Study Forest and Wood Management in Germany

In the fields of forestry and forest science, you will deal with the forest ecosystem in its many forms. You will acquire theoretical knowledge in plant, animal, and soil science. Which trees are suitable for which soils? Which types of trees suit the changing climatic conditions and should therefore be planted? How can the forest habitat be preserved for the local wildlife? You will learn how to sustainably manage forests so that future generations can continue to harvest wood and benefit from the forests’ positive impact on air pollution control as well as their recreational qualities.

In contrast, courses of study in the subject areas of wood technology and wood industry focus on wood as a raw material. You will learn the engineering fundamentals of wood as a raw material and deal with its industrial treatment and processing. You will also learn about economic issues and the entire wood value chain.

Degree programmes in forest and wood management are often offered only at selected technical universities or universities of applied sciences. They usually have a standard study period of six or seven semesters for the Bachelor’s degree and three to four semesters for the Master’s degree. At some higher education institutions, a general higher education entrance qualification, a subject-specific higher education entrance qualification or a comparable qualification is sufficient for admission to the degree programme. Other institutions, on the other hand, may have additional admission restrictions; most often they require a minimum grade point average or a pre-study internship. Master’s degree programmes are also often subject to admission restrictions. However, the grade point average expected for these degree programmes is not exceedingly high and is on average around 2.5.

Internships, project work and practical units make up a significant part of the degree programme at many higher education institutions. Often, interdisciplinary modules are also part of the curriculum that offers thematic overlap with e.g., economics or engineering. Generally speaking, higher education institutions offer very practice-oriented teaching in this field of study; practice and theory are thus strongly linked. Some institutions also offer courses of study as dual programmes; this would let you achieve an even more intense practical component. Nevertheless, programmes may differ in the duration and subject matter of their practical phases; therefore, it is best to enquire about the specific content of the respective degree programme.

To successfully participate in the degree programme without too many frustrations, you should bring some knowledge of or interest in biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics. The English language can also be helpful, as some specialist literature is only available in English.

Most degree programmes in forest and wood management are offered at public higher education institutions, which means that you probably will not have to pay tuition fees. Depending on the institution, you can expect to pay between 100 and 400 euros for the semester contribution, which is used to pay the student union, for example. Sometimes your semester contribution covers a ticket for local public transport or you can purchase a discounted ticket. Depending on where you study, this may be valid for the city, the region or even for all of Germany. Ask your higher education institution whether such an offer is currently available.

Your highest cost factor will most likely be rent, depending on which city you are in. Large cities plus ones with popular higher education institutions are usually much more expensive. However, you might be able to save money by staying in a student hall of residence or in a shared apartment. As soon as you have decided on where you want to study, you should start looking, as halls of residence can fill up quickly. Here, you can find information on local halls of residence and the respective application process for most cities.

The rest of your expenses are of course influenced by where you study and your personal lifestyle.

To finance your studies in Germany, you should also find out about scholarships. There are many different scholarship programmes and excellent grades are not the only deciding factor. You can learn more about scholarships here and find suitable programmes directly on My GUIDE.

You usually finish your studies in forest and wood management with a Bachelor’s or Master’s of Science. Now you can finally take responsibility for an important ecosystem, the forest! After completing your forest science degree, you can expect to work for public employers, such as forestry offices or forestry research institutions. With a degree in wood management, you can find job opportunities in the wood-processing private sector as a specialist or manager. You could also think about going into agricultural and forestry consulting, environmental consulting, environmental management and management in agriculture and forestry.

Wood purchasing and logistics are other options. The respective professions have very different demands on your physical strength: You can choose a specific forestry and wood industry field, depending on how often you want to work outside in the forest, for example.