The Certificate of Completion Forest Technology can be completed within one year and is designed to prepare students for entry-level employment in the forestry field in supervised positions such as forester aides, surveyor assistant, measurement technician, and field mapping aide.

Click here to learn how this Certificate of Completion can lead to an AS in Forestry.

Check out the Forestry/Natural Resources program website!

The forestry field is projected to have many career opportunities coming up in the next decade as many forestry and natural resources professionals retire in the next few years. Students who enjoy working outdoors and want to have a career that focuses on managing our valuable forest lands to conserve and protect resources as well as produce valuable products for society should consider this degree.

Gainful Employment Disclosure

Southwestern is required by federal regulations to disclose information related to Southwestern's educational programs that lead to gainful employment in a recognized occupation. This information is intended to provide students the opportunity to measure employment outcomes associated with Southwestern’s certificate programs.

Gainful employment information for the Certificate of Completion Forest Technology can be found online at https://www.socc.edu/images/ge/forest.html.

Graduation Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 46 credit hours with a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or better. All courses must be completed with a grade of 'C' or better. One course must be completed at Southwestern before the Certificate of Completion is awarded.

Complete the graduation application process one term prior to the term of completion (e.g., spring term graduates must apply during winter term).

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, the student will be able to:

• Discuss important forest management challenges and potential solutions.
• Discuss characteristics of regional forests, field techniques, and management practices.
• Demonstrate basic skills in forest surveying, remote sensing, geographic information systems, and spreadsheet applications.

Program Notes

Students who are receiving Financial Aid Funds and wishing to receive the Forest Technology Certificate, in addition to the AS Forestry Emphasis, will need to petition for a dual major.

Pre-Program Courses

Students are required to take the following courses prior to the program courses, depending on students' college placement information. See advisor for details:

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
WR90R	Academic Literacy (or placement in higher writing course)	4
MTH20	Basic Mathematics (or higher)	4
CIS90	Computer Basics (or higher)	2

Program Guide

Plan of Study Grid

Fall		Credits
ENV235	Introduction to Soil Science	4
F111	Introduction to Forestry	4
GEOG265	Intro to Geographical Info Systems	4
WR115	Fundamentals of Report Writing (or higher) 1	3
	Credits	15
Winter
CIS125S	Spreadsheet Applications	3
F222A	Elementary Forest Surveying	4
F280	CWE: Forestry	4
MTH80	Technical Mathematics I 2	4
	Credits	15
Spring
F241	Dendrology	5
F250	Forest Biology 5	4
F251	Recreation Resource Management	4
BA285	Human Relations in Organizations 3	3
	Credits	16
	Total Credits	46

1	Excluding WR241, WR242, WR243, or WR250.
2	MTH60 or higher, excluding MTH211, may be substituted for MTH80.
3	BA110, BA120, PSY100, PSY201, PSY203,  may be substituted for BA285.
4	Schedule an appointment with the Internship Coordinator a month prior to term. FE209 may be substituted.
5	NR260, F223 may be substituted.
*	All Honors courses may substitute for their equivalent requirements.