Admissions /Degree programmes /Forest Sciences │ Master’s programme /Studying /

Structure, content and courses

General studies in the Master’s Programme in Forest Sciences provide you with skills needed for the academic world and the labour market. In advanced studies, you focus on field-specific issues and develop your professional knowledge when writing your Master’s thesis and completing courses in your field of specialisation. In addition, the studies include elective courses that allow you to diversify and deepen your knowledge.

The programme comprises two study tracks: forest ecology and management and forest bioeconomy business and policy. You must select one of the two study tracks when applying.

Structure and content
Study track: Forest Bioeconomy Busi­ness and Policy
Study track: Forest Ecology and Management
Courses in Forest Sciences

Structure and content

The scope of the Master's Programme in Forest Sciences is 120 credits (ECTS). The programme comprises two study tracks: forest ecology and management and forest bioeconomy business and policy. These study tracks include a total of six fields (in 2020) of specialisation.

The specialisations forest ecology and management focus on various types of forest and peatland ecosystems and their exploitation, examine the planning of forest use and the relevant collection of information, examine forest inventory models, wood harvesting and logistics as well as the processing of wood into bioeconomy products.

Topical issues include:

  • climate change
  • the prevention of damage to forests caused by insects and fungi
  • the control of game populations
  • problems related to the exploitation of tropical forests
  • the application of new remote sensing methods in the planning of forest resource management
  • the combination of different values and targets in forestry and bioeconomy
  • various models of silviculture
  • increased efficiency in logging and transportation
  • generating added value in all areas of biorefining.

Studies in the forest bioeconomy business and policy are based on the sustainable use of a renewable natural resource and on the development of responsible business activities in a global environment. The focus of studies is on the globalisation of forest-based industry and business and its structural redevelopment into the bioeconomy. You will become familiar with forest-based issues of the bioeconomy in production, marketing and policy as part of the global operating environment.

Check the detailed structure of the programme on the Instructions for students website. Make sure to select the correct degree programme in the drop-down menu.

Study track: Forest Bioeconomy Busi­ness and Policy

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When choosing the study track Forest Bioeconomy Busi­ness and Policy, you learn to work with people, businesses and societies managing renewable resources, with a broad understanding of sustainability and profitability; and learn to critically analyse politics and power in related policy arenas.

Course topics include:

  • Marketing and management in the forest industry: strategic management and marketing, responsibility in forest bioeconomy, customer orientation, innovations
  • Business economics of units within forest bioeconomy, economics of silviculture, forest investment and the economic impact of environmental targets
  • Forest owners’ goals and behaviour, structure of forest ownership
  • International forest policy: global processes and trends impacting the forest sector from the perspective of individuals, communities and nations

You can learn more about these topics from the research groups pages.

Study track: Forest Ecology and Management

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The Forest Ecology and Management study track of the Master's Programme in Forest Sciences offers a very versatile array of different specialisation lines from both ecological and technological point of views. Research groups are responsible for the teaching of these lines and you can learn more about these topics from the research groups pages.

Spe­cial­iza­tion lines academic year 2019-2020:

  1. The management and restoration of forest and peatland ecosystems: the sustainable and multitargeted use of forest, the use of peat
  2. Function and production of forests
  3. Forest soil science: the biogeochemistry and hydrology of forest soil, soil and root ecology
  4. Forest pathology and mycology:  the microbiology and epidemiology of forests, biotechnology
  5. Forest zoology:  the biology and ecology of forest insects, the ecology of forest pests
  6. Wildlife management: game populations and society, the planning of game husbandry, mammal ecology (Teaching mainly in Finnish)
  7. The ecology, management and use of tropical forests:  methods of tropical forestry, agroforestry
  8. Forest resource management and geoinformatics: the collection and use of forest-related information in decision-making, laser scanning, remote sensing, forest inventory
  9. Forest technology and logistics: the management of forest products, terramechanics, forest bioenergy 
  10. Wood technology: wood science and wood as raw material, laboratories in the forest industry, the structure and properties of wood raw material

Specialization lines starting academic year 2020-2021:

  1. Forest ecosystem functions and environmental change: biogeochemical cycles of forests and peatlands, interactions between ecosystems and climate, implications of global change to ecosystem management
  2. Forest production and ecosystem services: tree growth and production, diversity, sustainable use, silviculture, restoration, conservation, climate change mitigation
  3. Forest resilience, biodiversity and wildlife: forest animals and fungi species, diversity, pests and diseases, biotechnology, wildlife ecology and management
  4. Forest resource management and geoinformatics: the collection and use of forest-related information in decision-making, laser scanning, remote sensing, forest inventory
  5. Forest technology and logistics: the management of forest products, terramechanics, forest bioenergy
  6. Wood technology: wood science and wood as raw material, laboratories in the forest industry, the structure and properties of wood raw material