What is Forestry?
Forestry is the study of forests as a natural resource. Forests are an important part of the environment, provide timber and other products and are used for a wide range of recreation activities. The role of foresters is to manage forests so that people can benefit from this natural resource on a sustainable basis. Foresters may work with landowners in planting new forests, manage existing forests or work with sawmills in harvesting and supplying timber.
What is the BSc in Forestry course?
The BSc in Forestry is a three year degree course that prepares students for a professional career in Forest Management. The programme is professionally accredited by the Society of Irish Foresters and graduates may apply to be placed on the Forest Service register of Approved Foresters.
The BSc in Forestry is accredited by the Society of Irish Foresters and graduates may apply to be placed on the Forest Service register of Approved Foresters. Graduates are deemed to have achieved the equivalent of the Green Cert for Stamp Duty exemption purposes.
Year 1
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
|---|---|
| Plant Biology | Forest Surveying & Mapping |
| Forest Establishment | Fundamentals of Forestry |
| Mechanisation & Safety | Wood Science |
| Dendrology | Earth Science |
| Mathematics for Forestry | ICT for Forestry |
| Information & Communication Technology for Forestry | Chemistry for Land Scientists |
Year 2
| Semester 3 | Semester 4 |
|---|---|
| Timber Technology | Placement |
| Forest Mensuration | |
| Forest Protection | |
| Forest Soils | |
| Forestry & the Environment | |
| Applied Geographical Information Systems |
Year 3
| Semester 5 | Semester 6 |
|---|---|
| Forest Economics | Plantation Silviculture |
| Sustainable Forest Management | Commercial Forestry Practices |
| Principles of Silviculture | Forest Engineering |
| Forest Inventory | Small Enterprise Management |
| Forest Harvesting | Forest Management Plan |
Leaving Cert: Minimum entry requirements for BSc in Forestry:
5 subjects: O6/H7
English or Irish: O6/H7
Mathematics: O6/H7
Advanced and Equivalent Entry for BSc in Forestry:
Students who complete this level 7 degree programme can choose either to graduate after three years or progress on to a related level 8 degree.
BSc in Forestry graduates are widely employed in the Irish forest sector, including the following organisations:
State Bodies:
- Coillte, the Irish State Forestry Company: www.coillte.ie
- Teagasc, the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority: www.teagasc.ie/forestry
- Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Forest Management Companies:
- Veon Ltd: www.veon.ie
- Forestry Services: www.forestryservices.ie
- SWS Forestry: www.swsforestry.ie
- Western Forestry Co-operative Society: www.westernforestrycoop.ie
- Green Belt: www.greenbelt.ie
- The Forestry Company: www.theforestrycompany.ie
- Irish Forest Unit Trust: www.iforut.ie
- Irish Wood Producers: www.irishwoodproducers.com
Sawmills:
- Laois Sawmills: www.laoissawmills.com
- Murrays Timber Group: www.mtg.ie
Graduates have also found professional employment in the UK, Australia and Canada.
Follow on study for BSc in Forestry graduates:
Bsc (Hons) in Land Management in Forestry
SETU Waterford Forestry also has transfer links with DN271 - the Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Forestry) degree, University College Dublin; and honours degrees in forestry at University of Aberdeen, Scotland; University of the Highlands & Islands, Scotland and Master’s degrees in forestry at University of Wales, Bangor.
BSc in Forestry graduates are widely employed in the Irish forest sector, including the following organisations:
State Bodies:
- Coillte, the Irish State Forestry Company: www.coillte.ie
- Teagasc, the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority: www.teagasc.ie/forestry
- Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Forest Management Companies:
- Veon Ltd: www.veon.ie
- Forestry Services: www.forestryservices.ie
- SWS Forestry: www.swsforestry.ie
- Western Forestry Co-operative Society: www.westernforestrycoop.ie
- Green Belt: www.greenbelt.ie
- The Forestry Company: www.theforestrycompany.ie
- Irish Forest Unit Trust: www.iforut.ie
- Irish Wood Producers: www.irishwoodproducers.com
Sawmills:
- Laois Sawmills: www.laoissawmills.com
- Murrays Timber Group: www.mtg.ie
Graduates have also found professional employment in the UK, Australia and Canada.
Completion of a level 8 programme will also enable students to undertake taught Masters programmes or Masters degrees by research at SETU Waterford or other third-level colleges.
Fieldwork and field trips are an essential element of the course. Typically, 25% to 50% of each module scheduled hours consist of fieldwork elements. Fieldtrips are used to apply technical skills, demonstrate forest operations and processes, gather information for analysis and meet professionals in their working environment. Locations include Coillte and private forests, wood processing industries and Kennedy Arboretum. All students will undertake a company placement in the second semester of Year 2. In addition, work placements may be organised in other countries. All students will carry out a forest management plan of Lismore Estate in third year, involving extensive fieldwork in mapping, inventory, valuation and forest operation, protection and management planning.
Related Courses
Course Leader
