The efficient and environmentally acceptable growth, management, extraction, and transportation of timber for the manufacture of forest 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, field work and faculty expertise in forest ecology, forest management and wood science, along with an emphasis in 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 through the mill to the customer.
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 fine product. 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 are 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.
This program is part of the School of Forest Resources which has the largest scholarship endowment fund on campus. These funds are available to help support academic studies in Forest Resources.
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