Forestry
Growing a better future
If you have a love for the woods and a desire to safeguard resources for the future, you will feel at home in the Forestry Department at Francis Marion University. Here, we are connected by a shared passion for study, research, and work centered on forest health and ecosystem integrity.
Embedded in the Pee Dee Region of South Carolina, future foresters have access to hands-on research in biodiverse ecosystems and a living classroom with the nearly 8,500 acres of FMU forest along the banks of the Great Pee Dee River.
The Forestry Program seeks to train a new generation of forestry professionals for the sustainable management of forests from South Carolina to around the world.
What do foresters do?
Foresters oversee conservation and forest management activities on private and public lands to protect woodland habitats and ensure compliance with government regulations. This includes negotiating contract terms related to forest harvesting and land use, as well as establishing forest resource management plans. To do this, foresters evaluate data on forest, water, and soil quality, as well as wildlife health and ecology.
Foresters also direct and participate in forest fire suppression. They help prevent forest fires by measuring and evaluating how fast fires spread to determine the success of planned suppression. They
work with private landowners, government agencies, farmers, and other entities to remove timber or improve land with minimal environmental damage. Foresters also choose and prepare sites to plant new trees, clearing land using controlled burning, or herbicides and monitoring forest-cleared sites as forests grow or regenerate.
Conservation scientists and foresters inform their decisions with data. They collect data using tools like clinometers to measure tree height, diameter tapes for tree circumference, and increment borers and bark gauges to measure tree growth for calculating timber volume and estimating growth rates. They also use drones, aerial photography, satellite images, and computational tools like GIS to map large forests or range areas.

How much do foresters earn?
Forester salaries vary based on location, job title, experience, and employer. Top-paying industries for foresters include natural gas distribution, electric power, and the pulp and paper industry. Mean starting salaries for foresters range from $40,000 to $50,000 annually.
What is Forestry?
Forestry is silviculture, combined with sustainability, backed by science. Forestry is determining the characteristics of forested ecosystems and their connections and discovering the value trees hold to landowners, recreational users, and timber companies. Foresters manage the land based on the needs of those directly impacted, as well as those who will be affected in hundreds of years.
Foresters assess the soils, water, and herbaceous understory beneath the trees. They also study invasive species in South Carolina forests, forest insects and pests, the future of the forest products industry in the state, intensive plantation systems, bottomland hardwood management, and family forest conservation. Forestry is a career focused on long-term planning, but it is impacted by fast-paced changes in social trends, technological advancements, and economic evolution outside the field of forestry. These human dimensions of forest management shape the future of the forestry industry now and for the future.
COURSEWORK REQUIREMENTS
- English/Literature
- Math
- Speech
- Economics
- History
- Sociology
- History
- Political Science
- Humanities electives
FORESTRY COURSES
- Introduction to Forestry
- Dendrology
- Ecology
- Silviculture
- Forest Products
- Remote Sensing
- Biometrics
- Summer Field Program
- Environmental Economics
- Soils
- Forest Policy
- Timber Harvesting
- Forest health
- Forest fire
- Wildlife Management
PERSONALIZED ATTENTION
Class sizes are small for lectures and labs. All courses are taught by faculty and include lab work. This lab work gives students invaluable hands-on experience in learning the profession. Consistent contact with faculty allows both students and faculty to develop professional relationships which can extend beyond the classroom and aid in finding employment opportunities.
RESEARCH & INTERNSHIPS
We believe that the best way to learn forestry is to do forestry. Motivated students will find plenty of opportunities to participate in research projects as well as working with partner organizations and companies during the summer. While participating in these practical experiences, students develop important field skills, critical thinking and problem solving skills, and the ability work in teams or independently. There will be opportunities for students to develop their own independent research projects as well.
POTENTIAL CAREERS
- Land Forester
- Private Consulting Forester
- Procurement Forester
- Conservation Forester
- Geospatial Specialist
- Wildlife Management Area Biologist
- Wildland Firefighter
- Urban Forester
- Utility Forester
- Forest Financial Analyst
- Land And Farms Realtor
CONTACT US
Coming Fall 2026


