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Commonwealth
Forests | | |
 Examples of forestry degrees on offer
Despite the rapid changes, there are still many potential opportunities for forestry degrees
throughout the Commonwealth. For example, in addition to the South African programmes
mentioned above, several universities in Kenya offer forestry and/or forestry-related courses.
The programme at Moi University in
Kenya appears to be particularly strong, with undergraduate degrees offered in Forestry, Agro-forestry
and Rural Development and Wood Science and technology. In addition, graduate
programmes are offered in forestry and in wood processing, with the latter including
specialisations in wood composites, wood bio-deterioration, wood preservation, pulp and paper
science, sawmilling, wood mechanics and timber engineering.
At Makerere University, Uganda, the Faculty of Forestry and Nature Conservation offers
Bachelor’s degrees in forestry, community forestry, and wood science and technology and
postgraduate degrees in forestry and agro-forestry. The National University of Science and
Technology in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, offers a Bachelor of Environmental Science in Forest
Resources Management, and a degree in forestry is also offered by the Universidade Eduardo
Mondlane in Mozambique. In Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
in Kumasi previously only offered a BSc in Natural Resources management but, in 2005, it
introduced a new BSc programme in Forest Technology.
Some universities offer degrees that incorporate one or more courses in forestry. For example
the Faculty of Science and Agriculture at the St Augustine campus (Trinidad and Tobago) of
the University of the West Indies offers a single course in Tropical Forest Ecology and
Management, which can be taken as part of a non-forestry degree. Similarly, the BSc in
Natural Resources Management offered by the University of Belize has a single forest-related
course, in forest ecology and management. Such courses, while valuable, are clearly not
designed to train professional foresters in all the skills that they now require.
The Commonwealth countries in Asia also have a range of options although they differ
markedly between countries. For example, in India, a number of State agricultural universities
and general universities have started first degree forestry courses, based on the
recommendations of National Commission on Agriculture. However, many forestry
professionals are initially trained in a non-forestry subject, and then go on to study forestry at a
post-graduate level at an institution such as the Indian Institute of Forest Management in
Bhopal, or to receive career-oriented training at the Forest Research Institute Deemed
University in Dehradun.
The Department of Forestry and Environmental Science of the University of Sri Jayewardenpura
in Sri Lanka offers a BSc programme in Forestry and Environmental Science. The University of
Peshawar, Pakistan, partners with the Pakistan Forest Institute to offer both a BSc and an
MSc in Forestry. In Malaysia, forestry degree programmes are offered by the Universiti Putra
Malaysia and the Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Such opportunities ensure that there is a least a
trickle of professional foresters being trained in the Asian Commonwealth countries.
A variety of forestry degrees are on offer in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New
Zealand. These range in content and structure, from very applied courses specifically designed
for those entering a forestry career to more theoretical or science-based based courses
designed for individuals pursuing careers in the forest sciences or other non-forestry careers.
For example, the University of Melbourne, Australia, offers an Associate Degree in Forestry
Management, designed for those employed in or wishing to enter forestry or the forest
industry. They also offer a Bachelor of Forest Science (Honours) degree for those seeking a
fuller education experience or envisaging a career in research or science.
The Australian National University has a different approach offering a range of degrees with
varying forestry-related content. These include a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies
(Sustainability), a Bachelor of Science (Forestry), and a Bachelor of Science (Resource and
Environmental Management). It is also possible to combine the BSc(Forestry) with another
subject to acquire a joint degree. The programme offered by Southern Cross University is a
Bachelor in Applied Science (Forestry).
The New Zealand School of Forestry at the University of Canterbury offers a Bachelor of
Forestry Science degree, and also offers a combined engineering and forestry degree
(Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)). In Canada, amongst many programmes on offer across
the country, the University of British Columbia offers five distinct Bachelor of Science degrees,
in wood sciences, forest operations, forest resources management, forest science and natural
resources conservation. The University of New Brunswick offers two Bachelor of Science
degrees, in Forestry and Forest Engineering, whereas Laval University
(Quebec) offers three first-degree programmes: Forest Operations, Wood Science and Forest
Management and Environment. A range of other degrees is available in Canada, depending on
the university.
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