Forest Management (with Sandwich Year)

Are you driven to shape and save the future of our environment and tackle important critical issues? Learn from world-leading experts how to work with nature, not against it, on our forest management course.

You will be based at the National School of Forestry at our inspirational Ambleside campus in the heart of the Lake District - the ideal location to explore and practise forest management.

Course Overview
On this degree, you’ll study the management of woodlands and forests for commercial, recreation, and conservation. Your course will include modules on silviculture, woodland ecology, forest health, and forest management planning. Practical hands-on experience backs up theory and there will be an opportunity to go on an exchange to Humbolt State University in California.

You’ll be well placed for a career as a professional forest manager both at home and overseas. The degree has a vocational focus and it is expected that as part of your course, you will acquire practical experience in forestry through employment, placements, work experience, and volunteer opportunities.

On this course you will...

• Develop skills and knowledge that is attractive to forestry employers.

• Be taught by tutors who have worked as professional foresters and bring their first-hand experience to their teaching.

• Be a part of small class sizes, meaning you’ll get personal tutor guidance and support throughout your studies.

• Experience hands-on forestry frequently, thanks to our practical-focused approach.

Accredited by the Institute of Chartered Foresters, the forestry sector's professional body, the course will teach you about the management of forests and woodlands for commercial, recreation, and conservation objectives.

Our National School of Forestry, based in the iconic Lake District National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the ideal place to explore the science and practice of managing forests. You'll live and learn on our friendly Ambleside campus, the only university campus in a national park, and also home to the Centre for National Parks and Protected Areas.

Between your second and third years, you will undertake a work placement. This involves working for a year within a forestry organisation. At the University of Cumbria, we have a number of local and national partnerships with organisations that offer fulfilling placement opportunities for university students.

Year One

• Introduction to Managing Trees, Woods and Forests
• Measuring Trees and Forests
• Silviculture
• Woodland Ecology
• Wood Utilisation and Processing
• Forestry Fundamentals
• Practical Forest Skills

Year Two

• Geographic Information Systems
• Research Methods and Data Analysis
• Managing Forest Operations
• Forest Policy and Governance
• Forest Health and Protection
• People & Forests

Year Three

• Work placement

Year Four

• Forest Plan
• Dissertation
• Advanced Silviculture
• Business Skills
• Woodland Conservation (Optional)
• Advanced GIS and Remote Sensing (Optional)
• Climate Smart Forestry (Optional)

While most assessment is individual, there are opportunities for group-working, particularly in outdoor practical sessions where data is collected. This will help you develop collaborative and organisational skills ready for the workplace.

You are encouraged to reflect on your skills development and relate it to those required in the workplace. Most foresters work in small teams and so developing social, collaborative and organisational skills is important.

As a consequence, we employ a wide range of different assessment methods appropriate to the needs of the module and its content.

The range of assessment we employ includes:

• fieldwork reports
• computer-based assessments
• problem-solving exercises (both of a practical and written format)
• devising plans, based on the collection and analysis of information
• oral, audio-visual, and poster presentations
• dissertations
• group work
• unseen examinations
• open-book examinations