MSc
Forest Ecosystem Management
Why study with us?
Forests cover about 30 per cent of the land surface of our planet; around the world concern about their conservation has never been greater. From the far north to the tropics, forests provide a multitude of benefits to ecosystems and humans, from flood prevention, biodiversity conservation and firewood to timber, landscape restoration and public access. Professional foresters supply the knowledge and skills needed to balance the best use of forest land with the economic and environmental objectives of society.
The course aims to give you a thorough grounding in the disciplines needed by a professional forester, together with an appreciation of the wider issues facing all natural resource managers. We challenge you to think critically of the importance of forests as ecosystems while assessing their benefits to mankind.
What can this course lead to?
In the UK, professional foresters are recruited by various employers, including forest management companies, the Forestry Commission and charities. Looking overseas, NGOs, consultancies and larger companies want to employ managers with a sound understanding of wider forestry issues.
Resources and facilities
The
staff of the
National School of Forestry have extensive experience of forest management and research, gained in academic institutions and professional practice. They have worked right across the world on diverse projects, including the development of forest management in Bhutan, social forestry schemes in sub-Saharan Africa, combating illegal logging in China and Russia, and community forestry in Scotland.
A fee discount is offered to graduates of the University of Cumbria. Holders of undergraduate degrees obtained since 2008 can obtain a 20 percent discount on their first postgraduate course of study.
Modules
There are core modules in Forest Ecology and Ecosystems, Silviculture, and Forest Management (with an optional overseas field course). Optional modules include GIS, Project Planning, Conservation Biology and Global Environmental Issues. The dissertation gives you the chance to study in depth a topic of your own choice.
Taught modules make extensive use of fieldwork, in our own woodlands or the Lake District, and the range of contacts built up by the National School of Forestry over the last forty years. Research seminars complement the formal teaching. In addition this programme is fully accredited by the Chartered Institute of Foresters.
Course summary
The MSc course is delivered full-time over 12 months, or by part-time or distance learning over a minimum of two years. The distance-learning course may require occasional attendance on campus. Successful completion of taught modules may lead to the award of a Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma.
The six taught modules are assessed by a mixture of coursework and examination. Many of these modules include field visits and practice. The dissertation accounts for the final three modules of the programme.