Foresters

High School

To prepare for entry into a college forestry program, you will need to focus specifically on mathematics and sciences in high school. Take algebra, geometry, and statistics as well as biology, chemistry, physics, and any science course that will teach you about ecology. English classes are also important to take, since part of your job is likely to include research, writing reports, and presenting your findings. In addition, take history, economics, and, if possible, agriculture classes, which will teach you about soils and plant growth, among other things.

Postsecondary Training

A minimum of a bachelor's degree in forestry or a related field is required to become a forester. The Society of American Foresters accredits forest technology, forestry, and urban forestry programs. Visit https://www.eforester.org/Main/Certification_Education/Accreditation/Students for a list of accredited programs.

The courses of study in all accredited schools of forestry have the same fundamental components. To be accredited, a school must offer a specified amount of instruction in four essential areas of study: forest management (the application of business methods and silvicultural principles to the operation of forest properties), forest ecology and biology (ecosystem management and physiological principles including fires, insects, diseases, wildlife, and weather), forest policy and administration (understanding legislative procedures and environmental regulations that influence management decisions), and forest measurements (the inventory process for quantifying forest resources such as timber amount and quality, wildlife habitat, water quality, and recreational potential). The courses in these four topics, which are generally concentrated in the junior and senior years, make up the professional portion of the forester's schooling.

To prepare for these subjects, you need to be grounded in mathematics, surveying, chemistry, physics, botany, zoology, soil science, economics, and geology. Moreover, to help develop the skills needed for self-education later in your career, you need basic courses in literature, social studies, and writing. All these courses are organized in a program that fills the freshman and sophomore years largely with basic sciences and humanities.

Foresters also do fieldwork as a part of their university training. Some schools of forestry are so close to forests that regular three-hour or all-day laboratory sessions are conducted in the school forest. Following the sophomore year in many schools of forestry is a summer camp or internship of eight to 11 weeks. This is basically a continuous laboratory period during which you take part in the life of the forest, and, under guidance of the faculty, store up experience on which to draw in your junior and senior professional courses. In addition, some schools of forestry require you to spend an entire summer working for a forestry organization such as the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, a state forest service, or a company in the forest industry. The employer usually reports back to the school on your progress.

In addition to the basic sciences and humanities and the four core forestry areas of study, elective courses are offered to enable you to specialize in such fields as forest or logging engineering, wood technology, range management, wildlife management, forest recreation, and watershed management.

Graduates of forestry schools who wish to specialize in a certain area or broaden their general knowledge of forestry or related fields may opt for graduate work at one of the forestry schools to earn master's degrees or doctorates.

Certification

Many colleges and universities offer certificate programs in forestry, arboriculture, environmental science, and related fields. Programs typically last six months to a year and are available in online, in-person, and hybrid formats. One example is the Arboriculture and Urban Forestry Certificate Program that is offered by the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. To earn the certificate, students must complete the following courses: Principles of Arboriculture; Plants in Landscape; Soil Science and Management; Community Forestry; and Sensible Pruning for Beginners and Experts. Contact schools in your area for information about available programs.

Other Education or Training

The Society of American Foresters, Forest Stewards Guild, Urban and Community Forestry Society, and state-level forestry associations offer continuing education workshops, field sessions, and webinars. Contact these organizations for more information.