A new program at Mississippi State University is helping forest products graduates find good jobs without leaving the state. This fall, MSU's Department of Forest Products acting through the College of Forest Resources created four new emphasis areas within the forest products degree. This was done to expand the career field for its graduates. We created new options so forest products students could find good jobs in Mississippi, such as management positions in supply stores and manufacturing plants. Cynthia West, department head, said the overall goal of the forest products major is to provide students with knowledge and skills about using wood resources more effectively and efficiently.
Students apply what they learn in a variety of careers.
This fall, the Department of Forest Products combined wood science and forest products curriculum with business and industrial technology skills to create new options. Students may choose to emphasize forest products technology, forest products marketing, building supply operations or industrial environment, in addition to the two original options. These new options cover areas that schools, including MSU, were not graduating students in, yet there were career opportunities available in these areas. Seale said the forest products technology option teaches students how to program complex machinery and manage employees in factories, such as furniture plants. The forest products marketing option prepares students for the business world.