The future forests offer many possibilities. This programme gives knowledge about how different strategies and forest management systems can provide forest ecosystem services for society in the future. In the Forestry for Green Sustainable Development master's program, both you with an educational background within forestry and you who come from other disciplines can immerse yourself in the forest's entire value chain and the conditions linked to the forest ecosystem services, climate mitigation and adaptation, forest digitalization and forest damage in sustainable forestry for a circular bioeconomy.

In the master's program Forestry for green sustainable development, you will have the opportunity to delve into questions about how future sustainable forestry can be developed. The education has a unique thematic approach where you will gain an overall picture and understanding of the forest's entire value chain, from forest production to products and values from the forest, as well as deepening issues related to ecosystem services, the forest's climate mitigation and climate adaptation, the digitization of forestry and forest damage.

Programme Outlook: 

You will gain knowledge about forest ecosystems and forestry in a national context, but the program also contains many international elements through, for example, study trips and guest lecturers from different countries. During the education, you will also get a close connection to the forestry sector through guest lecturers, study visits, project work, and a final thesis. You will get to meet representatives from the forest industry, forest owner associations, authorities, and interest organizations to understand and discuss current issues, challenges and opportunities the practice faces through the entire value chain of the forest.

The program includes 120 credits with a duration of 2 years for full-time studies. Full-time studies mean an average of 40 study hours per week. The courses in the program are given at half speed, meaning you study two courses in parallel.

For those who have not taken a forestry education before, the program begins with a 15-credit introductory forestry course and a program profiling course. For those with the basics, the program begins with two program profiling courses. The program contains four program profiling courses where you will learn about the forest's ecosystem services, climate mitigation and adaptation, the digitization of forestry and forest damage. After that, you can choose whether to deepen or broaden your knowledge through optional courses. You can study courses at Linnaeus University or other universities nationally or abroad. Finally, a degree project of at least 30 credits is completed.

The program is offered as campus education for international students and distance education for national students. The arrangement for both variants is a hybrid solution where all students will alternate studies both remotely and on campus, and in many cases can choose to follow, for example, lectures and seminars remotely or on site in Växjö. For both campus and distance students, the program includes several course meetings in Växjö and in other locations. The program is given in English, but parts or courses may in many cases be possible to examine in Swedish.

Career Outcomes: 

After the education, you will be a specialist in the values of the forest and how future sustainable forestry can be developed. There is a great need for labour and competence in the forest's entire value chain, from forest management to the production of more sustainable products from the forest. For example, you can work as a specialist in the forestry industry, as a forestry advisor or an expert for authorities. You can also apply to other industries that need forest experts. The education also opens an international career. With a degree from this education, you are also eligible for a PhD education, pursue a career in academia, and for example, work within the university or at a research institute.

The program is carried out in close collaboration with the forestry sector. Linnaeus University has a long-term and strategic collaboration with Södra and IKEA in the partnership The Bridge. The basis for the cooperation is the climate challenges and the UN's global goals. The partnership focuses on forestry, innovation and sustainability, and the parties collaborate in education and research. One ambition is to create an arena for knowledge development and sustainable competitiveness open to more actors because we believe that working together is required to cope with the transition in society.