Sustainable Forest Management - PhD

Students come to do graduate work in the Department of Forest Engineering, Resources and Management from a variety of backgrounds, though most have undergraduate degrees in forestry, natural resources, engineering, or a related field. Our Sustainable Forest Management graduate program may include coursework in other departments of the University. Thesis research typically draws on the strengths of these related departments with their faculty serving on the graduate committees of our students.

The Sustainable Forest Management  graduate program emphasizes the conservation of forest-dominated landscapes to meet a defined set of ecological, economic and social criteria over long time frames. The program follows the sustainable principles outlined by the Montreal Process Criteria and Indicators. These principles have been adopted by the state of Oregon.

This program provides a strong grounding in the principles and techniques of active management of forests to improve forest health and condition while producing a full range of products and ecosystems services. It consists of a common core in the principles and criteria of sustainable forest management; statistics for design and interpretation of experiments; and specialization in one of six areas of concentration (MS/PhD) or one of three professional pathways (MF).

The Doctorate of Philosophy in Sustainable Forest Management is intended for persons seeking careers in teaching and/or research. The program emphasizes strong research specialization while maintaining an understanding and appreciation of broader management and resource use issues. The dissertation and associated research play a dual role by enabling the student to develop in-depth knowledge of specific technical areas, while at the same time gaining experience in conceptualizing, planning, conducting, and reporting a major research project. PhD students choose from one of the six SFM areas of concentration.