Forestry B.S.
The B.S. in Forestry prepares students to be leaders in the stewardship of forest resources, from water to wildlife to wood products. Through field and classroom experiences, students gain expertise in the core biophysical and ecological processes that shape forested landscapes, and synthesize this knowledge with socio-economic principles to effectively manage, conserve, and restore natural resources.
The program uses the unique natural settings offered in Montana to give students classroom and field learning experiences with skills-based courses, independent studies, internships and research projects that lead to diverse employment opportunities.
With a degree in Forestry students can work as forest ecologists, silviculturalists, timber managers, forest planners, wildland fire specialists, inventory managers, forest rangers, or as range or soil conservationists. The Forestry degree is accredited by the Society of American Foresters and meets the requirements for qualification as Forester for the U.S. Civil Service Commission (440 series). This means student can work as a forester for federal agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs as well as for many state agencies and with private industry. View more information on civil service requirements.
Bachelor of Science - Forestry
W.A Franke College of Forestry & Conservation
Catalog Year: 2022-23
General Education Requirements
Information regarding these requirements can be found in the General Education Section of the catalog.
Summary
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Lower-Division Major Required Courses | 20 | |
| Lower-Division Outside Major Required Courses | 23-26 | |
| Upper-Division Major Required Courses | 28 | |
| Professional Electives | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 86-89 | |
Degree Specific Credits: 86-89
Required Cumulative GPA: 2.0
Lower-Division Major Required Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete all of the following courses: | ||
| FORS 130 | Introduction to Forestry Field Skills | 2 |
| FORS 202 | Forest Mensuration | 3 |
| FORS 230 | Fire Management & Environmental Change | 3 |
| FORS 232 | Forest Insects & Diseases | 3 |
| FORS 241N | Dendrology | 3 |
| FORS 250 | Intro to GIS for Forest Mgt | 3 |
| NRSM 211N | Soils and Water | 2 |
| NRSM 212N | Ecology, Physics and Taxonomy of Soils | 1 |
| Total Hours | 20 | |
Minimum Required Grade: C-
Lower-Division Outside Major Required Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete all of the following courses: | ||
| BIOO 105N | Introduction to Botany | 3 |
| BIOB 160N | Principles of Living Systems | 3 |
| CHMY 121N | Introduction to General Chemistry | 4 |
| COMX 111A | Introduction to Public Speaking | 3 |
| or THTR 120A | Introduction to Acting I | |
| ECNS 201S | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| Complete one of the following two options: | 4-6 | |
| Precalculus | ||
| College Algebra and College Trigonometry | ||
| Complete one of the following courses: | 3-4 | |
| Forest Biometrics | ||
| Introduction to Statistics | ||
| Total Hours | 23-26 | |
Minimum Required Grade: C-
Upper-Division Major Required Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete all of the following courses: | ||
| FORS 320 | Forest Environmental Economics | 3 |
| FORS 330 | Forest Ecology | 3 |
| FORS 335 | Forest Ecology Field Laboratory | 1 |
| FORS 340 | Forest Product Manufacturing | 3 |
| FORS 341 | Timber Harvesting & Roads | 3 |
| FORS 349 | Practice of Silviculture | 3 |
| FORS 440 | Forest Stand Management | 3 |
| FORS 481 | Forest Planning | 3 |
| NRSM 385 | Watershed Hydrology | 3 |
| NRSM 422 | Natural Resource Policy and Administration | 3 |
| Total Hours | 28 | |
Minimum Required Grade: C-
Professional Electives
Rule: Complete 15 total credits from the combined subcategories, including at least 3 credits from each subcategory.
Biophysical Sciences
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete at least one of the following courses: | 3 | |
| General Ecology | ||
| Rocky Mountain Flora | ||
| Plant Physiology | ||
| Fire Ecology | ||
| Wood Anatomy, Properties, & ID | ||
| Ecosystem Climatology | ||
| Wildlife Habitat Conservation & Management | ||
| Total Hours | 3 | |
Minimum Required Grade: C-
Management Application
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete at least one of the following courses: | 3 | |
| Fire Management & Environmental Change | ||
| Forest Insects & Diseases | ||
| Wildland Fuel Management | ||
| Advanced Forest Roads | ||
| Advaced Timber Harvesting | ||
| Elements of Ecological Restoration | ||
| Rangeland Management | ||
| Total Hours | 3 | |
Minimum Required Grade: C-
Policy and Social Science
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete at least one of the following courses: | 3 | |
| Sustainable Communities | ||
| Nature and Society | ||
| Ecological Perspectives in Native American Traditions | ||
| Climate and Society | ||
| Wildland Conservation Policy/Governance | ||
| Collaborations in Natural Resource Decisions | ||
| Ethics and Sustainability | ||
| Community Forestry & Conservation | ||
| Water Policy | ||
| Climate Policy | ||
| Environment & Development | ||
| Recreation Behavior | ||
| Natural Resource Interpretation and Communication | ||
| Recreation Administration & Leadership | ||
| Tourism & Sustainability | ||
| Wilderness & Protected Area Management | ||
| Total Hours | 3 | |
Minimum Required Grade: C-
Measurement and Analysis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete at least one of the following courses: | 3-5 | |
| Forestry Apps of GIS | ||
| Env Remote Sensing | ||
| Sampling Methods | ||
| Hydrology | ||
| College Physics I and College Physics I Laboratory | ||
| Total Hours | 3-5 | |
Minimum Required Grade: C-