Forestry
Master of Science
Hybrid
Course Delivery
30
Total Credits
$938
Credit Hour
1 year
Minimum Duration
Program Overview
The Hybrid Online MS in Forestry is a professional degree tailored to learners with a Bachelor’s degree (BA or BS) in a non-forestry field who would like to pursue a career in forestry. With the majority of courses delivered online to guide field studies, intensive in-person field sessions to learn critical skills, and options for pace of coursework, the program provides maximum flexibility for those with existing personal and professional commitments, regardless of where the student resides.
Forestry students at Michigan State University are part of a 119-year legacy that has shaped vibrant forest ecosystems all over the world. To ensure forests for our future, MSU Forestry provides the education for forestry professionals to optimize the balance between conserving forest ecosystems, the demand for sustainable forest bioproducts, and other forest ecosystem services, guided by leading faculty in a top 10 forestry program globally (QS Rankings, Agriculture & Forestry category).
The structure of the hybrid online MS program includes:
- An intensive, field-based in-person short course to provide foundational skills (nine days)
- A series of asynchronous, online courses, with guided exercises and projects for you to complete in a forest near you
- A final, intensive, in-person capstone project and examination (nine days)
Program Outcomes
While working on your degree, you will learn how to sustainably manage forests while considering landowner and societal values and goals. The topics covered include tree biology/identification, forest measurements/sampling, forest carbon and climate change, silviculture, forest ecology, human dimensions of forestry, GIS (geographic information systems), forest economics and management.
An M.S. in Forestry from MSU presents a wide variety of career paths. Some of the more common job possibilities for students immediately after graduation are forester, silviculturist, forest restoration manager, forestry consultant, wildland firefighter/manager, carbon analyst, and forest certification specialist.
Career Outlook
The field of forestry is very broad and includes a wide variety of career paths. Some of the more common job possibilities for students immediately after graduation are forester, forest technician, silviculturist, forestry consultant, wildland firefighter, forest ranger, log grader/scaler and forest certification specialist.Many MSU Forestry alumni go on to work at companies that manage millions of acres of forests, growing and managing trees and making wood products to better people’s lives and sustain the natural environment. Working in forest restoration as well as industry like Weyerhaeuser would be immediately available to you.
A Top-Ranked Education
- 60th Best Public Universities in America — U.S. News & World Report, 2024
- 123rd Global University — U.S. News & World Report, 2024
Jim Rivard
Instructor, Forest Management
Jim Rivard took a career path that is similar to that of many of the students who will enroll in the program. His undergraduate degree was in computer science and, after working behind a desk for nine years, decided it was time for a change. He completed a master’s degree in forestry from Michigan Technological University and immediately started working for a local consulting forester. He eventually started his own consulting forestry business, worked as an instructor at Michigan Tech, and is now working at Michigan State. The best part of his job at Michigan State is working with students in the woods!
Course Information
FOR 810 - Professional Forestry Field Techniques (2 credits)
Complete FOR 810, an intensive, off-campus, in-person field course offered in August of each year. This course will run for 9 days in length, will require travel to Michigan and will involve extensive field work and dormitory style housing.
Complete all of the following asynchronous online courses (22 credits):
FOR 812 Forest Measurements and Inventory (2 credits)
FOR 814 Tree Biology (2 credits)
FOR 816 Forest Ecosystem Processes (2 credits)
FOR 818 Advanced Silviculture (2 credits)
FOR 419 Applications of Geographic Information Systems to Natural Resources Management (4 credits)
FOR 462 Forest Resource Economics and Management (4 credits)
FOR 466 Natural Resource Policy (3 credits)
FOR 833 Human Dimensions of Forest Carbon Management (3 credits)
Complete one of the following asynchronous online courses (3 credits)
FOR 835 Forest Carbon Policy, Economics and Finance (3 credits)
FOR 837 Measurement and Monitoring of Forest Carbon (3 credits)
FOR 875 R Programming for Data Sciences (3 credits)
Complete 1 credit of internship experience
FOR 493 Professional Internship in Forestry (1 credit)
Capstone
FOR 898 Master’s Professional Project (2 credits)
Complete a non-thesis capstone group project through enrollment in FOR 898 Master’s Professional Project (2 cr). This is an intensive, off-campus, in-person field course offered in May of each year. Upon completion of the project a written report and oral presentation must be delivered. This course will run for 9 days in length, will require travel to Michigan and will involve extensive field work and dormitory style housing.
