College of Agriculture

Masters Degrees in Forestry (3/2005)

Thank you for visiting the web pages of the Forestry Graduate Program at the University of Kentucky.  We hope that most of your questions will be answered by the information on this and linked pages.  If you need additional information, don’t hesitate to contact the Program’s Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. David B. Wagner. Forestry research encompasses the molecular, organism, population, species, community, ecosystem, and landscape levels, examining soil, plant, and animal biology, along with investigations of entire watersheds and landscape patterns.  This broad scope creates a stimulating atmosphere for graduate education and research, leading to innovative approaches in the management of forest and wildlife resources.The Department of Forestry includes nationally and internationally recognized faculty and staff from a wide range of research specialties.  A high ratio of faculty to students promotes excellence in graduate training, leading to a strong record of graduate placement.  Graduate study can be conducted in a variety of disciplines and interdisciplinary topic areas including plant physiology, genetics, forest management, forest soils, economics, wood utilization, wildlife management, conservation biology, forest ecology, hydrology, mine reclamation, and watershed management.  Students can choose from a thesis or a non-thesis option in pursuing the M.S. (Forestry) degree. Below you will find specific information regarding admission and degree requirements.  We look forward to hearing from you!

I. Admission to the Master's Program

1. Basic Requirements

  • GPA - 3.0 or above in previous undergraduate and graduate work
  • GRE - 1000 combined verbal & quantitative score
  • Undergraduate degree in forestry or a related natural resource discipline is recommended

2. Application Procedure

  • The following items must be submitted to the Graduate School (not to the Forestry Graduate Program):
    • Application & fee (web-based application preferred)
    • Official GRE scores (must be transmitted directly to the Graduate School by the Educational Testing Service)
    • Official transcripts of all previous post-secondary education (must be transmitted directly to the Graduate School by the previous educational institution(s))
  • The following items must be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies of the Forestry Graduate Program (not to the Graduate School):
    • A letter describing applicant’s academic and professional goals & interests
    • Résumé
    • 3 letters of recommendation (must be transmitted directly from the recommenders to the Director of Graduate Studies)
  • Note that an application can be considered only if a Forestry Graduate Program faculty member agrees to serve as the applicant’s advisor.  In the cover letter the applicant should identify the faculty member who agrees to serve as the Thesis Director (Plan A option) or Program Director (Plan B option). 

3. Admission Decisions

  • Applicants may be accepted, rejected, or accepted on a provisional basis.
  • Students who are admitted provisionally for reasons of low GPA or GRE scores must achieve grades of B or higher in all courses during their first semester if full-time, or in their first 9 graduate credits if part-time.
  • Students who are admitted provisionally for reasons of undergraduate course deficiencies must complete deficiency requirements as soon as practical.  The M.S. (Forestry) degree will not be awarded until deficiency requirements are completed.

II. Master's Program Requirements

1. Course Requirements

  • All M.S. (Forestry) students are required to take FOR 601 (3 credits), FOR 602 (3 credits), and FOR 770 (3 times, for a total of 3 credits).  FOR 601 is taught every fall semester.  FOR 602 is taught in the fall semesters of odd-numbered years.  FOR 770, a one-credit seminar course, is taught each fall and spring semester, with a different topic each semester.  Plan A (thesis option) students also must take one additional 3-credit graduate-level forestry course of their choice.  Plan B (non-thesis option) students must take two additional 3-credit graduate-level forestry courses.
  • The admission of students who have not completed an undergraduate degree in forestry will be provisional.  Such students must, in addition to all other degree requirements, complete 3 undergraduate forestry courses.  These courses are chosen from a list that is available from the Director of Graduate Studies.  Exceptions may be granted to students with related undergraduate degrees already requiring forestry courses.  Substitution requests will be handled on an individual basis by the Forestry Program’s Graduate Committee.
  • M.S. students enrolled in the thesis option (Plan A) must complete a total of 24 graduate credit hours.  Students enrolled in the non-thesis option (Plan B) must complete a total of 30 graduate credit hours.  All students must fulfill additional degree requirements stipulated by the Graduate School and the Council on Postsecondary Education.  Details are available from the Director of Graduate Studies.

