Forest Technology (A.A.S.)

Forest Technology (A.A.S.)
Thompson School students measuring trees in College Woods

The applied forest technology program is no longer accepting new students. We encourage students interested sustainable management of forests to consider our interdisciplinary forestry degree program.


WHAT IS FOREST TECHNOLOGY 

Forestry is an exciting and rewarding career field in which practitioners work to solve today’s pressing natural resource and environmental challenges.  Forest Technology students become career-ready in two years while studying forest ecology, silviculture, wildlife ecology, geospatial techniques, timber harvesting, and wood science.  Students learn how to inventory natural resources; design, plan, and supervise forest harvesting operations; map and survey forest land; develop a forest management plan; and mitigate forest health issues – all while applying principles of conservation and sustainability.

WHY STUDY FOREST TECHNOLOGY AT UNH?

Students in the forest technology program, which is accredited by the Society of American Foresters, spend a lot of time in UNH’s largest “classroom”: the more than 3,000 acres owned and managed by the university. For every hour students spend indoors, they spend two hours immersed in this living laboratory. Students also interact with numerous professionals representing the wide variety of career opportunities in the field of forestry.

After graduating with an associate degree in forest technology, many students choose to hit the woods and begin a rewarding career. Alternatively, qualified students may choose to transfer into UNH’s accredited four-year forestry program, where they can earn a bachelor’s degree in just two additional years of full-time coursework.

Potential Careers

  • Arborist
  • Equipment/product sales 
  • Forest inventory technician 
  • Forestry consultant 
  • Forestry technician (fire) 
  • GIS/GPS technician 
  • Log scaler 
  • Lumber grader 
  • Sawmill technician 
  • Timber and log buyer 
  • Urban tree care specialist
Contact
  • Dave Belanger '22
    Returning for the Degree that Fits
    Dave Belanger is a forest technology major from Auburn, New Hampshire. He returned to UNH to pursue his associates degree almost a decade after leaving the university and enlisting in the Marine Corps.
    Learn More
  • Nathaniel Cole '22
    Turning a love of the outdoors into a career
    Nathaniel Cole ’22 is a Forest Technology major from Lebanon, New Hampshire. An avid outdoorsman who loves to fly fish, he is looking forward to a career preserving the health of the state’s forests.
    Learn More
  • UNH Forest Technology student Zach Simino '19
    Into the Woods
    Zachary Simino ’19 wants to preserve and protect New Hampshire’s forests, and the forest technology program is giving him the foundational knowledge and hands-on experience he needs for success.
    Learn More
  • billy kunelius class of 2010
    Forest Technology alum Billy Kunelius shares his story about choosing the Thompson School, getting to know his faculty, gaining hands on experience and landing a job with a company he interned with while here at Thompson School.  After working for four years after graduation from high school, I was ready to further my education.  As I pondered my options of schools and degrees,…
    Learn More

Curriculum & Requirements

Beginning in the 2024-2025 academic year, the Forest Technology A.A.S. is pausing admissions to the program. Current students will continue to have access to the same high-quality education and resources until they graduate.

Forestry is an exciting and rewarding career field, in which practitioners work to solve today’s pressing natural resource and environmental challenges. Graduates of the Forest Technology program can become career-ready in two years and learn fundamental forestry skills, techniques, and science. Students are introduced to forest ecology, silviculture, wildlife ecology, forest mapping techniques, wood science, and timber harvesting practices. They learn how to inventory natural resources; design, plan, and supervise forest harvesting operations; harvest timber and mill lumber; map and survey forestland; develop a forest management plan; and identify and mitigate forest health issues –all while applying principles of conservation and sustainability. Students interact with a wide variety of professionals as part of their coursework and often go on to work in wood products-related industries, public forestland management agencies, private forestry consulting firms, urban tree care companies, and a range of conservation organizations.
After obtaining an associate degree in forest technology, qualified students may then transfer to the university’s accredited four-year forestry program and obtain a bachelor’s degree in two additional years with a full-time course of study or move right into an exciting career.

Career Opportunities

Forestry consultant, forest fire control and use technician, mapping technician, geographic information systems/global positioning systems (GIS/GPS) technician, timber and log buyer, log scaler, lumber grader, sawmill technician, arborist, urban tree care specialist, timber cruiser/forest inventory technician, or forestry equipment/products sales representative.

Forest Technology Program of Study

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredits
ENGL 401 First-Year Writing (WS Discovery) 4
NR 425 Field Dendrology 4
FORT 527 Forest Ecology 4
NR 415 Natural Resources Field Methods 2
 Credits14
Spring
BIOL 528
or MATH 420
Applied Biostatistics I (or other)
or Finite Mathematics
4
FORT 470 Applied Silviculture 4
FORT 581 Applied Geospatial Techniques 4
Social Science or Humanities Discovery [RMP 511 Recommended] 4
KIN 501 First Aid: Responding to Emergencies 1
 Credits17
Second Year
Fall
NR 433 Wildlife Ecology (BS Discovery) 4
FORT 572 Mensuration 4
FORT 577 Forest Harvesting Systems 4
FORT #597 Work Experience 0
Discovery Elective: FPA, HP, ETS, WC, PS 4
 Credits16
Spring
FORT #564 Arboriculture 3
FORT 573 Management Operation & Analysis 4
FORT 576 Forest Products and Wood Science 4
FORT 578 Ecology and Management of Forest Stressors 4
FORT 579 Wildland Fire Ecology and Management 4
 Credits19
 Total Credits66

Degree Requirements

Minimum Credit Requirement: 64 credits
Minimum Residency Requirement: 16 credits must be taken at UNH
Minimum GPA: 2.0 required for conferral*
Core Curriculum Required: Discovery Program

Major, Option, and Elective Requirements as indicated.
*Major GPA requirements as indicated.

