Degree Programme in Forestry
- Degree
- Bachelor of Natural Resources
- Degree title
- metsätalousinsinööri (AMK), Bachelor of Natural Resources
- Credits
- 240 ects
Objectives
As a Bachelor of Natural Resources you study forest management, wood procurement, forest planning, business operations in forestry and forest ownership. This knowhow is needed in all forestry professionals’ work.
Your most important partners in working life are forest owners. There are over 600 000 forest owners in Finland whose forest knowhow and objectives for forest management differ. As a forestry professional you advise forest owners to use their forests in an economically, ecologically and socially sustainable way. You understand what forestry means for economy and carbon sinks.
As a Bachelor of Natural Resources you make timber trade, sell forestry services, make use of forest energy, control wood procurement and carry out nature management projects. GIS and digital IT applications are an important part of your work.
Degree programme description
The Curriculum of the degree programme of Forestry bases on working life requirements. It provides you with up-to-date knowhow.
The first year studies concentrate on the ecological basis of forestry, forest management and wood procurement. The second year gives you the opportunity to apply your forestry knowhow in forest planning and logging, for example.
The last part of your studies involves business operations in forestry and working with the bachelor’s thesis. Your studies also include practical training completed according to your own schedules.
Implementation of studies
At the beginning of your studies, a personal study plan will be created with you. This plan will support you in various aspects such as your studies, internships, thesis, and possible international exchange. The goal is to help you plan your studies as well as possible according to your life situation.
In the first year of your BSc. Forestry studies, you will study the ecology, forest management, and timber harvesting. The studies include a lot of field teaching in autumn and spring, for which you will need weather-appropriate gear. Additionally, it is important to note that the start and end dates of the academic year differ from other degrees studies.
In the second year, you will apply your knowledge of forestry in areas such as forest cultivation, nature management, logging planning, and forest planning. In the 3rd and 4th years, the studies focus on deepening expertise through optional complementary studies, the thesis, and a professional internship.
Field teaching is the core of forestry education, so there is more contact teaching during autumn and spring.
Career opportunities
Typical work for a Bachelor of Natural Resources includes timber trade, selling forest services and making use of GIS. As a forestry professional you help forest owners to make use of their forest estates according their own aims. Your future employers may be, for example, wood procurement organisations, forest management associations, Forest Centre or Metsähallitus.
RDI and cooperation with world of work
Working life connections are very important for forestry education. Courses are planned on the knowledge which is needed in working life right now and in the future. Thera are lecturers, professionals from working life, in some courses and projects in co-operation in working life. Diploma works are mainly assignments from working life.
Learning environments
Studies take place in similar environments as your future work. There are classroom lectures, online studies and training sessions in the forest where theoretical knowledge is put into practice.