Science Degrees Online

Program Requirements – Forest Technology
First Year Required Courses (30 credits)

Completed at a college of the student’s choiceCourses Credits
General Biology 8
English with a Focus on Writing 6
Trigonometry 3
Economics 3
Electives[1] 10

Second Year Required Forest Technology Courses (48 credits)FTC 200 Dendrology 3
FTC 202 Introduction to Surveying 4
FTC 204 Introduction to Forest Measurements and Statistics 4
FTC 206 Forest Ecology 4
FTC 208 Spatial Analysis of Forest Resources 5
FTC 210 Leadership and Forest Technology 4
FTC 211 Silviculture 5
FTC 213 Forest Inventory Practicum 2
FTC 215 Timber Harvesting, Transportation, and Utilization 5
FTC 217 Forest Protection 5
FTC 219 Introduction to Wildlife and Recreation Management 4
FTC 221 Forest Management 3

[1] Students intending to apply to a four-year program after earning an A.A.S. degree should use electives to meet lower-division requirements.

Total minimum credits for the degree 78 credits

Associate in Applied Science in Forest Technology

This degree provides students with knowledge of the field practice of forest management, the ability to work and communicate effectively with professional and paraprofessional personnel, and an understanding of the physical, biological and quantitative aspects that form the basis of forestry.

Graduates immediately find jobs at the technical level and are generally classified as forest technicians or forestry aides in initial employment positions. Forestry agencies and wood-using industries employ forest technicians as an important part of their forest management teams, usually as the “people on the ground” who plan and execute the field practice of forestry, normally under the supervision of a professional forester.

Students interested in a baccalaureate degree should investigate the Department of Forest and Natural Resources Management’s bachelor’s degree curriculum described beginning on page 83. Transfer is possible upon completion of the A.A.S. degree at Wanakena. Transfer into other baccalaureate programs at ESF may be possible, but students should consult with an advisor in the Undergraduate Admissions office as soon as possible.

Students who feel transfer to a baccalaureate program is a possibility after graduation from the forest technology program should pay close attention to the footnotes under “freshman year.”

The freshman year forest technology curriculum consists of 30 credits of general studies courses which may be taken at any accredited four-year, community, or agricultural college, or college of technology.

The second year of the curriculum is offered at the Wanakena Campus. Presented in a varied forest environment, the curriculum’s emphasis is on fundamental forestry knowledge and applied field training as well as the relationship between forest technology and managerial needs. About 50 percent of studies are devoted to field exercises, most of which are held at the school’s James F. Dubuar Forest. This excellent forest backdrop for the technology program provides a diverse laboratory for instructional purposes.