Major in Forestry

The forestry major prepares students to apply scientific principles to forests, including management, conservation and restoration of forest ecosystems as well as provision of wood and non-wood products from forests. Students first enroll in courses in biology, math and environmental sciences to prepare for upper-level courses in forestry. As they become more familiar with forests and forest management, students can choose one or more of four options in which to pursue advanced coursework. The educational programs in Forestry (Options in Forest Ecosystem Management, Natural Resource Conservation and Restoration, and Urban and Community Forestry) leading to the degree B.S. in Forestry are candidates for accreditation by the Society of American Foresters (SAF) under the forestry standard.

Degree Requirements

In order to graduate, students must complete a set number of credits that includes their general education coursework, the requirements of whichever option they've chosen, and any credits they still need to get to that total, i.e., free electives.

Total Credits to Graduate: 128 credits

• General Education Requirements: 80 credits
• Option Requirements: 30-33 credits
• Free Electives: 15-18 credits
• NREM 104: 400 hours of career-related Experience

Program Learning Outcomes

Current General Education Requirements

Current Forestry Student Required Coursework by Catalog Year

Options

Forestry has four (4) emphasis areas that students choose from. One (1) is required. More than one is optional.

• Forest Ecosystem Management
• Natural Resource Conservation and Restoration
• Interpretation of Natural Resources
• Urban and Community Forestry

Academic Planning

Reach out to an academic advisor to get started on planning for your degree! You can view sample 4 Year Plans for each option at the link below:

• Sample 4 Year Plans for Forestry

Minor in Forestry

The NREM Department also offers a minor in Forestry. Each of the minors has it's own requirements, but must also meet all University requirements.

• Must take at least fifteen (15) credits.
• Six (6) of the 15 credits must be taken at Iowa State University, at the 300-level or above.
• At least nine (9) of the 15 credits can only be applied towards the minor. They cannot be used to meet any other university, college, or major/department requirement. They can be used as free electives.
• Courses cannot be taken as pass/not pass.

15 Credits Required

*Courses offered only every other year

Declaring a Minor

To declare one of our minors, complete the curriculum change form linked below. For help on how to fill this out, view the instructions page linked at the top of the document or contact your academic advisor.

E-mail the completed form to your advisor for signatures and processing.

Curriculum Change Form