Education

Harvard University: Arts & Sciences: Forest Sciences

Category Art and Social Sciences, Biological Sciences, Harvard University, Postgraduate, USA
Tags Arts, Forest, Harvard University, Sciences

Harvard does not have a forestry school in the usual sense, i.e., it does not offer any undergraduate forestry training nor a degree of doctor of philosophy in forestry. However, the following degrees are available:

Degree of Master in Forest Science (MFS) Graduates of forestry schools or of colleges of liberal arts, and others who have had equivalent training in plant sciences, may be admitted to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences to work toward the MFS degree.
The program is designed primarily to train students for research in aspects of forest ecology and biology covered by members of the faculty.

Full-time registration for a minimum of one academic year is required. In addition, students are expected to work as paid research assistants for the summer immediately preceding their registration. Thus, students are able to participate in the research program at the Harvard Forest for three months, starting about June 1, before they register for the academic year.

Instruction at the Harvard Forest is informal and personal. No courses have to be attended and no formal examinations are held. However, a dissertation is required and will have to be defended.