentation and field work, so you will need to be able to effectively communicate your ideas.

Following on from that, your verbal communication skills will need to improve as well. As with any scientific field, you need to be able to communicate with your co-workers and with your fellow students on the course. Being able to deliver clear and concise instructions to people for their work, is essential in all walks of life, not just in a Forestry degree.

A Forestry degree is a good way for students to learn about the natural world, and to gain an insight into how the world can be saved.

Your time management skills need to be top notch to survive in this field as well. Science-based subjects tend to move a lot quicker than other fields and this means you need to be at the very top of your game in order to manage the workload that is coming your way. You also need to make sure that you allocate enough time for the important elements of your job as well.

What A Levels do I need?

As this is a science-based subject, you will need to have fairly high grades for a subject of this kind. Most science-subjects require an ABB or higher. The entry requirements will likely change depending on the university that you're applying to, but one thing that does remain the same, is that all universities set high standards for subjects of this kind.

You will be required to have Mathematics and at least one science subject, preferably Biology. After that, if you don't have another science subject in with these two A Levels, then something like Geography would be very useful for this degree as well.

Will a Forestry degree get me a job?

As with any degree, there are no guarantees that a Forestry degree will definitely net you a job, however, given it’s specification, it’s niche subject matter and the fact that it is a science-based subject, you will likely have a good opportunity to find a career that suits you.

You can find work as an extension agent, a Timberland Appraiser, a Westland specialist and even as a park ranger.

What happens after I graduate?

This will heavily depend on your work ethic and your location as well. Some of the jobs you can find with a Forestry degree, won't necessarily be in your catchment area, so you may need to look further afield.

A Forestry degree is both theoretical and practical-based.

Many students find themselves taking unpaid internships or work experience straight out of university, however, if you have taken a placement year, then you may have a chance to gain employment through there straight away.

Famous alumni

The people in this section, may not leap off the page at you like a Brad Pitt or a Beyoncé might, but these are still famous alumni all the same.

Gifford Pinchot, the former governor of Pennsylvania in the United States, graduated with a Forestry degree from Yale University. It is also speculated that Johnny Appleseed, the nurseryman who introduced apple trees to large parts of Pennsylvania and the surrounding area, also had a degree in Forestry too.