Students in the Forestry (Landscape Processes option) degree program focus on managing and actively planning for forest disturbance processes, such as wildfire, landslides, insects and disease. Graduates will have the knowledge and the skillset to incorporate natural processes, including disturbance, into active forest management planning. This option prepares students to prevent or mitigate damage resulting from disturbances or to use disturbance processes purposefully to achieve management objectives. Students learn that disturbance processes, such as wildfire, insect or disease outbreak, landslides, and windthrow, are important considerations in any actively managed forest, regardless of the specific management objective. These skills will be particularly important for managing forests at the landscape scale and in the face of uncertainty and rapid change including in climate or land use patterns. To achieve program goals, the curriculum includes a traditional forestry foundation with courses in forest biology, economics, management and operations, and policy. Those who complete this program will be well prepared to continue on to graduate school in a variety of disciplines ranging from forestry to to public or business administration. Completion of this graduate degree is a common approach used to enhance career options in the private forestry sector. The core curriculum in the Forestry (Landscape Processes option) degree is a broad-based education, including basic courses in mathematics, statistics, biology and ecology, the physical and social sciences, professional courses in forest biology and ecology, business and forest management. The College of Forestry has 11,500 acres of College Forests just minutes from campus, where students gain hands-on experience in the concepts and practices they learn about in the classroom. In addition to the required curriculum, all students are required to complete a total of six months of satisfactory employment in an area related to their major. This is often accomplished by two or more summers of work, but it may include work during the academic year. Work performance and personal conduct are thoroughly appraised by the College of Forestry.

Career Paths The Forestry (Landscape Processes option) degree program prepares graduate for numerous career opportunities, including: Forester Forest Manager Fire Ecologist Land Rehabilitation Specialist Fire Suppression Specialist Restoration Specialist Insect and Disease Manager Soil Scientist