College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science

Michigan Tech College of Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences students in an outdoor field lab surrounded by trees in the fall.
Outdoors + Learning

Dig deep. Climb high. Understand, manage, sustain, protect, and restore natural resources systems.

The College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science at Michigan Technological University brings students, faculty, and researchers together to measure, map, model, analyze, and deploy solutions.

Woods. Water. Wildlife. The serenity they provide. The organisms they support. And the products they produce. More than 5,000 acres of University forests are set aside for research, education, recreation, and outreach. We're a scholarly community on a first-name basis—ready to help you grow in your research and create a career based on challenges facing our natural world.

Undergraduate Education
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Graduate Education
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Research
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  • 1
    hour in class, the rest of the day outdoors (integrated field practicum)
  • 1958
    the world's longest predator-prey study continues today
  • 17/13
    average class size, average lab size
  • $7,333
    average financial aid and scholarships, equaling 50 percent of tuition

Ready to take the next step?

Learn more about studying forestry and environmental science at Michigan's flagship technological university.

Watch Visit Michigan Tech’s Ford Forest: Our Living Lab video
Preview image for Visit Michigan Tech’s Ford Forest: Our Living Lab video

Huskies go to the woods.

Our 5,000-acre classroom—study how the changing climate will affect our future forests. Because tomorrow needs managers, researchers, and stewards who understand how everything from tiny rodents to overall rainfall amounts are essential ecosystem components that affect our forest, our world, and our future.

Diverse Ecosystem of Environmental Stewardship

If you have a love for the woods, and a desire to sustain resources for the future, you will feel at home in the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (CFRES). Our College is a community on a first-name basis, connected by a shared passion for study, research, and work centered on forest health and ecosystem integrity. Similar to Keweenaw’s biodiverse ecosystems, CFRES is a community of undergraduates, graduates, faculty, staff, and alumni who learn, lead, and thrive in the unique environment the college has to offer. You’ll notice flags from countries around the world when you step into the door of our atrium. We are a safe space for all who love natural resources, with a commitment to a sense of community. 

3,650 Acres of Research Forest

Michigan Tech’s Ford Center is home to our 3,650-acre forest. Located just over 40 miles from campus, students in their third year get to live, learn, and play in the woods for a whole semester. Learn how to navigate among the trees, count board feet, identify forest pests and diseases, and explore ways to mitigate them. Take a swim in the Sturgeon River while taking water samples, quantify woody and herbaceous plants, design maps, and learn to mark timber.  Spend a couple of hours in the classroom, and the rest of the day outdoors. Work closely with your peers and professors to create management plans that best suit the environment for the changing climate.

Integrated Field Practicum at the Ford Center

The Integrated Field Practicum (IFP) is the cornerstone of natural resource management at Michigan Tech, and stands out among the rest as the only off-campus, semester-long field practicum in the United States. Offered in the Fall and Summer.

Undergraduate Majors

Or, start with our General Forestry option and give yourself time to decide.

Who We Are

Mission Statement

Given our changing world, we work to address the challenges in natural resource sustainability through education and training, novel research, innovation, and outreach.

Accredited

Our forestry and master of forestry programs are SAF accredited.

SAF Logo

Cabin by the lake and mountain in Sweden.

Looking for a Study Abroad opportunity in Sustainability?

Sustainability in Sweden

A collaboration between the Department of Visual and Performing Arts and the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences. Sustainability in Sweden is an immersive, interdisciplinary program that takes place within the Swedish forest. Courses focus on forest health, climate change, community engagement, and the arts. Environmental stewardship and interdisciplinary field experience are the core of this program.

Contact: Lisa Gordillo | gordillo@mtu.edu

Worker holding branches in Suriname.

Learn in South America

Take the opportunity to learn, research, and contribute to solving critical environmental challenges by participating in a three-day workshop in Afobaka, Suriname, South America. This hands-on program offers students the unique opportunity to gain practical skills in tropical forestry, GIS mapping, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable resource management while working alongside international experts.

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Watch Re:Generations Magazine video
Preview image for Re:Generations Magazine video

Re:Generations Magazine

Explore the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science's Re:Generations Magazine. Discover stories of innovation and research from Houghton, Michigan.

Re:Generations