The efficient and environmentally acceptable growth, management, extraction,
and transportation of timber for the manufacture of paper, wood composites, and
solid wood products is a major challenge to one of the region’s most important
industries. The interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science in Forest Operations Science
(FSC) at the University of Maine has been designed to address this challenge by
combining course work and faculty expertise in forest ecology, forest management,
wood science, forest engineering, and introductory business administration.
The program aims to develop individuals (a) with the knowledge and abilities
to better manage timber resources and forest operations in an environment of increasing
public scrutiny and environmental concern; (b) with an understanding of the processes
and challenges related to the efficient and environmentally acceptable harvest
and primary processing of timber resources; and (c) with an appreciation for the
local, regional, and global competition for forest product raw materials and markets.
Graduates of the program will develop critical and analytical knowledge and skills
related to the efficient, safe, and environmentally compatible conduct and management
of forest operations, as well as a thorough understanding of the timber growth
and production cycle from the forest to the mill.
Recognizing the significance of the forest products industries to society, as
well as the opportunities for professional employment of highly trained and broadly
educated college graduates, the FSC program is designed to provide students with
relevant and marketable knowledge and proficiencies in subject areas essential
to the conduct of forest operations from the forest to the wood yard. These include
forest ecology and silviculture, timber harvest planning and administration; forest
road planning and construction; timber appraisal and acquisition; and forest management,
wood science, forest engineering, and introductory business administration in
the overall context of a broad education in the liberal arts. The result is a
program addressing the science, management, business, and processing of timber
resources.
Graduates of the FSC program will be prepared for careers in industrial and consulting
forestry, as well as in the administration and supervision of wood processing
facilities. Specific career areas include: forest land management; wood appraisal
and procurement; forest road planning and design; harvest planning and administration;
and mill supervision and wood products marketing. Opportunities also exist for
graduate education at both the M.S. and Ph.D. levels in the areas of forest operations,
wood science, and forest management.
The B.S. in Forest Operations Science program is accredited by the Society of
American Foresters (recognized by the Commission of Recognition
of Postsecondary Accreditation as the specialized accrediting body for forestry
in the United States) and by the Society of Wood Science and Technology.
The University of Maine The University of Maine
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