College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
Undergraduate students walking in the woods with hard hats, one smiling.
Natural Resources Careers Begin Here

Undergraduate CFRES Majors

Documenting knapweed in dunes. Analyzing northern peatlands. Growing woody mass for biofuels. Conserving the California Condor. The largest forestry program in Michigan, the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science offers far-reaching ecological programs with global impact. But we're all on a first-name basis. Because nature connects us. Passionate appreciation for the environment infuses everything we do, in classrooms, labs, greenhouses, and our backyard—the wild Keweenaw Peninsula on the shores of Lake Superior.

Bachelor's Degrees

Forestry, BS

Our forestry major focuses on acquiring the skills necessary to develop comprehensive management plans and strategies for forested landscapes, aligning them with society's demands while preserving ecosystem integrity. Graduates gain hands-on experience in tasks such as timber marking and harvesting, field canopy assessment, arborist practices, and selective harvesting techniques, as well as the ability to identify tree pests and diseases.

Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, BS

Put your love for working outdoors and interest in the ecology and sustainable management of wildlife habitats to work as you assess environmental conditions of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and make land management decisions for wildlife habitat maintenance and protection of ecosystem composition. Our wildlife ecology and conservation major allows students to model, analyze, compare, communicate, and deploy tools and techniques used to understand nesting, migration, food supply, and how biodiverse systems like fish streams are affected by factors from hydrological development to climate change.

Applied Ecology and Environmental Science, BS

Merge the ecological, social, and biotechnological dimensions of natural resource conservation and management by diving into our exciting applied ecology and environmental science major. Explore, measure, document, and analyze terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, make land-use decisions to enhance ecosystem composition, structure, and function, learn remote sensing skills. 

Natural Resources Management, BS

Equip yourself with the skills and training required to tackle the pressing natural resource challenges of the twenty-first century while effectively managing ecosystems and renewable resources with our natural resources management major. Gain the knowledge, expertise, and perspective necessary to address complex environmental problems that relate to renewable natural resources through course work in natural resources ethics, conservation, social sciences, economics and business, and biogeochemistry. Explore the aspects of natural resources on tribal, public, and private land.

Sustainable Bioproducts, BS

Discover the transformative potential of wood and other lignocellulosic fibers as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels and nonrenewable materials. Our sustainable bioproducts undergraduate major delves into the world of bioproducts and the Circular Bioeconomy, which are pivotal in addressing the challenges posed by our current unsustainable lifestyle.

Environmental Science and Sustainability, BS

Equip yourself with the skills to craft a sustainable future for our environment with our environmental science and sustainability major. Learn how to seamlessly blend societal needs and perspectives with science-backed environmental practices by grasping the intricacies of the natural world right in our own local environment, knowledge that can be applied to addressing global challenges. Through this program, establish a solid technical foundation in the measurement and monitoring of environmental factors and delve into the complex environmental challenges facing society today.

Environmental Data Science, BS

Be a part of the climate solution using data and advanced technologies with our environmental data science major. Explore interrelationships related to the natural environment and use tools to understand the data that describes our ecosystems. Analyze information, use prediction models, manage and visualize data, then draw inferences that will help us address the challenges we face in the world today. Sustainable solutions and forest management are at your fingertips. 

  • 100%
    incoming first-year and transfer students eligible for $1,000 Earn and Learn
  • 5,264
    acres of our own educational and research forest
  • 714

    minimum hours of outdoor coursework

Ready to take the next step?

Learn more about the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science undergraduate degree program at Michigan's flagship technological university.

"I'm excited about finding solutions to some of the problems faced by our society through the management of forest ecosystems. They are very dynamic and can have a powerful impact on our world."Eric Isaacs '18, BS Forestry

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 Michigan Tech's 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 the Keweenaw Peninsula’s biodiverse ecosystems, CFRES is a community of undergraduates, graduates, faculty, staff, and alumni who learn, lead, and thrive in the College's unique environment. You’ll notice flags from countries around the world when you step through the doors of our atrium. We are a safe space for all who love natural resources, with a strong commitment to a sense of community.

5,850+ Acres of University Forestland

Our forests are your living lab—and playground. The University owns 5,866 acres of forestland. Undergraduate students in forestry, wildlife, ecology, and soils perform a minimum of 714 hours of outdoor coursework to fulfill degree requirements.

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. Work closely with your peers and professors to create management plans that best suit the environment for the changing climate. Tap maple trees, learn the history of syrup-making, and process your own maple syrup at the Nara Family Maple Center.

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 as the only off-campus, semester-long field practicum in the United States. Offered in the fall and summer, students in their junior year get to live, learn, and play in our 3,700-acre research forest for a whole semester. Spend a few hours in the classroom and the rest of the day outdoors at Michigan Tech’s Ford Center, just over 40 miles from our main campus.

Take waypoints and design maps. Get your hands dirty and your feet wet exploring soil, geology, and climate. Collect fungi or insects for a specimen collection. Hug trees as you measure stand basal area. Learn to determine canopy health. Collect photos from camera traps. Mental and physical challenges prepare students for careers in our four land management degree programs.

4+1 Accelerated Master of Forestry

Earn an accelerated master’s degree with just one additional year of study beyond your bachelor’s degree in forestry. Start your Master of Forestry degree your senior year, saving time and money on the graduate degree. This professional degree expands your qualifications and experience in mapping, analyzing, managing, and communicating forest and environmental resources issues. A master’s degree provides greater opportunity for career advancement and a higher starting salary.

Tomorrow Needs Sustainable Forest Management

Healthy, intact, functioning ecosystems support both human health and the health and well-being of other species, from trees to birds, fish and insects. Join a community that believes in renewable resources, sustainability, and multiple-use forests in a sustainably driven society at an R1 flagship public research university powered by science, technology, sustainability, and passion. Graduate with a foundation of knowledge and real-world experience in natural resource management.


Undergraduate Majors

Documenting knapweed in dunes. Analyzing northern peatlands. Growing woody mass for biofuels. Conserving the California condor. As the largest forestry program in Michigan, we offer students access to far-reaching ecological programs with global impact (like the longest-running predator-prey study in the world).

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

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