The undergraduate forestry program at NAU is accredited by the Society of American Foresters and is unlike any other forestry program in the country. It is unique because the junior and senior years of study focus on a holistic approach to the environment rather than isolated, specialty-oriented courses. The Bachelor of Science in Forestry requires completion of 120 credit hours comprised of major requirements, a focus area, electives, and the University's liberal studies requirement.

Pre-professional Coursework

During the first two years of study, students enroll in classes to meet general University requirements and pre-professional courses for entrance into the junior-level forestry program. These preparatory courses include basic work in biology, chemistry, mathematics, English, computers, public speaking, and social science along with a set of introductory forestry courses. Freshmen students should follow the Forestry Degree Progression Plan. Transfer students may use equivalent courses from other colleges to satisfy most of these requirements.

Professional Coursework

The completion of the School of Forestry's prerequisites allows entrance to the four semester professional program consisting of continuous, integrated, team-taught instruction. Students must complete and submit the Professional Forestry Program Application in the Spring of their Sophomore year in order begin their professional coursework in the Fall of their Junior year.

The first semester emphasizes the study of forest ecology, forest products and services, silviculture (the development and care of forests), wildlife ecology, watershed hydrology, and range ecology. The second semester consists of forestry managerial topics such as wildlife management, recreation management, harvest planning, forest policy, ecosystem management and a case study in integrated resource management.

In the final year of the professional program, students work with a real world client to collect field data on natural resources such as forests, wildlife, range, and wildland fire. This data is then used to write a specialized management plan for that particular client and land. Past management plans have focused on topics such as “Mitigating the effects of Climate Change on the NAU Centennial Forest”, ”Maintaining Wildlife Habitat for the AZ Game and Fish Dept.’s Lamar Haines Memorial Wildlife Area”, and “Wildland Fire Risk Reduction on the John F. Long Family Revocable Living Trust”. These experiences help students gain real world experience in management and collaboration, making them very attractive graduates to prospective employers.”

Focus Areas

In addition to completing the forestry core courses, students complete a focus area to help them specialize their studies in one of the following areas: 

• Conservation Biology
• Ecological Restoration
• Forest Health
• Forestry in the Wildland-Urban Interface
• Indigenous Forestry
• International Forestry
• Water & Watershed Restoration
• Wildland Fire
• Individualized Focus

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 10 June 2009 )