Forestry

Overview

The professional bachelor's degree in forestry trains managers who can survey, develop and add value to wooded areas. Students study botany, forest ecology, silviculture, seedling production and natural resource management.

In the face of deforestation and desertification, the program prepares students to lead reforestation, community forest management and agroforestry projects alongside rural communities.

Objectives

• Understand how forest and wooded savannah ecosystems work.
• Survey and sustainably manage a wooded area.
• Lead reforestation and land restoration projects.
• Add value to timber and non-timber forest products.

Target skills

• Carry out a forest inventory and use its data.
• Raise seedlings in a nursery and plan a plantation.
• Draw up a simple forest management plan.
• Apply techniques against erosion and desertification.
• Lead natural resource management committees.

Curriculum

First year (S1-S2): plant biology, botany, ecology, soil science, statistics, computing.

Second year (S3-S4): dendrology, silviculture, nursery techniques, forest inventory, mapping and GIS.

Third year (S5-S6): forest management, agroforestry, non-timber forest products, climate change, project management, professional internship and final dissertation.

Indicative curriculum: the distribution of courses may change from one academic year to the next.

Career opportunities

• Senior water and forestry technician
• Nursery or plantation manager
• Reforestation project officer
• Natural resource management officer
• Agroforestry advisor

Career outcomes also depend on internship experience and each student's career plans.