coas.siu.edu | Department of Forestry

Welcome to the web site for the Department of Forestry. The department offers a comprehensive education leading to undergraduate and graduate degrees.

The Forestry major offers a wide variety of studies related to forestry and natural resources.

Students work with their faculty advisor to customize a course of study to meet their employment goals. There are several interesting specializations offered in fields such as forest hydrology, forest resources management, outdoor recreation resources management, and urban forest management. Upon graduation, students find rewarding careers such as: water quality specialist; soil, water or natural resources conservationist; watershed management; wild land firefighter; field forester; park ranger; conservation officer or enforcement ranger; or in environmental interpretation and educational services for parks or nature centers. Many work for government agencies. Others elect to pursue graduate studies in preparation for research and higher education.

Whatever specialization you chose to pursue, you will truly enjoy the educational setting at SIUC. Located within ten miles of the SIUC campus, there are two state parks, four recreational lakes, and a national wildlife refuge. The 270,000 acre Shawnee National Forest, in particular, provides students with a wealth of hands-on experiences in a natural setting. The surrounding natural learning laboratories, combined with a comprehensive curriculum, innovative faculty, individual attention to students, and excellent research facilities, make the SIUC Forestry Program one of the most exciting in the United States.

We invite you to take a closer look at the various undergraduate and graduate degree programs and specializations offered through each of the fields of study. Student clubs and special events are highlighted in the web site. You can also find information about the faculty and staff teaching courses and performing cutting-edge research within their fields of study. If there is additional information you might need, feel free to contact us by phone at (618) 453-3341, or via e-mail at forestry@siu.edu. Our faculty and staff pride themselves on being accessible and student-oriented. We hope you enjoy the web site, and thanks for visiting!