OVERVIEW OF DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Minimum number of credits required to graduate: 120
Minimum Cumulative GPA required to graduate: 2.0
Minimum Grade requirements for courses to count toward major: Students must earn a minimum grade of “C-” in all required courses having the SFR designator.
Other GPA requirements to graduate: None.
Contact Information: William H. Livingston, Associate Director for Undergraduate Programs, 201b Nutting Hall, 581-2990, WilliamL@maine.edu
The interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science in Forest Operations, Bioproducts, and Bioenergy (FBB) at the University of Maine extends the basic forestry training to include analysis of harvesting operations as well as forest resources utilization through a series of focused courses. Those courses focus on forest harvesting and wood uses in sawmills, pulp and paper manufacturing, and energy generation using biomass and composite materials. The program covers the broad range from the basics of forest resource management through all of the major aspects of utilization. The efficient and environmentally acceptable growth, management, extraction, and transportation of timber for the manufacture of forest products are a major challenge to one of the region’s most important industries. The FBB program 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 and entrepreneurship. The Forest Operations, Bioproducts, and Bioenergy program is accredited by both the Society of American Foresters and the Society of Wood Science and Technology. It is the only program of its type in the United States to be accredited by both professional organizations.
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 FBB 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 FBB 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.
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 and some exclusive scholarships are available for students in the Forest Operations, Bioproduct, and Bioenergy program.
Under the New England Regional Student Program, administered through the New England Board of Higher Education, the Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Operations, Bioproducts, and Bioenergy is open to applicants who reside in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, or Vermont for reduced tuition (in-state tuition plus 50 percent).
This program is part of the School of Forest Resources which has the largest scholarship endowment fund on campus for an academic unit. These funds are available to help support academic studies in Forest Resources.
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