General description

The English-language Master's Degree Programme in Forest Sciences and Business (MScFB) started in 2006. The programme is run by the Department of Forest Sciences.

The research done at the Department of Forest Sciences covers a wide range of topics relevant to a sustainable forest sector:

• Structure and dynamics of natural and managed boreal and tropical forests, and wetland ecology
• Management research such as forest mensuration, planning, geographical information system, wood procurement, logistics, and wood material properties
• Forest economics related to management and forest policy, forest products marketing
• Cross-disciplinary research related to tropical forestry and developing countries, and forest ecosystem - atmosphere relations

The MScFB programme offers an excellent choice of education for international students as well as for Finnish students aiming for an international career in forestry and environmental resources sector.

• Degree: MSc in Agriculture and Forestry, MSc. (Agr.&For.)
• Duration: 2 years, 120 ECTS (max 15 ECTS of supplementary studies if needed)
• Start date: September 2006
• Language: English
• Legal basis: The awarded degree in part of the university sector of Finnish higher education and is in accordance with the Finnish Universities Act (645/1997, 556/2005)
• Aim of the programme: The MScFB aims to educate international experts in forestry and natural resources sectors

Major subjects and study lines offered in the MScFB:

Our Strengths

Forest sciences at the University of Helsinki have many strengths. First, scientific quality at the University of Helsinki is of the highest international standard. The University of Helsinki belongs to the league of leading research universities in Europe (LERU). Moreover, forest research belongs to the highest ranked group of Finnish sciences. The subject diversity of forest sciences is clearly a strength when forestry research and education are considered.

Second, the location of MScFB as a part of Helsinki University, Viikki campus and the capital area is a strength. The Helsinki area has the following elements valuable for forest sciences: the proximity of other universities and institutes (e.g. Aalto University, Finnish Forest Research Institute), other research and development institutes, governmental and non-governmental bodies, and the headquarters of forest industry companies, such as Stora Enso and UPM.

Third, the Finnish forestry cluster provides a strong environment for university forest research and education. The cluster is a group of interrelated industries and organizations whose links with each other improve their overall competitiveness. Examples of these are the forest products industry and forestry machinery industry as well as forest research and consulting.

Mission of the MScFB

"The mission of the universities shall be to promote free research and scientific and artistic education, to provide higher education based on research, and to educate young people to serve their country and humanity" . (The Universities Act 2004)

Forests, covering one-third of the global terrestrial surface, are an important resource and provide a wide variety of values to human societies. The goal of the MScFB is to promote the sustainable use and environmental services of forest resources and ecosystems. One of the main aims of the programme is to provide an international and multidisciplinary perspective on the forestry cluster. The knowledge exchange activities focus primarily on problematic areas that need sustainable solutions to guarantee relevant, economic, timely, and reliable forestry-related decision-making and knowledge base.

Vision of the Future

The programme is designed for motivated graduate students who want to gain expertise about the forestry cluster and work in multi-cultural environments. In a rapidly changing world, we believe that the different dimensions of sustainability can be balanced within the forestry cluster. This calls for adaptability of the educational system and curriculum.

We believe the MScFB at the University of Helsinki is among the best forestry education programmes in the world. Research and the high standard of the MScFB degree are internationally recognised.