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.
Required Course(s) for fulfilling Capstone Experience: SFR 492
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 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, composite materials and energy generation using biomass. 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 major challenges to one of the region’s most important industries. The FBB program has been designed to address these challenges by combining course work, field work and faculty expertise in forest management, forest ecology, 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 Forest Operations, Bioproducts, and Bioenergy program at the University of Maine retains a strong field orientation. Training in a forest setting begins with the first semester. The University’s 1,270-acre Dwight B. Demeritt Forest is adjacent to the campus. In addition, the nearby Penobscot Experimental Forest and other properties owned and managed by the University, provide nearly 15,000 acres of living laboratories for forestry education and research. Maine’s vibrant bioproducts industry in combination with large areas of forestland near the University provide additional opportunities for a field-based education. Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the numerous opportunities for summer employment with land-management organizations and the bioproducts industry. Students in the Forest Operations, Bioproducts, and Bioenergy program have an opportunity to study, interact, and often work with the large number of graduate students from around the world who have been attracted to forest-related studies at the University of Maine. The FBB faculty have active research programs, and they are involved in various outreach activities for their professions. Students learn from faculty who continually explore and extend the latest knowledge in their areas of expertise, and students meet directly with these faculty for academic advising.
The program aims to develop individuals who have (a) the knowledge and abilities to better manage timber resources and forest operations in an environment of increasing public scrutiny and environmental concern; (b) an understanding of the processes and challenges related to the efficient and environmentally acceptable harvest and processing of timber resources for materials, chemicals, and energy; and (c) 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 with skills related to the efficient, safe, and environmentally compatible conduct of forest operations. In addition, graduates will have a thorough understanding of the timber production life cycle from the forest through the mill to the customer.
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; mill supervision and quality control; and wood products business/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 technology, and forest management.
The FBB program is part of the School of Forest Resources which has the largest scholarship endowment fund on campus for an academic unit, and the School awarded nearly $400,000 for the 2015-16 academic year to help support undergraduate studies. Some scholarships are specifically available for students in the Forest Operations, Bioproducts, and Bioenergy program.
Under the New England Regional Student Program, administered through the New England Board of Higher Education, the Bachelor of Science 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).
The BS in Forest Operations, Bioproducts, and Bioenergy curriculum requires completion of 120 credits of coursework. Students need to complete 30 credits in 400 level SFR courses at UMaine in order to earn the degree. 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 final product. Examples of these subjects include: forest ecology and silviculture, timber harvest planning and administration; forest road planning and construction; timber procurement; principals of “green” manufacturing; bioenergy; and introductory business administration. During the four year program, FBB integrates the fields of forest management, forest operations, and wood science and technology into the overall context of a broad education in the liberal arts. The result is a program addressing the science, management, business, and processing and utilization of timber resources.
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