Sustainable Forest Management
Field of studies
- Forestry
- Natural Resources and Biotechnology
Degree title
- Bachelor of Natural Resources
Registration periods
- Direct Application 2024, Bachelor's
- Finnish Joint Application 2024
Teaching language
- English
Type of education
- Bachelor’s Degree
Academic level
- Bachelor Level Studies - EQF 6
Campus
- Evo
Teaching format
- Contact Lessons
Learn to take care of forests as they would be your own!
Forests are a vital source of wellbeing, adventures, job opportunities and raw material for several industries. In our degree programme, you will achieve an extensive knowledge in forestry, which highlights sustainable planning, caring and utilization of forest resources. And the best part of the studies is that they are widely done outdoors, in the fresh air of our demonstration forest! Pack your boots and head to Evo campus, the heart of forest education.
Objectives
You will familiarize yourself with the economic significance of forests and how to move in forests and other grounds. You’ll also learn how to use different applications and equipment and digital data in your future profession.
Qualification provided by education
Most common work tasks in the field are among wood procurement, forest services, and planning or management of forest resources. Your work title could be for example forest expert, procurement supervisor, senior planning officer or forest entrepreneur.
Structure of studies
During the first study year, you will share the study objectives with others. You’ll learn more about sustainable forestry, forest measurement, timber harvesting and procurement, forest ecology and forest planning. You will also develop your work life and communication skills during your studies, and you will receive necessary tools to work as an entrepreneur.
After the first year, you can choose profiling studies according to your own interest. This a great way to mold the degree to suit your interests and future career plans! In the profiling studies, you can choose to deepen your knowledge for example in wood procurement, planning and management of forest resources and production of services in forestry, GIS, recreational usage of forests and renewable energy resources. You can also choose profiling studies from our other degree programmes in HAMK, or other higher education institutes in Finland or abroad.
In Sustainable Forest Management, you will study in Evo campus, both independently and in teams with other students. The aim is to spend less time inside in the classroom and more outside, in the demonstration forest. For example, a lecturer can give you a task in the classroom, and after you will go into the demonstration forest with other students to work on that task. Practical learning in the nature goes on throughout the year, but as seasons change the amount of time spent in the nature is modified. This means that in the winter when there is snow in the ground, you’ll spend less time outdoors.
Apply to Study!
Direct Application to HAMK continues- March 22-31, 2024 at 3pm (UTC +3)
- Application begins: Nov. 1, 2023 at 08:00 AM UTC+2
- Application was put on halt: Dec. 22, 2023 at 03:00 PM UTC+2
- Application continues: Mar. 22, 2024 at 08:00 AM UTC+2
- Application ends: Mar. 31, 2024 at 03:00 PM UTC+3
- Studies Begin: Autumn 2024
For Students Living in Finland
Study Paths – Open Studies Leading to a Degree
In our Study Paths, you will complete studies that are part of a degree program as a student of the Open University of Applied Sciences, alongside degree students. Once you have completed the required amount of studies with the necessary grades, you can apply to become a degree student and continue your studies to completion as usual. Check more information:
Students outside of Finland: As Open University Studies are not leading to a degree it is not possible to get a residence permit only for that purpose.
3 Reasons to Study Sustainable Forest Management!
Demonstration forest of 1800 ha directly by the main building, all for you to explore and study in.
Great connection with working life and forest owners.
Flexibility to tailor your personal study plan, in order to meet your needs and requirements.
Study Methods
Full-time Studies, Contact Lessons
Campus
As a student of Sustainable Forest Management programme, your home campus will be Evo.
Evo Campus, Hämeenlinna
Our unique forest campus provides students with high-quality forestry studies in both Finnish and English, both in the classroom and out in the forest. Evo Campus is a center for forestry education and research, with a history dating back to 1862. The institution’s long-standing traditions provide a solid foundation for education aimed at the future and meeting the evolving needs of the forestry sector. The primary learning environment is the surrounding approximately 1,800-hectare demonstration forest, allowing for a seamless transition from classroom learning directly into the field.
Evo Campus is located 45 kilometers away from Hämeenlinna’s city center, and the drive takes approximately 40 minutes by car. There is no public transportation between Hämeenlinna City and Evo Campus, so you will need your own car for convenient travel outside the campus.
Studies Tailored to You
Your degree consists of 240 credits and includes four core elements:
The core competence studies, or core competence modules as we call those, form the foundation of your degree and professional skills. These studies are designed to support your development as a professional in your field and provide a solid groundwork for future elective studies
In Sustainable Forest Management, the core competence studies are focused on basic professional competences such as silviculture, mensuration, logging and procurement, forest ecology, and planning.
Part of your degree consists of profiling competence modules, enabling you to build expertise in your chosen direction according to your own goals. These studies offer opportunities to broaden, deepen, and enhance professional skills and personal development.
