Forestry Major, MS

Admission

For admission, the student must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in forestry, wildlife, fisheries, or another natural resource area. Applicants must take the general Graduate Record Examination with minimum scores required. Graduate Rating Forms or letters of recommendation from three individuals familiar with the applicant’s academic ability are required. The department has an application that must be submitted along with the online graduate application submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions.

Requirements

Both thesis and non-thesis options are available for the major in forestry.

Thesis Option

• Prior to research for the thesis, the student is required to develop a detailed written research proposal. Registration for 6 hours of thesis (FORS 500 ) is required.
• A graduate committee of no fewer than three faculty members must be selected by the second semester of residence. At least one member must be from outside the department. In addition to the thesis requirement, a minimum of 24 hours of graduate course work is required. This work must be approved by the student’s committee and no more than 10 hours of the minimum 30 can be below the 500 level. The committee may require additional course work if the student’s progress or background indicates such need.
• All students are required to include FORS 512  Seminar, in their programs. This is required of each graduate student in residence for the fall or spring semester.
• An oral examination covering the thesis and course work is required.

Non-Thesis Option

• 35 hours of graduate course work of which 23 must be at the 500 level or above is required.
• A graduate committee of no fewer than three faculty members will be selected. At least one member shall be from outside the department. The committee will meet and schedule the student’s program during the first semester in residence.
• Three hours of FORS 511  are required.
• Nine hours of course work in the department must be at the 500 level or above, exclusive of Forestry FORS 511 .
• Final comprehensive written and oral examinations shall be taken upon completion of no fewer than 28 hours of approved study.

Bio-Based Products and Wood Science and Technology Concentration

Students in this concentration must complete a thesis. The concentration in bio-based products and wood science and technology is designed to prepare graduate students for analytical and research careers in the public and private sectors and to prepare students interested in entering a PhD program. The same minimum hour requirements as the major (thesis option) apply. For this concentration 18 hours of wood science, chemistry, engineering, or forestry-related; 6 hours of statistics or 6 hours of other quantitative methods related to the candidate’s thesis, 6 hours of thesis, and two hours of seminar are required.