Job titles for Forest Operations graduates include:
- Operations Manager
- Forest Engineer
- Logistics Coordinator
- Infrastructure Specialist
- Project Manager
- Forest Technologist
- Environmental Analyst
- Registered Professional Forester
Program information
Forest operations is the applied science, engineering, and logistics of executing on-the-ground forestry activities, from road layout and slope stabilization to timber harvesting, transportation, and post-harvest site rehabilitation. This program concentrates on solving engineering problems, selecting appropriate harvesting systems, and safeguarding soil and watershed stability while maximizing operational efficiency.
What you'll learn
How do you engineer a forest road across steep, unstable terrain? Which harvesting strategies deliver the safest, most cost-effective timber extraction with minimal disruption to habitats? How do you coordinate operations to optimize multi-million-dollar timber supply chains? Forest Operations teaches you the tactical science of operational forestry. You’ll gain the engineering and quantitative skills required to execute complex forest development plans.
You’ll learn how to design forest road networks, analyze soil mechanics to prevent landslides, evaluate cutting-edge machinery, and direct harvesting logistics across challenging terrain.
- Geotechnical Engineering & Terrain Stability: Evaluate soil mechanics, slope hydrology, and structural geology to design stable roads, culverts, and stream crossings.
- Harvesting Systems & Machinery Mechanics: Evaluate harvesting systems, methods, and equipment.
- Operational Logistics & Supply Chain Optimization: Master production scheduling, route modeling, machine maintenance, and transportation management.
- Geomatics, Drone Surveying & Remote Sensing: Utilize LiDAR, drone mapping, and GIS to accurately survey access corridors and layout harvest boundaries.
- Silvicultural Execution & Post-Harvest Regeneration: Implement site preparation, reforestation, and soil mitigation strategies post-harvest.
Experiential learning and research
The Forest Operations curriculum is based on empirical field assessment, real-world surveying, and geotechnical concepts. You spend significant time outside testing machine configurations and engineering infrastructure in living environments.
Campus features
Home of UBC FES, the Forest Sciences Centre (FSC) features over 240,000 square feet of classrooms, study spaces, and faculty research hubs inside a stunning glass-and-timber atrium.
UBC FES manages two forests, Malcolm Knapp Research Forest and Alex Fraser Research Forest, each situated in unique biomes. Together, they total more than 60,000 acres of living laboratory space dedicated to education, research, and experimentation.
Program advantages
Forest Operations is fully accredited by the Canadian Forestry Accreditation Board (CFAB), allowing graduates to become a Registered Professional Forester (RPF). The program is also accredited by the Society of American Foresters (SAF), qualifying graduates to pursue Certified Forester designations in the United States.
Forest Operations students benefit from hands-on applied engineering projects and studies, developing real-world expertise.
Degree complements
Pair your degree with a Minor in Commerce from UBC’s Sauder School of Business. Master foundational topics in financial accounting, marketing, organizational behavior, and business development.
Stand out in a competitive job market with a Certificate in Geomatics for Environmental Management. Develop highly marketable GIS and spatial analysis skills to turn data into actionable insights in environmental consulting, urban planning, conservation, forestry, and natural resources management.
Earn a Master of Management from UBC Sauder and a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources simultaneously in only 4.5 years with the Dual Degree Program.
UBC FES Co-op Program
As a Forest Operations student in the FES Co-operative Education Program, you can integrate up to 5 paid work terms (20 months) into your degree, earning an average of $64,680. Receive resume, cover letter, interview preparation skills, and personalized career development and support.
Work placements span companies, provincial and federal ministries, and research institutions in fields like environmental consulting, forest engineering, woodland operations, ecosystem restoration and conservation.
Courses
There are many courses you can take in the Forest Operations program. Here are a few you might like.
Introduction to the systems, methods, and equipment used in sustainable forest harvesting, log transportation, road construction, and post-harvest rehabilitation.
Analyze ground-based, cable yarding, and aerial harvesting machinery. Evaluate machine cycle times, payload physics, production costs, and soil disturbance mitigation on steep slopes.
Study of forest hydrology and its role in forest operations planning, focusing on hydrologic and hydraulic design procedures for stream crossings, watershed protection, and the mitigation of operational impacts on aquatic ecosystems.
Exploration of sustainable forest policy and governance, with a focus on the development, implementation, and analysis of policies that balance environmental stewardship, economic priorities, and societal needs in forest management.
Outcomes
Step into operational roles overseeing the planning, construction, and execution of sustainable resource extraction and landscape restoration. As a Forest Operations graduate, you will hold the specialized engineering and logistical expertise needed to translate landscape management plans into safe, low-impact, cost-effective operations. Work in areas such as:
- Forest road layout and design, and drainage engineering
- Harvesting system design and supervision
- Geotechnical hazard evaluation and slope stability assessment
- Timber supply chain coordination and transportation logistics
- Operational silviculture, site preparation, and reforestation
- Forestry compliance, safety auditing, and environmental regulatory oversight
- Contract administration, earthmoving supervision, and contractor management
Program graduates
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“...I had the incredible opportunity to work in Northern Finland with Metsähallitus ltd. to learn all about how they manage all the public forests in Finland. Over...3.5 months, I had the privilege of working side by side with forest specialists, taking part in controlled burnings, restoring streams by creating fish spawning areas, and even participating in a reindeer herding! ”
A Finnish Summer: Jasmine Eisener’s Internship with MetsähallitusRead Jasmine's story
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Program requirements
Choose application type:
English-language requirements
English is the language of instruction at UBC. All prospective students must demonstrate English-language competency prior to admission. There are numerous ways to meet the English Language Admission Standard.
General admission requirements
IB Diploma Programme
- Completed IB Diploma, including at least three Higher Level courses.
IB Certificate Courses
- IB Certificate courses (Standard and Higher Level) may be used in an admissions average if you are graduating from a recognized high school curriculum that can be used as your basis of admission.
- IB Math Applications and Interpretations SL, or IB Math Studies, do not satisfy the math requirement for admission to UBC’s science-based programs, the Faculty of Management, the UBC Sauder School of Business, or the Vancouver School of Economics.
Degree-specific requirements: Natural Resources
- IB Math Analysis and Approaches SL or HL, or IB Math Applications and Interpretations HL. (IB Math Applications and Interpretations SL, or IB Math Studies, are not acceptable.)
- One of IB Biology, IB Chemistry, or IB Physics (see Related courses below)
- Grade 11 or equivalent Chemistry
- Grade 11 Biology (see Related courses below)
- If you intend to major in Wood Products or specialize in Harvest Planning and Engineering (Forest Operations), Physics 11 is strongly recommended.
Note: Grade 11 Biology, Chemistry and Physics requirements listed above are only relevant to students who are not completing the equivalent IB Diploma Biology, Chemistry and/or Physics courses. For students studying outside of Canada, some examples of courses that may be accepted as Grade 11 equivalents are junior-level courses for American students, and IGCSE and O Level for those following British-patterned curricula.
Related courses
The following subject categories are particularly relevant for this degree. Consider taking courses in these areas in Grade 11 and Grade 12.
- Language Arts
- Mathematics and Computation: Calculus is recommended for the Harvest Planning and Engineering specialization.
- Sciences: Biology 11 or IB Biology HL or SL is strongly recommended for all majors and specializations. IB Physics SL or HL is also recommended for the Wood Products major and the Harvest Planning and Engineering specialization.
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Want to learn more?
Visit the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship website to learn more about Forest Operations.
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