Undergraduate Information

The Department of Forest Products provides students with knowledge and skills to qualify for well-paying positions in the forest products industry.  We have three options available for training in the forest products industry Forest Products Business Management, Timber Harvesting, and Wood Construction & Design.  View videos from our students about the department and the University of Idaho (you can download the free Real Player Read Player here).

Students in the Forest Operations option gain knowledge of all aspects of this profession.  Training includes accessing, harvesting and transporting the timber; designing and laying out roads, environmental protection of forests, timber sales, supervising logging crews, and managing logging and wood procurement operations.

The Forest Products Business Management is designed for student who plan careers in the production, management, marketing, and distribution of wood products from a combined technical and business perspective.  The degree also provides a solid foundation for pursuing a graduate degree in business, for example, the M.B.A or M.S.

Wood Construction and Design provides students with training and skills for a variety of careers in the manufacture and design of wood products and architecture.  Course work combines studies in forest products technology, architectural design, and business management.


To recieve information about these programs, click here or contact the Department of Forest Products at forp@uidaho.edu.

SCHOLARSHIPS

There are many scholarships available to our students through the Department of Forest Products, the College of Natural Resources Scholarship funding and the University of Idaho Financial Aid Office.  The college awards 140 scholarships annually; many are available specifically for students in Forest Products.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Employment opportunities in the forest products industry are outstanding.  Many students have multiple employment offers prior to graduating.  Former students have been hired by companies such as: Weyerhaeuser, Potlatch, Trus Joist MacMillan, Boise Cascade, Roseburg Lumber, BMC West, Louisiana Pacific, Masonite, P&M Cedar and Precision Craft Log Structures.  Recent starting salaries range from $30,000 to $48,000.  Our Employment Opportunities page lists some of the current employers who have hired our students for permanent or internship positions.

RESEARCH

Members of the Department of Forest Products are involved in several research projects including business management, forest products marketing, forest engineering, road design and engineering, forest products manufacturing, wood pellet technology, inorganic bonded wood and fiber composites, sawmill and logging simulation, affordable housing, timber harvesting technology, mill operations, veneer and composite technology, computer detection of flaws in scanned logs, small-diameter timber utilization, designing, engineering and testing wood structures, and stress-wave analysis of lumber.

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

 The Forest Products Club is a student chapter of the Forest Products Society.  Guest speakers keep members up-to-date on the latest information and opportunities in the forest products industry.  Club activities may include fund raising efforts, such as construction of picnic tables and park benches for local communities.  They also enjoy barbeques, students vs. faculty softball games and pizza parties.
  

Members of the Logger Sports Club participate in men's and women's lumberjack competitions throughout the northwest.  Events include axe throwing, birling, chopping, cross-cut sawing, and pole climbing.  They also put on exhibitions at various communities and functions.

The Student Chapter of National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is comprised of students from the Department of Forest Products and the Department of Architecture.  Meetings usually consist of speakers from the architectural and building industry, presenting information associated with all aspects of a career in this field.  They also have many projects which provide hands-on training.

Admissions - Undergraduates.  Admission information, forms
Departmental Advising.  Information about registration, course requirement, check sheets
Financial Aid.  FAFSA applications, scholarships
New Student Services.  Campus information, tours
Registrar.  Registration information, forms, class schedule, catalog, transfer guides
Vandal Mail.  Access to your e-mail account