General
Master of Forestry
The degree of Master of Forestry is designed for students who want one or more years of formal graduate work and who plan professional careers with forestry organizations, either public or private. The general M.F. program gives graduate level preparation in the full range of disciplines essential to the wise use and management of forest lands. Specialization is possible, but the main objective is to improve students' knowledge of and competence in comprehensive forest management. The M.F. is not intended for those students wishing to pursue research interests or a higher degree.
Master
of Forestry in Silviculture
The M.F. in Silviculture is a program jointly administered by the departments of Forest Resources and Forest Science. It is designed for practicing foresters who wish to upgrade their professional skills and knowledge of Silviculture and Forest Resource Management. The program is aimed at career-oriented persons who wish to expand their capabilities of analyzing silvicultural opportunities in the context of economic production objectives, while maintaining sensitivity to physical, biological, social, cultural, and environmental forest resource values.
The program provides graduate-level education in the full range of disciplines essential for analyzing opportunities, solving problems, and making decisions in silviculture and forest resource management. Graduates from this program should be competent to prepare well-documented silvicultural prescriptions and to supervise their implementation. The program also provides the building blocks for sustained career development in Forest Resource Management. The M.F. in Silviculture is not intended for those students wishing to pursue research interests or a higher degree.
Application may be made through the Department of Forest Resources or the Department of Forest Science.
Accreditation
Both the general M.F. degree and the M.F. in Silviculture degree are accredited
by the Society of American Foresters.
Admission
to the Program
Applicants for the M.F. degree must meet the standards and requirements of the
Graduate School (see the OSU Graduate Catalog) and the Department.
Minimum
Educational Background
To pursue this degree program, students must have either:
1. A B.S. in Forestry
from an institution accredited by the Society of American Foresters (SAF),
or
2. A Bachelor's or higher degree in
Forestry or a related area from an institution accredited by
the Society of American Foresters.
3. Have a high scholastic record (a
grade point average of 3.0 or higher, on a scale of 1.0-4.0
with 4.0 being highest).
Basic science and mathematics: Chemistry, biology, mathematics, statistics, and computer applications. The objective here is a background that will enable the student to successfully complete future courses.
Liberal arts: Oral and written communication, literature, economics, sociology, political science, philosophy, history, culture, and contemporary perspectives. The objective here is to provide a broad foundation for developing managerial skills and to place Forestry in the proper social context.
Forestry: Forest Biology and Ecology, Forest Measurements, Forest Management, Forest Policy and Administration, and related Natural Resource courses. The objective here is to ensure that students have the coursework equivalent to a B.S. in Forestry from a SAF-accredited institution.
In cases where the student already has a B.S. in Forestry, he or she may proceed directly to graduate-level coursework (Track 1). In cases where the student's background in forestry is limited, the applicant may be admitted on a provisional basis subject to performance and completion of background requirements as certified by the student's advisory committee and the Associate Department Head. It may be necessary to take remedial courses or to pursue a Post Baccalaureate degree in Forestry before or concurrent with embarking on the M.F. degree program (Track 2). Such determinations will be made prior to enrollment in the M.F. program.
Graduate Committee The Associate Department Head assigns a major professor for each M.F. student when admitted. The major professor, who must be a member of the Graduate Faculty, serves as the student's primary advisor in developing a program of coursework and in other academic matters. During the student's first term, the major professor will help the student establish an advisory committee. For the General M.F. student, the committee must consist of at least two other faculty members, including one more from the College of Forestry. For the Silvicultural M.F. student, the advisory committee must consist of at least two other faculty members, including one each from the Department of Forest Resources and the Department of Forest Science.
Program of Study The program of study is based on the student's educational background, professional experience, current interests, and future goals. The program is developed, documented, approved, and its progress monitored by the advisory committee and the Associate Department Head. The program must be filed with the Graduate School by the end of the second term of residency.
Graduate Coursework Graduate coursework will be structured to meet all applicable regulations of the Graduate School. A total of 45 credit hours of graduate-level courses is required. Courses taken to meet the minimum educational background may not be used to meet this requirement. At least 21 credits are to be selected from a series of designated courses within the College of Forestry. As many as 24 credits may be elected from other courses offered by the College or University.
Time Limit All course work, project credit, and examinations must be completed within a seven-year period. This requirement is strictly enforced.
Required Courses All graduate students must complete FOR 561, Forest Policy Analysis, and one additional course in the Forest Resources Department taught exclusively at the graduate level, plus two additional College of Forestry graduate courses (exclusive of FS 521). The seminar listed below (FOR 507) should be one in which the students give an oral presentation describing their MF project or paper.
Master of Forestry