Faculty of Forestry The University of British Columbia

Master's Degree in Forest Management at University of British Columbia

The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a global leader in forestry education and research. Located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the University of British Columbia is consistently ranked as one of the top Canadian universities and among the 22 best in the world by the "Times Higher Education World Rankings."

The Faculty of Forestry graduate program at the University of British Columbia is interdisciplinary and international in scope, with graduate students from 43 countries. It is recognized for its prominent research studies that have impacted Canada's forest sectors for nearly a century.

Master of Sustainable Forest Management (M.S.F.M.) Overview

The Master of Sustainable Forest Management (MSFM) degree program at the University of British Columbia is a 9 month (3 term), course-based program developed to meet the increasing demand for professional growth in natural resource management principles and practices. The non-thesis master's program prepares graduates for careers as forestry professionals in temperate forests in North America and overseas. Students entering the program have completed bachelor's degrees in one of the following disciplines: ecology, physical geography, environmental sciences, forestry, or an allied discipline.

The MSFM degree program is designed to meet the academic standards for accreditation by the Canadian Forestry Accreditation Board (CFAB) and the core academic requirements for certification of the member agencies of the Canadian Federation of Professional Foresters Associations (CFPFA).

The 7 academic standards approved by the CFPFA are: tree and stand dynamics; forest to landscape: structure and function; forest management; economics and administration of forestry; leadership skills in communication and critical reasoning; information acquisition and analysis; and professionalism and ethics.

MSFM Curriculum

The MSFM degree program consists of 18 required credits (or approved alternates) and 12 elective credits. The required core courses are "Fundamentals of Sustainable Forest Land Management" (delivered in part as a residential camp), "Land Information Acquisition and Analysis," "Site-Level Forest Land Management," and "Landscape-Level Forest Land Management."

Through their core coursework, students learn key concepts in ecosystem classification, soils, hydrology, climate, measurements, silviculture, forest health, wildlife habitat supply and use, operations, community forestry, and an introduction to stand and forest level planning. They also examine and practice principles behind forest land data acquisition; design and implement site-level plans that integrate ecological, social, and economic components; and prepare landscape-level sustainable forest management plans that integrate ecological, social, and economic components.

Students collaborate on integrated capstone projects, working in teams on field exercises that include consulting with clients to develop management plans for woodlots, community forests, and conservation areas. Students also complete courses chosen from 3 elective pools: economics and administration of forestry; forest policy, globalization; and directed studies in specialization/supplementary coursework.

During the program, students also visit the University Research Forests and rural communities, giving the students many opportunities to learn about old growth and managed forest ecology, indigenous rights, and life in resource dependent communities.

Research and Faculty

Professors and students in the Faculty of Forestry graduate programs work together on a wide range of investigations that capture the multiple values and uses of forests. These include biometrics, forest policy, recreation, biotechnology, water quality, wildlife conservation, fire science, wood chemistry, forest genetics, and environmental perception.

Among the notable faculty members in the Faculty of Forestry program are Professor John L. Innes, Dean of Faculty of Forestry, who leads the Sustainable Forest Management Laboratory at UBC and whose current research interests include China's Min River Watershed; the effects of climate change on forest ecosystems in the Yukon territory; and factors influencing sustainability practices by aboriginal groups.

Tuition and Financial Assistance

Tuition at UBC is one of the lowest in Canada and lower than most international universities. MSFM tuition is $16,250 CDN per year for domestic students (Canadian citizens or Permanent Residents) payable in three installments, and $26,450 CDN per year for international students (all students requiring a Study Permit for entrance to Canada) payable in three installments. MSFM students may be eligible for needs-based funding, e.g. government student loan programs.

Campus and Surroundings

The University of British Columbia's 993-acre Vancouver main campus is located at the western tip of Point Grey Peninsula, about 6 miles from downtown Vancouver, and is bordered by Pacific Spirit Regional Park. The area offers forests, ski hills, beaches and a variety of recreational, cultural, and entertainment attractions.

• Degrees Offered
• Major Degree Levels Offered
• Master of Applied Science (MA Sc)
  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
  Master of Forestry (MF)
  Master of Science (M Sc)

• Degrees Awarded
• Master's Degrees 41
• Doctoral Degrees 18
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported
• * Shows the number of degrees awarded for the last academic year that data was reported.

• Earning Your Degree
• Part-time study available? Yes
• Evening/weekend programs available? No
• Distance learning programs available? No
• Terminal master's degree available? No

• Degree Requirements
• Master's Degrees Required for some
• Doctoral Degrees Required, Required and thesis exam
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied29
• Accepted19
• Acceptance Rate65%
• EnrolledNot Reported
• Applying
• Application Fee - Domestic $90
• Application Fee - International $150
• Electronic applications accepted? Yes
• Applications processed on a rolling basis? Yes
• Application Deadlines
• Type Domestic International Priority Date
• Fall deadline February 28th February 28th Not Reported
• Winter deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Spring deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Entrance Requirements
• Master's DegreesNot Reported
• Doctoral's DegreesNot Reported
• First-Professional's DegreesNot Reported
• Other Advanced DegreesNot Reported
• International DegreesNot Reported

• Tuition & Fees
• In-state tuition *$16,500
• Out-of-state tuition *$26,500
• International student tuition$7,344
• * Tuition for full-time graduate student per academic year
• Fees
• Per-academic year feesNot Reported
• Per-term feesNot Reported
• One-time feeNot Reported
• * Fees for full-time graduate students
• Financial Support
• Financial award applicants must submitNot Reported
• Application deadlines for financial awardsNot Reported
• Types of financial support availableTuition Waivers, Health Care Benefits, Scholarship and/or loans, Graduate Assistantships

• Gender
• Total Graduate Students261
• Female Percentage40%
• Male Percentage60%
• Participation
• Total Graduate Students261
• Part-time Percentage0%
• Full-time Percentage100%
• Ethnicity
• Hispanic / LatinoNot Reported
• Black / African AmericanNot Reported
• White / CaucasianNot Reported
• American Indian / Alaskan NativeNot Reported
• AsianNot Reported
• Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific IslanderNot Reported
• Two or more racesNot Reported
• UnknownNot Reported

• Faculty Breakout
• Total Faculty95
• Full-time Percentage71%
• Part-time Percentage29%
• Female Percentage15%
• Male Percentage85%

• Existing Research
• Focus of faculty researchForest sciences, forest resources management, forest operations, wood sciences, conservation, forests and society
• Externally sponsored research expenditures last yearNot Reported