The block structure of the course makes it particularly attractive to school leavers and those entering study as mature-age students. The diploma also contains study programs designed to support students who do not have fully developed study skills. Specialisation within the Diploma in Forestry is possible in the areas of industrial and farm forestry or resource management conservation. In addition the diploma provides education programs to develop skills for the effective supervision of staff and operations. Articulation from the diploma into the second year of the Bachelor of Forest Science is available for students who can demonstrate a capacity to handle mathematics and chemistry at an appropriate level.
Articulation routes into other degrees are also available.
No prerequisites are required but some capacity for mathematics is recommended. The course includes a structured work-experience program designed to build on and expand the material covered in other subjects, and gain necessary practical experience. Part-time students employed in forestry or the forest industries will be required to develop a research or analysis project in conjunction with their employer and the School. Other students will attend the work experience program developed by the School of Forestry, which involves planning, implementing and supervising activities in the forests around Creswick and beyond. Later in the course there is the possibility of students finding work experience placements interstate and even overseas.