Forest Ecology and Sustainable Management

Published: 08 March 2023
The dark water of river floating through large forest. Air photograph.

This webpage is for students in the Forest Ecology and Sustainable Management Master´s programme. Here you find information about the program including the welcome letter, your course schedule, contacts, and other course-related documents. Navigate by clicking on the headings below.

New applicant to the programme in 2023?

There are two admission rounds for this Master's programme. The first admission round is open to all international applicants at www.universityadmissions.se. The last date to apply is 15 January 2023. SLU strongly encourage all international students to apply in this first admission round.

Welcome letter

Welcome letter

Congratulations on your place at SLU and on the Forest Ecology and Sustainable Management Master’s programme! We look forward to meeting you here in Umeå this autumn.

The autumn semester 2023 begins with roll call and study information.

Date: Monday 28 August

Time and place: On the pages for new students, you will find information about the study start and when the roll call for your program begins.

On these pages, you will also find all the information you need as a new student at SLU, including information about the orientation days. The orientation days are not mandatory but we recommend that you attend them. They take place at the end of August, before the semester starts, and provide essential and useful information about your stay in Sweden and your studies at SLU.

Your first course will be Forest History – Human utilization and vegetation dynamics (BI1414). On the course page, you will find a timetable for your classes and other course-related information. Timetables and reading lists will be published at least four weeks before the course starts.

Please make sure you also read the program-specific information for new students!

The following two years will be full of hard work, but they will also be valuable, exciting, and much fun. During your studies, you will take courses in different subjects taught by instructors from both Sweden and throughout the international community, all of whom are excited to share with you their unique and variable world perspectives on the issues of forest ecology and sustainable management.

On behalf of the Faculty of Forest Sciences and the Department of Forest Ecology and Management, we are pleased to welcome you to SLU and Umeå, the capital of Northern Sweden. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us!

Once again, welcome to SLU!

Zsofia R. Stangl
Program director of Studies

Syllabus

Forest Ecology and Sustainable Management - mastersprogramme

Programcode:
SM007

Requirements

Admission to the master´s programme Forest Ecology and Sustainable Management,

• general entry requirements: a Bachelor´s degree (equivalent to a Swedish kandidatexamen) from an internationally recognised university.

• specific entry requirements: specialisation on 60 credits in one of the following subjects/disciplinary domains:

  • Forest science

  • Forest management

  • Biology

  • Natural resource management

  • Environmental science

  • Soil science

  • Physical geography

Furthermore is required knowledge equivalent to upper-secondary school´s course English 6.

Grading requirements: In the above course is required lowest the grade Pass.

This is fulfilled by the one that has a first-cycle qualification from a Swedish higher education institution of 180 credits. For applicant from nordic countries and certain English-speaking countries, special rules apply.

Requirements of specific entry requirements as above can be fulfilled also of them that have equivalent knowledge through foreign qualification or about equivalent knowledge has been acquired in a different way.

Programme is given in English.

For admission to the various courses included in the programme, specific entry requirements defined for each individual course must be fulfilled.

Goals

General objectives

The general objectives for first- and second-cycle courses and programmes are specified in the Swedish Higher Education Act (Chapter 1, Sections 8–9).

Objectives for a Degree

In accordance with the appendix to the Ordinance for the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, for a Degree of X, the student shall have:

Exam

Degree awarded on completion of the programme

Master´s (120 credits) programme Forest´s ecology and sustainable maintenance aims to a general Degree of Master (120 credits) in the main field of study Forest sciences or Biology. Additional qualifications can be possible about requirements for these are fulfilled. See SLU´s local System of Qualifications.

Student who fulfils requirements for qualification obtain on request a degree certificate. To degree certificate are linked description Degree of Master (120 credits) with main field of study forest science or biology (degree of Master of Science (120 credits) with a major in Forest Science or degree of Master of Science (120 credits) with a major in Biology).

Degree requirements

Degree of Master (120 credits) within the main field of Forest sciences is achieved on completion of the course requirements (passed courses) about 120 credits (credits), of which at least 90 credits at second cycle level with the following requirements:

  • at least 30 credits courses with specialised study in the main field forest sciences (A1N; A1F),
  • at least 30 credits in independent project (degree project) in main field of study forest science (A2E).

Degree of Master (120 credits) within the main field of Biology is achieved on completion of the course requirements (passed courses) about 120 credits (credits), of which at least 90 credits at second cycle level with the following requirements:

  • at least 30 credits courses with specialised study in the main field biology (A1N; A1F),
  • at least 30 credits in independent project (degree project) in main field of study biology (A2E).

In addition, requirements of taken Degree of Bachelor, professional qualification of at least 180 credits or the equivalent foreign qualification are set.

Content and Structure

Courses in the programme

Main fields of study

SG=Forest science, BI=Biologi

Course

Academic Year 1

Forest history: forest use and vegetation dynamics, 15 credits, BI/SG, A1N

Forestry ecosystem ecology, 15 credits, BI/SG, A1N

Silviculture - disciplinary foundation, 15 credits, SG/BI, A1N

Sustainable administration of boreal forest, 15 credits, SG/BI, A1F

Academic Year 2

Elective courses * A1N/A1F

Independent project, 30/60 credits, SG, A2E

Independent project, 30/60 credits, BI, A2E

Changes in range of courses offered can happen during education´s time. Decision if range of courses offered is grasped in good time before future academic year. *Final range of elective courses at SLU is established before autumn semester 2019.

For each course´s in programme is a course syllabus that state what specifically apply for the course. Detailed information about when courses are given is on SLU´s studentwebb

Transition regulations and other regulations

Other rules

This syllabi is up dated, due to a general decision in the University board for Education (UN), regarding the maximum of basic level credits that can be included in a master degree. Before only 15 credits in basic level where possible to include, after decision in fall 2018, up to 30 credits in basic level can be included.

Other Info

General regulations for first- and second-cycle courses and programmes

For more information on semester dates, examination and credit transfer, see the Regulations for education at Bachelor´s and Master´s level available on the SLU student web.

Possibilities for further studies

Students who complete the master´s programme Forest Ecology and Sustainable Management and are awarded a degree have the possibility to continue their studies at doctoral level.

Course schedule academic year 23/24

Overview picture Course Schedule academic year 23/24

Year 1

Year 2


Contact

Programme Director of Studies:

Zsofia Réka Stangl
Department of Forest Ecology and Management
zsofia.reka.stangl@slu.se

Education Officer:

Jennie Ohlsson
Faculty of Forest Sciences, SLU
jennie.ohlsson@slu.se, Phone: 090-786 82 04