Bachelor of Forestry Science

Admission to UC with University Entrance (or equivalent) is required to enrol.

If English is your additional language, you are also required to meet UC's English language requirements.

For information on the enrolment process, please see how to apply for undergraduate qualifications.

Recommended preparation

The BForSc is open to everyone who gains entry to the University. It is recommended that you take NCEA Level 3 biology and maths (including statistics and probability) or the IB/Cambridge equivalent.

If you have not studied Year 13 statistics, you should consider enrolling in a Headstart preparatory course over summer.

Fast-track option

You may be able to fast-track your degree and be exempt from some first-year courses or gain direct entry to the second year if you have excellent NCEA Level 3 results (or equivalent study) in relevant subjects.

The BForSc requires a total of 480 points:

• 390 points of compulsory Forestry Science courses (including a 0-point practical work course)
• 60 points of elective Forestry Science courses
• 30 points from Science courses or courses from other degrees.

The first year is made up of 90 points in compulsory courses providing a strong base in pure science, which is necessary for the professional study of Forestry Science.

The following years of the degree is made up of 300 points in compulsory courses. During the third and fourth year, you will also complete 45 points of 400-level elective forestry courses.

You will also complete 90 days of practical work placement in forestry, conversation, or forest industry during the summer months of the degree.

The degree takes 4 years of full-time study, or can be studied part-time for up to 10 years.

Studying at other Aotearoa New Zealand universities

It is possible to study the first year of the Bachelor of Forestry Science at other Aotearoa New Zealand universities. If you are considering this option you should consult Te Kura Ngahere | School of Forestry for your course selection, which would include FORE102 Forests and Societies or FORE105 Forests of the World (available by distance).

Bachelor of Forestry Science with Honours

If you have a good grade average across your 200 and 300-level courses, you may be invited to undertake honours as part of the fourth year of your degree. Honours involves the completion of the research course FORE414 Dissertation.

See the Regulations for the Bachelor of Forestry Science for more information.

Double degrees

It is possible to study a Bachelor of Forestry Science alongside other degrees at the same time, such as the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Commerce.

Find out more information about Double degrees.

The Bachelor of Forestry Science follows a closely prescribed structure, with introductory courses in biology and forestry sciences, and advanced courses in forestry and industry.

See ‘How do I plan my degree?’ above for an example degree structure diagram.

Compulsory courses

Year 1

• FORE111 Trees, Forests and the Environment
• FORE131 Trees in the Landscape
• FORE141 Forest Growth and Measurements
• FORE151 Commercial Aspects of Forestry
• BIOL112 Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
• STAT101 Statistics 1

Year 2

• FORE200 BForSc Practical Requirements (0-point course)
• FORE205 Introduction to Forest Engineering
• FORE215 Introduction to Forest Economics
• FORE218 Forestry Biology
• FORE219 Introduction to Silviculture
• FORE222 Biometry 1a
• FORE224 Biometry 1b
• SOIL203 Soil Fertility

Year 3

• FORE307 Plantation Silviculture
• FORE316 Forest Management
• FORE327 Wood Science
• FORE342 Geospatial Science in Forest Monitoring and Management

Year 4

• FORE419 Management Case Study
• FORE422 Forest Harvest Planning
• FORE447 Environmental Forestry

Elective courses

You will also need to complete four elective courses from below in the third and fourth years. It is recommended to complete one in your third year and the other three in your fourth year:

• FORE423 Forest Transportation and Road Design
• FORE426 Forest Products Marketing and International Trade
• FORE435 Forest Economics 2
• FORE436 Forest Tree Breeding
• FORE437 Special Topic: Advanced Wood Products Processing
• FORE443 Biosecurity Risk Management
• FORE475 Independent Course of Study

Another 30 points of elective courses at any level must also be completed, usually in your first year. These can be chosen from any degree at UC.

Bachelor of Forestry Science with Honours

Students with a good grade average across their studies will be invited to complete their degree with honours, which adds the course FORE414 Dissertation to their final year.