2. Research and Thesis-Related Requirements (Plan A option)

  • Each student and Thesis Director should select and meet with an advisory committee as soon as possible during the semester of admission, in order to designate the student's course program and plan the thesis research.  This committee must be formed not later than midterm of the second semester, and its first meeting with the student must occur before the end of the second semester.  The student is expected to document the formation of the committee and its first meeting by a memo to the Director of Graduate Studies; the memo will be placed in the student’s file.
  • Not later than the end of the second semester each student should submit to her/his advisory committee a detailed thesis proposal providing objectives of the research, literature review, hypotheses to be tested, and research plan.  The proposal must be acceptable to the advisory committee.
  • Each student is expected to give a departmental exit seminar prior to graduation, in which s/he presents completed research results.
  • The completed thesis, and its defense, must conform to the requirements of the Graduate School.

3. Non-thesis Requirements (Plan B option)

  • Each student and Program Director should select and meet with an advisory committee as soon as possible during the semester of admission, in order to designate the student's course program and area of concentration.  This committee must be formed not later than midterm of the second semester, and its first meeting with the student must occur before the end of the second semester.  The student is expected to document the formation of the committee and its first meeting by a memo to the Director of Graduate Studies; the memo will be placed in the student’s file.
  • Each student is expected to present a departmental seminar prior to graduation on a topic in the area of concentration.
  • Towards the end of the final semester of course work, each student must pass a final oral examination conducted by the Program Director and all the members of the student's examination committee.

4. Instructional Experience Requirement (Plan A & B option)

  • It is a degree requirement for all M.S. (Forestry) students to acquire undergraduate instructional experience, under the direct supervision of undergraduate forestry course instructors.
  • The Director of Graduate Studies and the Director of Undergraduate Studies will coordinate efforts to place graduate students into specific undergraduate courses so that they can obtain appropriate instructional experience.  Since this degree requirement is intended to benefit the intellectual development of graduate students, we will attempt to place each graduate student in an undergraduate course within his/her area of specialization.
  • Exceptions to the instructional experience requirement may be requested if:  1) the student can demonstrate equivalent prior experience, 2) the student’s native language is not English and communication barriers would be potentially limiting, or 3) other circumstances are deemed appropriate by the student's Thesis or Program Director.  Requests for exceptions must be made to the Director of Graduate Studies.  The decision to grant an exception rests with the Forestry Graduate Committee.

5. General Requirements

  • Maximum length of time for completion of the Master's degree and procedures for termination of a student's enrollment will comply with guidelines outlined in the Graduate School Bulletin (click here).
  • An orientation meeting will be held in early fall semester by the Director of Graduate Studies, to acquaint new Forestry graduate students with University, Graduate School, and Forestry Graduate Program policies and procedures.  Opportunity will be provided for graduate students to inquire about programmatic matters of concern.  Attendance at this meeting is required of all new graduate students in Forestry, unless excused beforehand by the Director of Graduate Studies.

III. Research and Teaching Assistantships

  • Several Departmental Research and Teaching Assistantships are usually available each Fall semester for students entering the Forestry Graduate Program.  Applicants to the Program who wish to be considered for one of these Departmental assistantships should indicate their interest to the Director of Graduate Studies.
  • Departmental Assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis, after review of applications by the Forestry Program’s Graduate Committee.  Assistantship appointments are made initially for a maximum of 12 months, but we ordinarily renew assistantships to provide each student with support for a total period of 2 years, assuming that funds are available and satisfactory progress is made towards the degree.
  • Research and Teaching Assistantships include, in addition to the stipend and a major-medical health insurance policy, scholarships that cover most tuition.  However, assistants who enter the Forestry Graduate Program after the Fall 2003 semester will be required to pay tuition for undergraduate courses taken on a pass/fail basis, even if those courses are required for the M.S. (Forestry) degree.  They must also pay tuition for undergraduate courses that are not required for the M.S. degree, regardless of whether such courses are taken on a pass/fail or letter-grade basis.
  • Assistantships may also be available from individual faculty members, supported by funds from grants and contracts.  Applicants should discuss this possibility with their prospective advisors.

IV. Additional Information