These concerns are addressed through a well-balanced curriculum of technical training in resource management, forest biology, and exposure to the social and behavioral sciences and the humanities. What distinguishes this program from other forestry schools is the emphasis on forest problems unique to the Northeast, and specifically to Massachusetts, where forest issues are entwined with those of a large human population. The curriculum is sufficiently broad and flexible to allow graduates to find employment throughout the country. In their junior and senior years, students take a set of professional courses that deal directly with the management of forests and include such topics as silviculture, wildlife management, forest inventory and mapping, forest fire control, timber harvesting, and history and policy of forest conservation. These courses provide extensive field experience, which is made possible by students' access to the University's two research forests, state forests and Quabbin watershed lands.
Students select a program option at the beginning of their junior year.
This allows them to focus on a particular aspect of forestry by selecting advanced courses in their area of interest. All options contain a basic set of forestry courses that meet the requirements for employment as a forester with federal government agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service. It is particularly relevant for students majoring in related natural resource fields. A two-year Arboriculture and Park Management program is offered at the UMass Stockbridge School. It prepares students to become managers with knowledge about the principles and practice of tree planting, identification and control of tree insect pests, fertilization, pruning, repair of damaged trees, and removal of dead or undesired trees.