College Life
College Life
Private Schools That Are Well Known for This Major
State Schools That Are Well Known for This Major
- University of Georgia
- University of Florida
- University of California—Davis
- University of Wisconsin
- University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign
- Oregon State University
Classes in the Major
Biology. The introductory biology classes that you'll have to take for forestry serve as a good introduction to much of the science you'll be learning over the next four years or so. Depending on your school, you'll either take a general biology course or one focusing on plants. If you can choose, shoot for the plant bio because it'll be more specific to your major. In these courses, you'll cover many of the things you should already know, such as evolution and the difference between plants and animals. Y'know, simple stuff.
Chemistry. A general chemistry course is pretty standard for forestry majors, just like about every other science major. Chemistry might be switched with organic chemistry, or even soil science, but either way, you'll need to bone up on your knowledge of electrons. Learning about the elements will come in handy later on when you're trying to figure out why all the soil in your riparian environment is red (hint: iron).
Forest Ecology. You can't understand forests without understanding ecology. In these courses, you'll have the opportunity to study a specific type of ecology. While the biology majors will be stuck learning about all the differences in both terrestrial and marine ecosystems, you'll get to focus on forests, which is obviously a benefit to you. You'll learn about different life forms and how they interact within areas that contain a high amount of trees. If you don't like squirrels and birds, these classes will be bad news bears.
Natural Resource Conservation. One of the most important issues surrounding forestry is the conservation of trees and other natural resources. These classes will open up the world of preservation to you, as well as teaching you why recycling isn't just some crazy plan hippies came up with. How to effectively and responsibly use natural resources is an important part of these studies, so prepare to learn about the lumber industry and how it's changed over the years. Also, you'll learn about some of the differences between cultures, such as the Native Americans, who were very responsible in their land use, as opposed to the English settlers, who…weren't.
Human Dimensions of Forests. The effect that humans have on forests is as important to forestry as a good banjo player is to a bluegrass band. You'll learn about past practices as well as current policies that seek to use and preserve forests in a way that won't ruin them for future generations. Names like John Muir will become very familiar to you.