Grad program in Forestry with no background

[maelduin]

Hello. New to the forum here, but I looked around and saw some wonderful information, so I decided to go ahead and post. 

 

I'm a Japanese/East Asian Studies graduate from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. I've been working for the past 4 years in Japan teaching English, and have become quite enamored with this dream of being a forester in the time I've been here. 

 

I wanted to know if there was a chance that I could actually do such a thing. Move from a arts degree to a science degree. Do you have any suggestions about what I should do to impress upon the admissions committees of various schools that I'm serious and dedicated to the idea?

 

Thanks for any advice you might have!

[iowaguy]

Have you taken any "basic" math & science classes?  (chemistry, physics, biology, etc)  If not, you might want to check the school pre-requisites, often they will require a background in some basic sciences (at least for most top programs that I'm familiar with)...

 

You might also want to get some volunteer experience or other non-classroom experience in forestry before applying, to show that you're truly interested in this area and it's not just a passing whim...  Best of luck!

[maelduin]

Thanks a lot! I did have a short history in Chemistry. But then dropped it all for the Japanese degree I hold now. As for math, I tested out of most of the math in college, and had credits for calculus 1 at least throughout school. The rest of the records of maths and sciences don't show up too positively, as I had some issues in my first year of school.

 

I'm starting with some volunteering very soon actually! Thanks a lot for your advice. Do you think that programs would consider something like edX or Coursera courses substantial enough for a background?

[midnight]

maelduin, my husband is considering forestry as well. He has a CS degree and is currently a software engineer, so it would be a different path for him, too.

 

I suggest looking at program sites to see what sort of prereqs (if any) they require, their strengths, current research and field opportunities, etc.

 

Since you already have a chem background and have received credit for calc, you're probably fine, though it wouldn't hurt to show initiative with other relevant coursework or volunteer work as iowaguy mentioned. I think a class from a local college or accredited online program would be better than Coursera or equivalent; however, a course or two may be altogether unnecessary if you can find find some solid hands-on, in-depth volunteer opportunities.

[selecttext]

You have to identify an area of forestry that interests you and then find a supervisor that will agree to supervise you - that is your best chance given your non-science background. You may also want to consider a natural resources or environmental science department. I have one friend who had a BA in geography and an MSc in environmental sciences. He is now doing his doctorate in forestry. My cosupervisor is a forester and let me tell you, him and his colleagues always have graduate students in need of field assistants over the summer. if you really want to try your hand at living in the bush and working among clouds of flies, it wouldn't be hard to find work - and you definitely don't need any experience.

Edited March 14, 2013 by selecttext