Pass a final written and field skills examination administered as part of FOR 898. One re-examination may be scheduled at the discretion of the guidance committee. The final examination must be passed within five calendar years from the date of enrollment in the first course included for degree certification.
Admissions Requirements
To be accepted to this program, you must have:
- A bachelor's degree
- TOEFL/IELTS if English is not your native language
- A written personal statement detailing your professional interests.Tell us about yourself and your background - including stuff outside of academics
- Academic Statement should be more forward looking. What do you want to do in graduate school and how do you want to apply it to your career?
- 3 letters of recommendation. The recommendation letters can be uploaded on the MSU Graduate Admissions portal.
- Official transcripts from all previous schools
To apply to this program:
- Complete a university graduate application (using FORHYB_MS program) and pay the application fee.
- MSU will only accept ‘Official Transcripts’ this means they must come directly from the university in a sealed and stamped envelope. Hard copies can be sent to the address in my signature. You can upload your transcript on the MSU Graduate Admissions portal, but your application will not be considered complete until the ‘official transcript’ has been received. Transcripts can also be sent electronically directly from your institution to the department graduate secretary.
Key Dates
Fall Semester
Application Deadline
June 30th
Spring Semester
Application Deadline
November 30th
Tuition & Fees per credit
In-State Tuition
Out-of-State Tuition
$938
$938
Additional costs: $1,820
(class fee currently of $910 in FOR 810 and $910 in FOR 898).
$400-$500 for forestry equipment.
Cost of Attendance
The university reserves the right to make changes in the types, structures, rates for fees, and tuition. Every effort will be made to give as much advance notice as possible. In addition to tuition and fees, there are other expenses associated with your Cost of Attendance. A breakdown of a graduate student budget can be found here.
Program Overview
The Hybrid Online MS in Forestry is a professional degree tailored to learners with a Bachelor’s degree (BA or BS) in a non-forestry field who would like to pursue a career in forestry. With the majority of courses delivered online to guide field studies, intensive in-person field sessions to learn critical skills, and options for pace of coursework, the program provides maximum flexibility for those with existing personal and professional commitments, regardless of where the student resides.
Forestry students at Michigan State University are part of a 119-year legacy that has shaped vibrant forest ecosystems all over the world. To ensure forests for our future, MSU Forestry provides the education for forestry professionals to optimize the balance between conserving forest ecosystems, the demand for sustainable forest bioproducts, and other forest ecosystem services, guided by leading faculty in a top 10 forestry program globally (QS Rankings, Agriculture & Forestry category).
The structure of the hybrid online MS program includes:
- An intensive, field-based in-person short course to provide foundational skills (nine days)
- A series of asynchronous, online courses, with guided exercises and projects for you to complete in a forest near you
- A final, intensive, in-person capstone project and examination (nine days)
Program Outcomes
While working on your degree, you will learn how to sustainably manage forests while considering landowner and societal values and goals. The topics covered include tree biology/identification, forest measurements/sampling, forest carbon and climate change, silviculture, forest ecology, human dimensions of forestry, GIS (geographic information systems), forest economics and management.
An M.S. in Forestry from MSU presents a wide variety of career paths. Some of the more common job possibilities for students immediately after graduation are forester, silviculturist, forest restoration manager, forestry consultant, wildland firefighter/manager, carbon analyst, and forest certification specialist.
Career Outlook
The field of forestry is very broad and includes a wide variety of career paths. Some of the more common job possibilities for students immediately after graduation are forester, forest technician, silviculturist, forestry consultant, wildland firefighter, forest ranger, log grader/scaler and forest certification specialist.Many MSU Forestry alumni go on to work at companies that manage millions of acres of forests, growing and managing trees and making wood products to better people’s lives and sustain the natural environment. Working in forest restoration as well as industry like Weyerhaeuser would be immediately available to you.
A Top-Ranked Education
- 60th Best Public Universities in America — U.S. News & World Report, 2024
- 123rd Global University — U.S. News & World Report, 2024
Jim Rivard
Instructor, Forest Management
Jim Rivard took a career path that is similar to that of many of the students who will enroll in the program. His undergraduate degree was in computer science and, after working behind a desk for nine years, decided it was time for a change. He completed a master’s degree in forestry from Michigan Technological University and immediately started working for a local consulting forester. He eventually started his own consulting forestry business, worked as an instructor at Michigan Tech, and is now working at Michigan State. The best part of his job at Michigan State is working with students in the woods!
