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Northern Arizona University Degree Forestry curriculum leading to a BS. Contact Jennifer Tsonis, Student Services Coordinator This curriculum is accredited by the Society of American Foresters.
Curriculum The undergraduate forestry program at NAU is accredited by the Society of American Foresters and is unlike any other forestry program in the country. It is unique
because the junior and senior years of study focus on a holistic
approach to the environment rather than isolated, specialty-oriented
courses. The Bachelor of Science in Forestry requires completion of 120
credit hours comprised of major requirements, a focus area, electives,
and the University's liberal studies requirement. Pre-professional Coursework During the first two years of study, students enroll in classes to meet general University requirements and pre-professional courses for entrance into the junior-level forestry program. These preparatory courses include basic work in biology, chemistry, mathematics, English, computers, public speaking, and social science along with a set of introductory forestry courses. Freshmen students should follow the Forestry Degree Progression Plan. Transfer students may use equivalent courses from other colleges to satisfy most of these requirements. Professional Coursework The completion of the School of Forestry's prerequisites allows entrance to the four semester professional program consisting of continuous, integrated, team-taught instruction. Students must complete and submit the Professional Forestry Program Application in the Spring of their Sophomore year in order begin their professional coursework in the Fall of their Junior year. The first semester emphasizes the study of forest ecology, forest products and services, silviculture (the development and care of forests), wildlife ecology, watershed hydrology, and range ecology. The second semester consists of forestry managerial topics such as wildlife management, recreation management, harvest planning, forest policy, ecosystem management and a case study in integrated resource management. In the final year of the professional program, students work with a
real world client to collect field data on natural resources such as
forests, wildlife, range, and wildland fire. This data is then used to
write a specialized management plan for that particular client and
land. Past management plans have focused on topics such as “Mitigating
the effects of Climate Change on the NAU Centennial Forest”,
”Maintaining Wildlife Habitat for the AZ Game and Fish Dept.’s Lamar
Haines Memorial Wildlife Area”, and “Wildland Fire Risk Reduction on
the John F. Long Family Revocable Living Trust”. These experiences help
students gain real world experience in management and collaboration,
making them very attractive graduates to prospective employers.” In addition to completing the forestry core courses, students complete a focus area to help them specialize their studies in one of the following areas:
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| Last Updated ( Jul 29, 2009 at 10:01 AM ) |