The Master of Science in Forestry

Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Consumer Sciences

The Master of Science in Forestry

The Division of Forestry at the Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Consumer Sciences offers a Master of Science degree in Forestry, which allows students to specialize in two broad areas of study. Students may concentrate their studies on Forest Resources Management or Wood Industries. Within these two disciplines, students may specialize in silviculture, forest biometrics, forest management, watershed management, forest ecology, ecosystem management, timber harvesting, forest and forest products economics, international forestry, wood properties, new product/process development, and marketing and distribution of wood products.

Graduates of this program have quantitative skills needed to compete for employment in positions where analytical skills are required. Students are well prepared for careers within the forestry industry, in both government and private sectors. Graduate students must complete 30 hours of graduate study, six hours of which must be a thesis of original research chosen by the student and approved by the student’s committee.

Division of Forestry

The WVU Division of Forestry is housed in Percival Hall on the Evansdale Campus, located close to the Evansdale Library and the new Evansdale Recreation Complex. The Division has access to more than 10,000 acres of forestland for research and teaching, including the 8,000 acre University Research Forest located less than 20 minutes from the Evansdale campus. Research centers located in the Division of Forestry include: the Appalachian Hardwood Center and the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Resource Unit. These Centers offer students the opportunity to work on applied research with professionals in allied industries.

Admission

Prospective students must apply for admission through the WVU Office of Admissions and Records and specify that they want to pursue a graduate degree in Forestry. Admission requirements are those of West Virginia University. Applicants must have a baccalaureate degree, preferably in forestry or natural resources from an accredited program, and take the GRE examination with satisfactory scores. Students with English as a second language must also successfully pass the TOEFL examination. The Division of Forestry requires three letters of recommendation and a goal statement as part of the application packet.

Students with no background in natural resources may be required to complete certain preliminary course work before they can begin the program of study.

Accreditation

The Forest Resources Management program is fully accredited by the Society of American Foresters, while the Wood Industries program is fully accredited by the Society of Wood Science and Technology. These four-year professional degree programs are unique in West Virginia and the region. The Division works closely with the accrediting professional bodies to insure that the educational programming offered in forestry and wood science are current and at the cutting edge of science.