Course Information
FOR 810 - Professional Forestry Field Techniques (2 credits)
Complete FOR 810, an intensive, off-campus, in-person field course offered in August of each year. This course will run for 9 days in length, will require travel to Michigan and will involve extensive field work and dormitory style housing.
Complete all of the following asynchronous online courses (22 credits):
FOR 812 Forest Measurements and Inventory (2 credits)
FOR 814 Tree Biology (2 credits)
FOR 816 Forest Ecosystem Processes (2 credits)
FOR 818 Advanced Silviculture (2 credits)
FOR 419 Applications of Geographic Information Systems to Natural Resources Management (4 credits)
FOR 462 Forest Resource Economics and Management (4 credits)
FOR 466 Natural Resource Policy (3 credits)
FOR 833 Human Dimensions of Forest Carbon Management (3 credits)
Complete one of the following asynchronous online courses (3 credits)
FOR 835 Forest Carbon Policy, Economics and Finance (3 credits)
FOR 837 Measurement and Monitoring of Forest Carbon (3 credits)
FOR 875 R Programming for Data Sciences (3 credits)
Complete 1 credit of internship experience
FOR 493 Professional Internship in Forestry (1 credit)
Capstone
FOR 898 Master’s Professional Project (2 credits)
Complete a non-thesis capstone group project through enrollment in FOR 898 Master’s Professional Project (2 cr). This is an intensive, off-campus, in-person field course offered in May of each year. Upon completion of the project a written report and oral presentation must be delivered. This course will run for 9 days in length, will require travel to Michigan and will involve extensive field work and dormitory style housing.
Pass a final written and field skills examination administered as part of FOR 898. One re-examination may be scheduled at the discretion of the guidance committee. The final examination must be passed within five calendar years from the date of enrollment in the first course included for degree certification.
Admissions Requirements
To be accepted to this program, you must have:
- A bachelor's degree
- TOEFL/IELTS if English is not your native language
- A written personal statement detailing your professional interests.Tell us about yourself and your background - including stuff outside of academics
- Academic Statement should be more forward looking. What do you want to do in graduate school and how do you want to apply it to your career?
- 3 letters of recommendation. The recommendation letters can be uploaded on the MSU Graduate Admissions portal.
- Official transcripts from all previous schools
To apply to this program:
- Complete a university graduate application (using FORHYB_MS program) and pay the application fee.
- MSU will only accept ‘Official Transcripts’ this means they must come directly from the university in a sealed and stamped envelope. Hard copies can be sent to the address in my signature. You can upload your transcript on the MSU Graduate Admissions portal, but your application will not be considered complete until the ‘official transcript’ has been received. Transcripts can also be sent electronically directly from your institution to the department graduate secretary.
Key Dates
Fall Semester
Application Deadline
June 30th
Spring Semester
Application Deadline
November 30th
Tuition & Fees per credit
In-State Tuition
Out-of-State Tuition
$938
$938
Additional costs: $1,820
(class fee currently of $910 in FOR 810 and $910 in FOR 898).
$400-$500 for forestry equipment.
Cost of Attendance
The university reserves the right to make changes in the types, structures, rates for fees, and tuition. Every effort will be made to give as much advance notice as possible. In addition to tuition and fees, there are other expenses associated with your Cost of Attendance. A breakdown of a graduate student budget can be found here.
The MSU Value Promise
You can be ensured a return on your investment at Michigan State University.
As one of the top research universities in the world, Michigan State University has advanced the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years.
MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community.
MSU has been offering online degree programs for over 20 years. Our maturity is evident in the high quality of the learning experience enjoyed by our online students.
MSU provides programs and initiatives that support and enhance diversity. We will expand our campus and external partnerships to put in place inclusive recruitment and retention practices. We nurture and promote individuals’ varied experiences and perspectives, ensuring structures and processes make possible full participation by all members of our community.
MSU actively collaborates with campus and external partners to innovate across all dimensions of graduate education. We create and support networks that increase collaboration and improve educational opportunities for our online students.
MSU’s nationally recognized online programs foster student growth and well-being throughout their academic career. We will expand inclusive mentoring practices and accelerate improvement across units to implement evidence-based practices to ensure our students complete successfully.
Continuing education can be one of the most exciting, challenging, and rewarding experiences you undertake in your life. We hope you consider becoming a Spartan, to learn online and reach your career goals. With highly ranked online programs and exceptional professors, we educate students who advance the common good with uncommon will.