MSc Sustainable Forest And Nature Management (Sufonama) (Erasmus Mundus Course)

Entry to SUFONAMA requires a good first degree in a relevant subject, or second class honours degree in a relevant subject with a minimum of two years relevant experience in forestry, agriculture or other land use related work in a position of demonstrable responsibility. Relevant professional experience should be supported by additional evidence such as authorship of appropriate professional reports or a record of active membership of a relevant professional organisation or International Scientific Society. In general, however, applicants are judged on their individual merits and age, work experience and other factors are also considered.

For fees and funding options, please visit website to find out more

There are excellent employment opportunities in the broad area of forestry including national government, international organisations and consultancies. Many recent SUFONAMA graduates have gone on to do PhD research.

First Year

The Course consists of a first study year at one of three institutions (Bangor, Copenhagen, Goettingen) and a specialising second study year with different topics offered by each of the five institutions. The students are required to spend the second year at another university than the first one. The aim of the first study year is to provide a thorough and broad introduction to sustainable forest and nature management. The learning outcomes are similar for the three first year institutions and allow students to choose freely among the five specialisation options in the second year. The first study year ends with a Joint Summer Module, run as a two-week excursion to a Consortium country.

Second Year

You can specialise in the second year within the following topics:

• Conservation and Land Management (Bangor)
• Management of Forest and Nature for Society Copenhagen)
• Forest and Nature Management in Changing Climate (Göttingen)
• Forest Management in Scandinavia and the Baltic Region (Alnarp)
• Mountain Forestry and Watershed Management (Padova).

The specialisation includes a master thesis based on research and fieldwork inside or outside the EU. When students have acquired 120 ECTS by studying at two Consortium institutions (at least 60 ECTS at each) they will obtain a SUFONAMA double degree and the Diploma Supplement. All SUFONAMA modular activities can be completed in English. The following degrees are awarded: MSc in Forestry in Copenhagen, MSc in Environmental Forestry and MSc in Conservation and Land Management in Bangor, MSc in Forestry in Goettingen, MSc in Forestry in Alnarp, and MSc in Forestry and Environmental Sciences in Padova.

Bangor Compulsory Modules:

• Forest Resource Assessment: This module provides an introduction to world forest resources and policy
• Silviculture: this module provides an understanding of temperate silviculture and forest management. It also highlights the interaction of management systems with the physical environment
• Natural Resource Management: This module provides students a theoretical & practical understanding of the systems approach to managing natural resources to provide various ecosystem services.
• Location Specific Knowledge and fieldwork in temperate forest and nature management: This module is essentially designed to allow for in-depth preparation for field work in temperate forest and nature management.
• Contemporary temperate forest and nature management: climate change and management strategies: This module deals with a current hot topic and can take in students globally through its e-learning format
• Preparing Field Work in the Temperate: This module develops in-depth factual location specific knowledge  relevant to temperate forestry issues
• Sustainable Temperate Forestry Management Summer School – this module applies data collection and evaluation methods in the field.

Optional Modules:

This is dependent on where the second year of study is selected. Full module details for the partner institutions are available on the relevant websites: University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Bangor University,  Goettingen University, Germany; University of Padova, Italy,  Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences,  Alnarp, Sweden.