Forest Technology Requirements

Candidates for a degree must take 20 credits of Discovery courses in addition to satisfying the requirements of the Forest Technology program. Forest Technology students are required to take:

BIOL 528Applied Biostatistics I4
or MATH 420 Finite Mathematics
ENGL 401First-Year Writing4
FORT 470Applied Silviculture4
KIN 501First Aid: Responding to Emergencies1
FORT/NR 527Forest Ecology4
FORT #564Arboriculture3
FORT 572Mensuration4
FORT 573Management Operation & Analysis4
FORT 576Forest Products and Wood Science4
FORT 577Forest Harvesting Systems4
FORT 578Ecology and Management of Forest Stressors4
FORT 579Wildland Fire Ecology and Management4
FORT 581Applied Geospatial Techniques4
FORT #597Work Experience0
NR 415Natural Resources Field Methods2
NR 425Field Dendrology4
NR 433Wildlife Ecology4
Social Science Discovery or Humanities Discovery4
Discovery Course4
Total Credits66

  • Identify the flora and fauna of regional forests and understand their role in ecological communities.
  • Apply the concepts of forest and wildlife ecology to sustainable natural resource management for the benefit of society.
  • Measure, collect, and analyze field data using appropriate technologies to make sound forest management decisions.
  • Understand harvesting and processing of forest products.
  • Navigate in forested settings, and locate and map property boundaries and natural resource features.
  • Identify land cover types and incorporate spatial data to facilitate forest management.
  • Identify and evaluate appropriate management strategies in the context of forest insects and pathogens.
  • Lead field crews to safely and productively accomplish forest management goals.
  • Communicate effectively and professionally in written and oral formats with clients, related agencies, and the general public.

Explore Program Details

Key Learning Objectives:

Graduates of the Thompson School Forest Technology Program will be able to:

  • Identify the flora and fauna of regional forests and understand their role in ecological communities
  • Apply the concepts of forest and wildlife ecology to sustainable natural resource management for the benefit of society
  • Measure, collect, and analyze field data using appropriate technologies to make sound forest management decisions
  • Understand harvesting and processing of forest products
  • Navigate in forested settings, and locate and map property boundaries and natural resource features
  • Identify land cover types and incorporate spatial data to facilitate forest management
  • Identify and evaluate appropriate management strategies in the context of forest insects and pathogens
  • Lead field crews to safely and productively accomplish forest management goals
  • Communicate effectively and professionally in written and oral formats with clients, related agencies, and the general public

In addition to the Forest Technology-specific FAQs below, check out the general Thompson School FAQ.

As a Forest Technology student, how much time will I spend outside in the forest learning about forestry?

In most of the Forest Technology courses, students spend a large proportion of class time out in the woods learning specific techniques and skills. In general, for every hour of inside lecture, students are outside in the woods for at least two hours.

The Forest Technology program has a Timber Harvesting course, do I need to have previous chainsaw experience for this course?

No, many students do not have previous experience with a chainsaw or harvesting equipment. We provide a safe introduction to timber harvesting, but we are not a logger training and certification program.

I am also interested in the four-year (baccalaureate degree) forestry program, does my coursework in the Forest Technology program count towards a four-year forestry degree?

Yes, we have a 2+2 articulation agreement with the UNH Bachelor of Science in Forestry degree program. This means that after successful completion of the Forest Technology program, students can work towards and complete a four-year forestry degree in as little as two additional years.

As a Forest Technology student, will I be in large classes or small classes?

Students in the Forest Technology program take a mix of program-specific courses and university-wide Discovery courses. As such, students get the experience of being in both large classes with students from many different majors and in small classes that are specific to the Forest Technology program. For the Forest Technology courses (which make up most of the courses Forest Technology students will take) the student to faculty ratio is less than 10:1.

UNH FORT Students In Woods

The graduation rate of students working toward a degree over the past ten years averages 78%.  Smaller class sizes allow a close watch on the students which helps with their success rates.  Most students who do

not make it to graduation leave because they discovered that forestry was not for them.  Many of these students transfer into other programs that are more suited to their interests.

The numbers of graduates from the Thompson School who choose to continue on for a baccalaureate degree (either here at UNH or elsewhere) frequently outnumber those entering the job market. This number ranges from 30% to 70%.  These students are very successful in this endeavor and usually have a 100% success rate, graduating with their second degree.

Graduation Requirements

The standards for graduation from the Forest Technology program require a minimum of 64 earned credits with a minimum GPA of 2.0 on a scale based on 4.0 as the highest.

The table below shows employment trends for our graduates.

EMPLOYMENT TYPE

PERCENT OF GRADUATES

EMPLOYMENT TYPE

PERCENT OF GRADUATES

Arborist

18.1%

Saw Milling/Wood Products

7.6%

Forestry Consulting/Land Management

21.9 %

Government Forester 

10.5%

Wood Procurement

1.9%

Fire

1.0%
Timber Harvesting

13.3%

Unknown 25.7%

UNH Sawmill
"You should see what we saw"

Serving the UNH Community as a facility for Research, Education and Sustainable Lumber Production since 1968. All lumber is sustainably harvested from university land by Thompson School of Applied Science students in the Forest Technology program as part of their hands-on curriculum of study.


LOCATION: 248 Mast Road, Durham, NH 03824
CONTACT: andrew.fast@unh.edu

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