In these studies you can specialize your skills in these subjects or widen your competences in modules dealing with e.g., GIS, service providing business in forestry, planning and use of urban and recreational forests or bioenergy.
Work placement is divided into two periods, both 15 credits. You’ll get to experience the work placements during your second and third year.
The work placement focuses on learning and practicing the work of a forestry engineer. You will set professional development targets for the work placement period together with the employer and us. The work placement has to support your professional development as an expert in forestry and include field and office work.
Your thesis is a development or research project you work on towards the end of your studies. It helps you get better at what you’ve learned and shows how you can use that knowledge. It’s worth 15 credits, and you get to pick a topic that interests you and fits your career plans. It aims at solving problems emerging from the workplace. We encourage you to choose a real problem to solve from a company, to put your skills into practice and create new solutions for your industy.
As a student at HAMK, you can tailor your degree to suit you. You have the option to choose various studies from us and around the world, and complete the required studies in different ways.
Explore more about the content of the program and learn about planning your studies at HAMK:
Innovative study options that we offer
At HAMK, we develop new, innovative ways to study. Our goal is to provide you with versatile expertise that you can develop in various directions. We hope to inspire you to try something completely new!
Entrepreneurial university
Entrepreneurship is about recognizing opportunities, innovation capability, and the ability to create something new. In an entrepreneurial university, learning happens through collaboration and experimentation!
Design Factory
Design Factory is an operational and learning environment that brings together businesses, students, teachers, and researchers. Join projects where you develop new solutions together with students from various fields!
RUN EU -studies
HAMK is part of the RUN-Europe University, comprised of nine European universities. You can leverage the fantastic opportunities provided by RUN Europe University for accumulating international study experiences!
Exchange Studies
Exchange studies are a unique opportunity to explore the world. We encourage all our students to seize the chance and go abroad for an exchange. Will you go too?
HAMK’s Study Selection
We offer you a wide range of studies that you can choose as part of your degree. You can also select modules from other degrees at HAMK. Or why not utilize the expertise you’ve gained previously, for example, from scouting!
Cross-Institutional Studies
As a student at HAMK, you have the opportunity to take courses at other universities as well! It’s called cross-institutional studying, aiming to allow you to study comprehensive units that support your own goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
From here you can find answers to frequently asked questions from Sustainable Forest Management programme!
Sustainable Forest Management degree programme is designed to be taught on campus, face to face. We offer accommodation in our students’ dormitories on campus. You will have to apply for a room. More information can be found on Student Accommodation at Evo.
Teaching days are starting normally around nine o´clock and end in the afternoon. There is always a break for lunch time. Teaching might take place in the classroom or in the forrest. You will adventure youself from the very beginning in the forrest, together with your colleagues and teachers. There might be one or two days without teaching during the week, but that means that normally those days are dedicated to teamwork and writing reports or performing different tasks for the upcoming week.
It would be advised to bring warm and waterproof clothes together with durable boots, in order to stay warm and dry. The weather tends to be humid during autumn, and cold and freezing during winter. There are a lot of outdoor activities and we aim to spend quite some time in the forest!
Safety equipment can be borrowed from school or bought from older students. In the future it is recommended to invest in your own equipment, especially when you will probably use it in your workplace.
Besides that, having a driver’s license would come in handy!
Being a student is a full time commitment and responsibility. However, depending on your status and/or residence permit, you might be able to work part-time. The priority should be your study progress and campus attendance. It has to be kept in mind that classes are usually starting between nine or half past nine until afternoon (including lunch break). There might be one or two days without teaching during the week, but that means that normally those days are dedicated to teamwork and writing reports or performing different tasks for the upcoming week.
Yes, it is possible to graduate earlier than four years. It depends on your motivation and eagerness to progress in your studies. With a bit of effort and determination, it would be possible to graduate after three years. You should possess determination and always be pro-active. HAMK staff will help you to tailor your own personalised study plans, and will be happy to guide, assist and answer your questions.
After graduation, you could work in different fields related to forestry, such as: quality control, purchasing and acquisition, logistics, production work, planning and harvesting, advisory / consultancy services, procurement supervision, research development and innovation, education and so on.
Want to ask more?
If you want to ask more about the content of the programme, please contact:
If you need more information about applying to this programme, please visit here:
Graduate Faster?
Are you already familiar with the field by previous higher education studies and have gained expertise through work? For students who are independent learners and have great studying skills, we offer opportunities alongside traditional degree studies that allow you to accelerate your degree progress.
24 / 7 – Fast tract for studies
If you have prior education or work experience, and you are determined and pro-active, you have a chance to graduate faster through our 24/7 -study mode.
Read more about HAMK’s 24/7 -study mode:
Looking for Something Else?
Choosing the right education for yourself can sometimes be challenging, especially when there are plenty of good options available! We’ve gathered a few more alternatives in the same field for you, in case you’re interested in exploring our other programs as well. You can find our entire range through the search tool: