Courses

Courses 2024–2026

The following studies will be available for the students who will start in August 2024.

Note! Course descriptions of the first academic year (excluding online courses offered by the Partner universities which can be found below in PDF) can be found in Peppi Study Guide 2024-2025.

MSc European Forestry studies are divided into the following three Modules.

*Please note that there might be modifications in the study modes of some courses in case the number of students is less than 10.

First Academic Year

Study Module 1 (13 ECTS) takes place in Joensuu and improves your professional knowledge by offering the following courses:

  • LM00CO25 Trends in European Forestry, 5 ECTS (August 2024)*
  • LM00CO20 Academic Skills in Forest Sciences, 1.5 ECTS (Autumn 2024)
  • LM00CO21 Research Methodology in Forest Sciences, 3.5 ECTS  (Autumn 2024)
  • LM00CO28 Global Virtual Seminar, 3 ECTS (All year)

Elective courses (min. 30 ECTS)

This is a package of courses offered by the University of Eastern Finland jointly selected by the Consortium to provide you with necessary background to follow any of the available study tracks during the second academic year.  You are free to choose among the elective courses, although there are some recommended courses associated with each study track (see the Study Guide). The list of available courses may vary each year depending on the student feedback and teaching arrangements. You may also choose various online courses provided by the Partner universities (see below).

The list of available elective courses during the academic year 2024-2025 among which you need to choose a min.  of 30 ECTS (also more than 30 ECTS can be chosen).

Autumn semester

LM00CN10 Climate smart forest management, 3 ECTS
LM00CN97 Decision making in forestry, 6 ECTS 
LM00CO04 Forest policy analysis, 6 ECTS
LM00CO09 Forest work science , 6 ECTS
LM00CO03 Futures analysis of forest bioeconomy, 4 ECTS
8020270 Information skills and sources in science and forestry for international students, 1 ECTS
LM00CO14 Supply and energy use of lignocellulosic biomass, 6 ECTS
8031003 University study skills, 1 ECTS

Spring semester

LM00CO15 Bioenergy markets and policies, 6 ECTS
LM00CO05 Co-management of natural resources, 5 ECTS
LM00CO17 Data-driven qualitative methodologies for forest scientists and foresters, 5 ECTS
LM00CN99 Forest information systems, 5 ECTS
LM00DP30 Forest and wood microbiome and forest health, 4 ECTS
LM00DP32 Forest and wood microbiome laboratory practicals, 2 ECTS
LM00CO33 Economics of multiple-use forestry, 3 ECTS
LM00DP85 Innovation management in forest industries, 4 ECTS

All year

LM00CN49 European forest bioeconomy, 5 ECTS
LM00CN33 Forest soil literature (literature exam), 2-5 ECTS
LM00DP37 Forest health and biodiversity management, 3 ECTS

Online courses provided by the University of Lleida (Spain):
Forest dynamics in a global change context: drivers, processes and modelling approaches, 5 ECTS (PDF)
Introduction to Spatial Statistics: Spatial analysis with R, 5 ECTS (PDF)

Study Module 2 (17 ECTS) gives you practical perspective and introduces you to a working life by offering the following courses:

  • European Forestry Field Course (EFFC)*, 8 ECTS. EFFC is designed and implemented by the Consortium after Module 1 in May. The EFFC takes you across Europe through Spain, France, Germany, Austria and Romania. The main objective is to provide you with in-depth knowledge on socially, culturally and economically sustainable forestry in different parts of Europe.
  • Applied Period in Forest Institutions, 9 ECTS. During the Applied period in Forest Institution (a two-month internship), you have the opportunity to get familiar with working life and project management. Our Consortium universities and associated partner universities and associated industrial and scientific partners are offering these placements. A list of available placements each year will be provided during the autumn semester of the first academic year.

Second Academic Year

Study Module 3

Your second academic year is conducted in one of the MSc EF Consortium universities in Austria, France, Germany, Spain or Romania (not in Finland) and it is based on Study Module 3 where each Consortium university offers a package core courses they are able to offer for each of the study track based on their expertise and course catalogues. Additional “Track+” includes studies provided by the Associated Partner Universities in Canada, China or Brazil. The study tracks of the second year with the related key words are described below:

  • Track 1: Decision support systems for resource management. Keywords: Forest Informatics, Precision forestry, Forest planning, Operations research
  • Track 2: Resource management for ecosystem services. Keywords: Carbon resource management, Efficient bio-resource analysis, Precision forestry
  • Track 3: Spatial and ecological modelling. Keywords: Production ecology, Spatiotemporal modelling, Geo-technologies, Natural hazards and risks.
  • Track 4: Resource economics and policy. Keywords: Applied forest bioeconomy, Environmental policy/governance, New bio-materials and Economics of multipurpose forestry
  • Track 5: Silviculture and forest engineering. Keywords: European forest practices, Forest based bio-economy, Forest management and chain of custody certification
  • Track +: Global perspective (a standard track 1, 2, 3 or 4 in Europe + additional studies provided by the Associated Partner Universities in Canada, China, or Brazil). Keywords: Global forestry, Forest management Canada/Brazil/China

The courses related to each study track are listed in the Academic Study Guide. Please note that there is also a wide selection of elective courses besides the core courses of each study track which you are free to choose. You are also encouraged to take language courses as the composition of the MSc EF Consortium allows students to learn Finnish, French, German, Romanian and/or Spanish.

Master’s Thesis and Online Thesis Seminar are also included in Study Module 3.

  • Advanced Courses, 30 ECTS.  The selected advanced courses support the European Forestry curriculum by offering you the very speciality of your chosen second year host university.
  • Master’s Thesis and online thesis seminar, 30 ECTS. The master’s thesis. Composing a master’s thesis, 30 ECTS, is one of the most important components of the MSc European Forestry curriculum. It trains you to carry out research independently in the field of forest sciences. The goal is to produce a piece of research work that could be published in an international scientific journal. The thesis must be prepared according to the guidelines given by the host university. For further information on master’s thesis, please click the Thesis link on the left. All the students also present their theses in an online seminar. This online seminar is compulsory for everyone and you can flexibly choose the timing for recording and uploading your video presentation.

European Forestry Forum – Job Fairs and Graduation Ceremony. You have a possibility to participate at the European Forestry Forum where the graduation ceremony takes place

Courses 2023–2025

The following studies will be available for the students who will start in August 2023.

Note! Course descriptions of the first academic year (excluding online courses offered by the Partner universities which can be found below in PDF) can be found in Peppi Study Guide 2023-2024.

MSc European Forestry studies are divided into the following three Modules.

First Academic Year

Study Module 1 (13 ECTS) takes place in Joensuu and improves your professional knowledge by offering the following courses:

  • LM00CO25 Trends in European Forestry, 5 ECTS (August 2023)
  • LM00CO20 Academic Skills in Forest Sciences, 1.5 ECTS (Autumn 2023)
  • LM00CO21 Research Methodology in Forest Sciences, 3.5 ECTS  (Autumn 2023)
  • LM00CO28 Global Virtual Seminar, 3 ECTS (All year)

Elective courses (min. 30 ECTS)

This is a package of courses offered by the University of Eastern Finland jointly selected by the Consortium to provide you with necessary background to follow any of the available study tracks during the second academic year.  You are free to choose among the elective courses, although there are some recommended courses associated with each study track (see the Study Guide). The list of available courses may vary each year depending on the student feedback and teaching arrangements. You may also choose various online courses provided by the Partner universities (see below).

The list of available elective courses during the academic year 2023-2024 among which you need to choose a min.  of 30 ECTS (also more than 30 ECTS can be chosen).

Autumn semester

LM00CN94 Forest inventory and modeling, 8 ECTS
LM00CO04 Forest policy analysis, 6 ECTS
LM00CO09 Forest work science , 6 ECTS
LM00CO03 Futures analysis of forest bioeconomy, 4 ECTS
8020270 Information skills and sources in science and forestry for international students, 1 ECTS
LM00CN16 Intensive forest management, 3 ECTS
LM00CO14 Supply and energy use of lignocellulosic biomass, 6 ECTS
8031003 University study skills, 1 ECTS

Spring semester

LM00CN93 Advanced remote sensing, 6 ECTS
LM00CO00 Applied geoinformatics 2, 5 ECTS
LM00CO15 Bioenergy markets and policies, 6 ECTS
LM00CO17 Data-driven qualitative methodologies for forest scientists and foresters, 5 ECTS
LM00CN79 Carbon dynamics of forest soils, lectures and literature, 6 ECTS
LM00CN30 Carbon dynamics of forest soils, practicals, 4 ECTS
LM00CO33 Economics of multiple-use forestry, 3 ECTS
LM00CN83 Forest zoology, 4-6 ECTS
LM00CN50 Innovation management in forest industries, 4 ECTS
LM00CO06 International forest governance and environmental policy, 5 ECTS

All year

LM00CN49 European forest bioeconomy, 5 ECTS
LM00CN33 Forest soil literature (literature exam), 2-5 ECTS
LM00CN87 Forest health and biodiversity management, 3 ECTS
LM00CW38 Introduction to remote sensing and geoinformatics MOOC, 3 ECTS

Online courses provided by the University of Lleida (Spain):
Forest dynamics in a global change context: drivers, processes and modelling approaches, 5 ECTS (PDF)
Introduction to Spatial Statistics: Spatial analysis with R, 5 ECTS (PDF)
Stand to Continental Forest Health Management, 5 ECTS (PDF)

Study Module 2 (17 ECTS) gives you practical perspective and introduces you to a working life by offering the following courses:

  • European Forestry Field Course (EFFC), 8 ECTS. EFFC is designed and implemented by the Consortium after Module 1 in May. The EFFC takes you across Europe through Spain, France, Germany, Austria and Romania. The main objective is to provide you with in-depth knowledge on socially, culturally and economically sustainable forestry in different parts of Europe.
  • Applied Period in Forest Institutions, 9 ECTS. During the Applied period in Forest Institution (a two-month internship), you have the opportunity to get familiar with working life and project management. Our Consortium universities and associated partner universities and associated industrial and scientific partners are offering these placements. A list of available placements each year will be provided during the autumn semester of the first academic year.

Second Academic Year

Study Module 3

Your second academic year is conducted in one of the MSc EF Consortium universities in Austria, France, Germany, Spain or Romania (not in Finland) and it is based on Study Module 3 where each Consortium university offers a package core courses they are able to offer for each of the study track based on their expertise and course catalogues. Additional “Track+” includes studies provided by the Associated Partner Universities in Canada, China or Brazil. The study tracks of the second year with the related key words are described below:

  • Track 1: Decision support systems for resource management. Keywords: Forest Informatics, Precision forestry, Forest planning, Operations research
  • Track 2: Resource management for ecosystem services. Keywords: Carbon resource management, Efficient bio-resource analysis, Precision forestry
  • Track 3: Spatial and ecological modelling. Keywords: Production ecology, Spatiotemporal modelling, Geo-technologies, Natural hazards and risks.
  • Track 4: Resource economics and policy. Keywords: Applied forest bioeconomy, Environmental policy/governance, New bio-materials and Economics of multipurpose forestry
  • Track 5: Silviculture and forest engineering. Keywords: European forest practices, Forest based bio-economy, Forest management and chain of custody certification
  • Track +: Global perspective (a standard track 1, 2, 3 or 4 in Europe + additional studies provided by the Associated Partner Universities in Canada, China, or Brazil). Keywords: Global forestry, Forest management Canada/Brazil/China

The courses related to each study track are listed in the Academic Study Guide. Please note that there is also a wide selection of elective courses besides the core courses of each study track which you are free to choose. You are also encouraged to take language courses as the composition of the MSc EF Consortium allows students to learn Finnish, French, German, Romanian and/or Spanish.

Master’s Thesis and Online Thesis Seminar are also included in Study Module 3.

  • Advanced Courses, 30 ECTS.  The selected advanced courses support the European Forestry curriculum by offering you the very speciality of your chosen second year host university.
  • Master’s Thesis and online thesis seminar, 30 ECTS. The master’s thesis. Composing a master’s thesis, 30 ECTS, is one of the most important components of the MSc European Forestry curriculum. It trains you to carry out research independently in the field of forest sciences. The goal is to produce a piece of research work that could be published in an international scientific journal. The thesis must be prepared according to the guidelines given by the host university. For further information on master’s thesis, please click the Thesis link on the left. All the students also present their theses in an online seminar. This online seminar is compulsory for everyone and you can flexibly choose the timing for recording and uploading your video presentation.

European Forestry Forum – Job Fairs and Graduation Ceremony. You have a possibility to participate at the European Forestry Forum where the graduation ceremony takes place.

Courses 2022–2024

The following studies will be available for the students who will start in August 2022.

MSc European Forestry studies are divided into the following three Modules.

First Academic Year

Study Module 1 (13 ECTS) takes place in Joensuu and improves your professional knowledge by offering the following courses:

  • Trends in European Forestry, 5 ECTS (August 2022)
  • Academic Skills in Forest Sciences, 1.5 ECTS (Autumn 2022)
  • Research Methodology in Forest Sciences, 3.5 ECTS  (Autumn 2022)
  • Global Virtual Seminar, 3 ECTS (All year)

Elective courses (min. 30 ECTS)

This is a package of courses offered by the University of Eastern Finland jointly selected by the Consortium to provide you with necessary background to follow any of the available study tracks during the second academic year.  You are free to choose among the elective courses, although there are some recommended courses associated with each study track (see the Study Guide). The list of available courses may vary each year depending on the student feedback and teaching arrangements. You may also choose various online courses provided by the Partner universities (see below).

The list of available elective courses during the academic year 2022-2023 among which you need to choose a min.  of 30 ECTS (also more than 30 ECTS can be chosen).

Autumn semester

Climate smart forest management, 3 ECTS
Decision making in forestry, 6 ECTS
European forest bioeconomy, 5 ECTS
Forest ecosystem modelling, theory, 2 ECTS
Forest ecosystem modelling, practicals, 3 ECTS
Forest policy analysis, 6 ECTS
Forest work science , 6 ECTS
Futures analysis of forest bioeconomy, 4 ECTS
Information skills and sources in science and forestry for international students, 1 ECTS
Supply and energy use of lignocellulosic biomass, 6 ECTS
University study skills, 1 ECTS
Wood materials science, 3 ECTS

Spring semester

Bioenergy markets and policies, 6 ECTS
Co-management of natural resources, 5 ECTS
Data-driven qualitative methodologies for forest scientists and foresters, 5 ECTS
Economics of multiple-use forestry, 3 ECTS
Forest hydrology, theory, 3 ECTS
Forest hydrology, practicals , 3 ECTS
Forest information systems, 5 ECTS
Forest pathology and wood microbiology, 4-6 ECTS
Innovation management in forest industries, 4 ECTS
Measurement, scaling and instrumentation, 5  ECTS
Perspectives to bioeconomy, 5 ECTS
Structure and properties of wood-based materials, 5 ECTS

All year

Forest soil literature (literature exam), 2-5 ECTS
Forest health and biodiversity management, 3 ECTS
Forestry applications of airborne laser scanning literature (literature exam), 3  ECTS
Introduction to remote sensing and geoinformatics MOOC, 3 ECTS

Online courses provided by the University of Lleida (Spain):
Forest dynamics in a global change context: drivers, processes and modelling approaches, 5 ECTS (PDF)
Introduction to Spatial Statistics: Spatial analysis with R, 5 ECTS (PDF)
Stand to Continental Forest Health Management, 5 ECTS (PDF)

Study Module 2 (17 ECTS) gives you practical perspective and introduces you to a working life by offering the following courses:

  • European Forestry Field Course (EFFC), 8 ECTS. EFFC is designed and implemented by the Consortium after Module 1 in May. The EFFC takes you across Europe through Spain, France, Germany, Austria and Romania. The main objective is to provide you with in-depth knowledge on socially, culturally and economically sustainable forestry in different parts of Europe.
  • Applied Period in Forest Institutions, 9 ECTS. During the Applied period in Forest Institution (a two-month internship), you have the opportunity to get familiar with working life and project management. Our Consortium universities and associated partner universities and associated industrial and scientific partners are offering these placements. A list of available placements each year will be provided during the autumn semester of the first academic year.

Note! Updated course descriptions (excluding online courses offered by the Partner universities which can be found above) are available and can be found by searching the courses by their names in Peppi (peppi.uef.fi).

Second Academic Year

Study Module 3

Your second academic year is conducted in one of the MSc EF Consortium universities in Austria, France, Germany, Spain or Romania (not in Finland) and it is based on Study Module 3 where each Consortium university offers a package core courses they are able to offer for each of the study track based on their expertise and course catalogues. Additional “Track+” includes studies provided by the Associated Partner Universities in Canada, China or Brazil. The study tracks of the second year with the related key words are described below:

  • Track 1: Decision support systems for resource management. Keywords: Forest Informatics, Precision forestry, Forest planning, Operations research
  • Track 2: Resource management for ecosystem services. Keywords: Carbon resource management, Efficient bio-resource analysis, Precision forestry
  • Track 3: Spatial and ecological modelling. Keywords: Production ecology, Spatiotemporal modelling, Geo-technologies, Natural hazards and risks.
  • Track 4: Resource economics and policy. Keywords: Applied forest bioeconomy, Environmental policy/governance, New bio-materials and Economics of multipurpose forestry
  • Track 5: Silviculture and forest engineering. Keywords: European forest practices, Forest based bio-economy, Forest management and chain of custody certification
  • Track +: Global perspective (a standard track 1, 2, 3 or 4 in Europe + additional studies provided by the Associated Partner Universities in Canada, China, or Brazil). Keywords: Global forestry, Forest management Canada/Brazil/China

The courses related to each study track are listed in the Academic Study Guide. Please note that there is also a wide selection of elective courses besides the core courses of each study track which you are free to choose. You are also encouraged to take language courses as the composition of the MSc EF Consortium allows students to learn Finnish, French, German, Romanian and/or Spanish.

Master’s Thesis and Online Thesis Seminar are also included in Study Module 3.

  • Advanced Courses, 30 ECTS.  The selected advanced courses support the European Forestry curriculum by offering you the very speciality of your chosen second year host university.
  • Master’s Thesis and online thesis seminar, 30 ECTS. The master’s thesis. Composing a master’s thesis, 30 ECTS, is one of the most important components of the MSc European Forestry curriculum. It trains you to carry out research independently in the field of forest sciences. The goal is to produce a piece of research work that could be published in an international scientific journal. The thesis must be prepared according to the guidelines given by the host university. For further information on master’s thesis, please click the Thesis link on the left. All the students also present their theses in an online seminar. This online seminar is compulsory for everyone and you can flexibly choose the timing for recording and uploading your video presentation.

European Forestry Forum – Job Fairs and Graduation Ceremony. You have a possibility to participate at the European Forestry Forum where the graduation ceremony takes place. All the graduated participants present their thesis to a wide audience of fellow students, researchers and employers. Those graduates who have not yet managed to find employment have an ample opportunity to meet potential employers and network with researchers from all over the world.

Courses 2021–2023

The following studies will be available for the students who will start in August 2021.

MSc European Forestry studies are divided into the following three Modules. The course descriptions can be found by clicking the course code (all links open in new tabs).

During the academic year 2021-2022 the courses included in the study structure below will be switched to online teaching in case the coronavirus pandemic requires so.

First Academic Year

Study Module 1 (13 ECTS) takes place in Joensuu and improves your professional knowledge by offering the following courses:

  • 3513157 Trends in European Forestry, 5 ECTS (August 2021)
  • 3513061 Academic Skills in Forest Sciences, 1.5 ECTS (Autumn 2021)
  • 3513148 Research Methodology in Forest Sciences, 3.5 ECTS  (Autumn 2021)
  • 3513187 Global Virtual Seminar, 3 ECTS (All year)

Elective courses (min. 30 ECTS)

This is a package of courses offered by the University of Eastern Finland jointly selected by the Consortium to provide you with necessary background to follow any of the available study tracks during the second academic year.  You are free to choose among the elective courses, although there are some recommended courses associated with each study track (see the Study Guide). The list of available courses may vary each year depending on the student feedback and teaching arrangements. You may also choose various online courses provided by the Partner universities (see below).

The tentative list of available elective courses during the academic year 2021-2022 among which you need to choose a min. 30 ECTS (also more than 30 ECTS can be chosen).

Autumn semester

3513144 Analysis of forest economics and policy, 6 ECTS
3513142 Basics of wood material science, 4 ECTS
3513175A Carbon dynamics of forest soils (field course), 3 ECTS
3513127 Current issues in forest conservation and biodiversity, 3 ECTS
3513040 Economics of multiple-use forestry, 3 ECTS
3513170 Forest ecosystem modelling, concepts and applications, 2-5 ECTS
3513165 Foresight methods and applications for the forest sector, 5 ECTS
3513055 Forest products mechanics, 6 ECTS
8020270 Information skills and sources in science and forestry for international students, 1 ECTS
3513149 Intensive forest management and production of forest biomass, 3 ECTS
3513129 Supply and energy use of lignocellulosic biomass, 6 ECTS
8031003 University study skills, 1 ECTS

Spring semester

3513029 Advanced remote sensing, 5 ECTS
3513028 Applied geoinformatics 2, 5 ECTS
3513019 Bioenergy markets and policies, 6 ECTS
3510011 Data-driven qualitative methodologies for forest scientists and foresters, 5 ECTS
3513011 Forest zoology, 4-6 ECTS
3513135 Innovation management, 4 ECTS
3513151 International forest governance and environmental policy, 5 ECTS
3513123 Nutrient dynamics of forest ecosystems, 4 ECTS
3513147 Perspectives to bioeconomy, 6 ECTS
3513070 Principles of scientific inquiry in forest ecology and biodiversity reseach, 3 ECTS
3513159 Structure and properties of wood-based materials, 5 ECTS

All year

3513175B Carbon dynamics of forest soils (literature exam), 4 ECTS
3513174 Forest health management, 3 ECTS

Online courses provided by the University of Lleida (Spain):
Forest dynamics in a global change context: drivers, processes and modelling approaches, 5 ECTS (PDF)
Introduction to Spatial Statistics: Spatial analysis with R, 5 ECTS (PDF)
Stand to Continental Forest Health Management, 5 ECTS (PDF)

Study Module 2 (17 ECTS) gives you practical perspective and introduces you to a working life by offering the following courses:

  • 3513073 European Forestry Field Course (EFFC), 8 ECTS. EFFC is designed and implemented by the Consortium after Module 1 in May. The EFFC takes you across Europe through Spain, France, Germany, Austria and Romania. The main objective is to provide you with in-depth knowledge on socially, culturally and economically sustainable forestry in different parts of Europe.
  • 3513188 Applied Period in Forest Institutions, 9 ECTS. During the Applied period in Forest Institution (a two-month internship), you have the opportunity to get familiar with working life and project management. Our Consortium universities and associated partner universities and associated industrial and scientific partners are offering these placements. A list of available placements each year will be provided during the autumn semester of the first academic year.

Note! Updated course descriptions (excluding online courses offered by the Partner universities which can be found above) are available in WebOodi (Course catalogues>Faculty of Science and Forestry>School of Forest Sciences>Master’s Degree Programme in European Forestry 2021–2022 or simply click the course codes above) from April 2021 onwards.

Second Academic Year

Study Module 3

Your second academic year is conducted in one of the MSc EF Consortium universities in Austria, France, Germany, Spain or Romania (not in Finland) and it is based on Study Module 3 where each Consortium university offers a package core courses they are able to offer for each of the study track based on their expertise and course catalogues. Additional “Track+” includes studies provided by the Associated Partner Universities in Canada, China or Brazil. The study tracks of the second year with the related key words are described below:

  • Track 1: Decision support systems for resource management. Keywords: Forest Informatics, Precision forestry, Forest planning, Operations research
  • Track 2: Resource management for ecosystem services. Keywords: Carbon resource management, Efficient bio-resource analysis, Precision forestry
  • Track 3: Spatial and ecological modelling. Keywords: Production ecology, Spatiotemporal modelling, Geo-technologies, Natural hazards and risks.
  • Track 4: Resource economics and policy. Keywords: Applied forest bioeconomy, Environmental policy/governance, New bio-materials and Economics of multipurpose forestry
  • Track 5: Silviculture and forest engineering. Keywords: European forest practices, Forest based bio-economy, Forest management and chain of custody certification
  • Track +: Global perspective (a standard track 1, 2, 3 or 4 in Europe + additional studies provided by the Associated Partner Universities in Canada, China, or Brazil). Keywords: Global forestry, Forest management Canada/Brazil/China

The courses related to each study track are listed in the Academic Study Guide. Please note that there is also a wide selection of elective courses besides the core courses of each study track which you are free to choose. You are also encouraged to take language courses as the composition of the MSc EF Consortium allows students to learn Finnish, French, German, Romanian and/or Spanish.

Master’s Thesis and Online Thesis Seminar are also included in Study Module 3.

  • Advanced Courses, 30 ECTS.  The selected advanced courses support the European Forestry curriculum by offering you the very speciality of your chosen second year host university.
  • Master’s Thesis and online thesis seminar, 30 ECTS. The master’s thesis. Composing a master’s thesis, 30 ECTS, is one of the most important components of the MSc European Forestry curriculum. It trains you to carry out research independently in the field of forest sciences. The goal is to produce a piece of research work that could be published in an international scientific journal. The thesis must be prepared according to the guidelines given by the host university. For further information on master’s thesis, please click the Thesis link on the left. All the students also present their theses in an online seminar. This online seminar is compulsory for everyone and you can flexibly choose the timing for recording and uploading your video presentation.

European Forestry Forum – Job Fairs and Graduation Ceremony. You have a possibility to participate at the European Forestry Forum where the graduation ceremony takes place. All the graduated participants present their thesis to a wide audience of fellow students, researchers and employers. Those graduates who have not yet managed to find employment have an ample opportunity to meet potential employers and network with researchers from all over the world.

Courses 2020–2022

The following studies will be available for the students who will start in August 2020.

MSc European Forestry studies are divided into the following three Modules. The course descriptions can be found by clicking the course code (all links open in new tabs).

First Academic Year

Study Module 1 (12 ECTS) takes place in Joensuu and improves your professional knowledge by offering the following courses:

  • 3513157 Trends in European Forestry, 5 ECTS (August 2020)
  • 3513061 Academic Skills in Forest Sciences, 1.5 ECTS (Autumn 2020)
  • 3513148 Research Methodology in Forest Sciences, 3.5 ECTS  (Autumn 2020)
  • 3513154 Global Virtual Seminar, 2 ECTS (All year)

Elective courses (min. 30 ECTS)

This is a package of courses offered by the University of Eastern Finland jointly selected by the Consortium to provide you with necessary background to follow any of the available study tracks during the second academic year.  You are free to choose among the elective courses, although there are some recommended courses associated with each study track (see the Study Guide). The list of available courses may vary each year depending on the student feedback and teaching arrangements. You may also choose various online courses provided by the Partner universities (see below).

The tentative list of available elective courses during the academic year 2020-2021 among which you need to choose a min. 30 ECTS (also more than 30 ECTS can be chosen).

Autumn semester

3513144 Analysis in forest economics and policy, 6 ECTS
3513142 Basics of wood material science, 4 ECTS
3513127 Current issues in forest conservation and biodiversity, 3 ECTS
3513040 Economics of multiple-use forestry, 3 ECTS
3513170 Forest ecosystem modelling, concepts and applications, 2-5 ECTS
3513055 Forest products mechanics, 6 ECTS (Cancelled in autumn 2020)
3513165 Foresight methods and applications for the forest sector, 5 ECTS
8020270 Information skills and sources in science and forestry for international students, 1 ECTS
3513065 Silvicultural management of forests for timber production and other ecosystem services, 3 ECTS
3513129 Supply and energy use of lignocellulosic biomass, 6 ECTS
8031003 University study skills, 1 ECTS

Spring semester

3513019 Bioenergy markets and policies, 6 ECTS
3513150 Co-management of natural resources, 5 ECTS
3510011 Data-driven qualitative methodologies for forest scientists and foresters, 5 ECTS
3513027 Forest information systems, 5 ECTS
3513089 Forest inventory and modeling, 8 ECTS
3513012 Forest pathology and forest microbiology, 6 ECTS
3513169 Forest soil hydrology, 3-6 ECTS
3513135 Innovation management, 4 ECTS
3513124 Literature seminar of forest soil ecology and management, 3 ECTS
3513058 Measurement, scaling and instrumentation, 5 ECTS
3513147 Perspectives to bioeconomy, 6 ECTS
3513155 Spatial optimization and utilization of new data sources in forest planning , 3 ECTS
3513159 Structure and properties of wood-based materials, 5 ECTS

All year

3513175B Carbon dynamics of forest soils (literature exam), 4 ECTS
3513174 Forest health management, 3 ECTS

Online courses provided by the University of Lleida (Spain):
Forest dynamics in a global change context: drivers, processes and modelling approaches, 5 ECTS (PDF)
Introduction to Spatial Statistics: Spatial analysis with R, 5 ECTS (PDF)
Stand to Continental Forest Health Management, 5 ECTS (PDF)

Study Module 2 (18 ECTS) gives you practical perspective and introduces you to a working life by offering the following courses:

  • 3513073 European Forestry Field Course (EFFC), 8 ECTS. EFFC is designed and implemented by the Consortium after Module 1 in May. The EFFC takes you across Europe through Spain, France, Germany, Austria and Romania. The main objective is to provide you with in-depth knowledge on socially, culturally and economically sustainable forestry in different parts of Europe.
  • 3513158 Applied Period in Forest Institutions, 10 ECTS. During the Applied period in Forest Institution (a two-month internship), you have the opportunity to get familiar with working life and project management. Our Consortium universities and associated partner universities and associated industrial and scientific partners are offering these placements. A list of available placements each year will be provided during the autumn semester of the first academic year.

Note! Updated course descriptions (excluding online courses offered by the Partner universities which can be found above) are available in WebOodi (Course catalogues>Faculty of Science and Forestry>School of Forest Sciences>Master’s Degree Programme in European Forestry 2020–2021 or simply click the course codes above) from April 2020 onwards.

Second Academic Year

Study Module 3

Your second academic year is conducted in one of the MSc EF Consortium universities in Austria, France, Germany, Spain or Romania (not in Finland) and it is based on Study Module 3 where each Consortium university offers a package core courses they are able to offer for each of the study track based on their expertise and course catalogues. Additional “Track+” includes studies provided by the Associated Partner Universities in Canada, China or Brazil. The study tracks of the second year with the related key words are described below:

  • Track 1: Decision support systems for resource management. Keywords: Forest Informatics, Precision forestry, Forest planning, Operations research
  • Track 2: Resource management for ecosystem services. Keywords: Carbon resource management, Efficient bio-resource analysis, Precision forestry
  • Track 3: Spatial and ecological modelling. Keywords: Production ecology, Spatiotemporal modelling, Geo-technologies, Natural hazards and risks.
  • Track 4: Resource economics and policy. Keywords: Applied forest bioeconomy, Environmental policy/governance, New bio-materials and Economics of multipurpose forestry
  • Track 5: Silviculture and forest engineering. Keywords: European forest practices, Forest based bio-economy, Forest management and chain of custody certification
  • Track +: Global perspective (a standard track 1, 2, 3 or 4 in Europe + additional studies provided by the Associated Partner Universities in Canada, China, or Brazil). Keywords: Global forestry, Forest management Canada/Brazil/China

The courses related to each study track are listed in the Academic Study Guide. Please note that there is also a wide selection of elective courses besides the core courses of each study track which you are free to choose. You are also encouraged to take language courses as the composition of the MSc EF Consortium allows students to learn Finnish, French, German, Romanian and/or Spanish.

Master’s Thesis and Online Thesis Seminar are also included in Study Module 3.

  • Advanced Courses, 30 ECTS.  The selected advanced courses support the European Forestry curriculum by offering you the very speciality of your chosen second year host university.
  • Master’s Thesis and online thesis seminar, 30 ECTS. The master’s thesis. Composing a master’s thesis, 30 ECTS, is one of the most important components of the MSc European Forestry curriculum. It trains you to carry out research independently in the field of forest sciences. The goal is to produce a piece of research work that could be published in an international scientific journal. The thesis must be prepared according to the guidelines given by the host university. For further information on master’s thesis, please click the Thesis link on the left. All the students also present their theses in an online seminar. This online seminar is compulsory for everyone and you can flexibly choose the timing for recording and uploading your video presentation.

European Forestry Forum – Job Fairs and Graduation Ceremony. You have a possibility to participate at the European Forestry Forum where the graduation ceremony takes place. All the graduated participants present their thesis to a wide audience of fellow students, researchers and employers. Those graduates who have not yet managed to find employment have an ample opportunity to meet potential employers and network with researchers from all over the world.

Courses 2019–2021

The following studies are available for the students who started in August 2019.

MSc European Forestry studies are divided into the following three Modules. The course descriptions can be found by clicking the course code (all links open in new tabs).

First Academic Year

Study Module 1 (12 ECTS) takes place in Joensuu and improves your professional knowledge by offering the following courses:

  • 3513157 Trends in European Forestry, 5 ECTS (August 2019)
  • 3513061 Academic Skills in Forest Sciences, 1.5 ECTS (Autumn 2019)
  • 3513148 Research Methodology in Forest Sciences, 3.5 ECTS  (Autumn 2019)
  • 3513154 Global Virtual Seminar, 2 ECTS (All year)

Elective courses (min. 30 ECTS)

This is a package of courses offered by the University of Eastern Finland jointly selected by the Consortium to provide you with necessary background to follow any of the available study tracks during the second academic year.  You are free to choose among the elective courses, although there are some recommended courses associated with each study track (see the Study Guide). The list of available courses may vary each year depending on the student feedback and teaching arrangements. You may also choose various online courses provided by the Partner universities (see below).

The tentative list of available elective courses during the academic year 2019-2020 among which you need to choose a min. 30 ECTS (also more than 30 ECTS can be chosen).

Autumn semester

3513144 Analysis in forest economics and policy, 6 ECTS
3513142 Basics of wood material science, 4 ECTS
3513175A Carbon dynamics of forest soils (field course), 3 ECTS (cancelled)
3513127 Current issues in forest conservation and biodiversity, 3 ECTS
3513040 Economics of multiple-use forestry, 3 ECTS
3513057 Fibrous products, 5 ECTS
3513170 Forest ecosystem modelling, concepts and applications, 2-5 ECTS
3513165 Foresight methods and applications for the forest sector, 5 ECTS
3513044 Forestry in Russia, 5 ECTS
8020270 Information skills and sources in science and forestry for international students, 1 ECTS
3513149 Intensive forest management and production of forest biomass, 3 ECTS
3513129 Supply and energy use of lignocellulosic biomass, 6 ECTS
8031003 University study skills, 1 ECTS ( Autumn 2019)

Spring semester

3513028 Advanced geographical information systems, 5 ECTS
3513029 Advanced remote sensing, 5 ECTS
3513019 Bioenergy markets and policies, 6 ECTS
3510011 Data-driven qualitative methodologies for forest scientists and foresters, 5 ECTS
3513011 Forest zoology, 4-6 ECTS
3513135 Innovation management, 4 ECTS
3513151 International forest governance and environmental policy, 5 ECTS
3513123 Nutrient dynamics in forest ecosystems, 4 ECTS
3513147 Perspectives to bioeconomy, 6 ECTS
3513070 Principles of scientific inquiry in forest ecology and biodiversity research, 3 ECTS
3513159 Structure and properties of wood-based materials, 5 ECTS

All year

3513175B Carbon dynamics of forest soils (literature exam), 4 ECTS
3513174 Forest health management, 3 ECTS
3513168 Timber transportation, 3 ECTS

Online courses provided by the University of Lleida (Spain):
Forest dynamics in a global change context: drivers, processes and modelling approaches, 5 ECTS (PDF)
Introduction to Spatial Statistics: Spatial analysis with R, 5 ECTS (PDF)
Stand to Continental Forest Health Management, 5 ECTS (PDF)

Study Module 2 (18 ECTS) gives you practical perspective and introduces you to a working life by offering the following courses:

  • 3513073 European Forestry Field Course (EFFC), 8 ECTS. EFFC is designed and implemented by the Consortium after Module 1 in May. The EFFC takes you across Europe through Spain, France, Germany, Austria and Romania. The main objective is to provide you with in-depth knowledge on socially, culturally and economically sustainable forestry in different parts of Europe.
  • 3513158 Applied Period in Forest Institutions, 10 ECTS. During the Applied period in Forest Institution (a two-month internship), you have the opportunity to get familiar with working life and project management. Our Consortium universities and associated partner universities and associated industrial and scientific partners are offering these placements. A list of available placements each year will be provided during the autumn semester of the first academic year.

Note! Updated course descriptions (excluding online courses offered by the Partner universities which can be found above) are available in WebOodi (Course catalogues>Faculty of Science and Forestry>School of Forest Sciences>Master’s Degree Programme in European Forestry 2019–2020 or simply click the course codes above) from April 2019 onwards.

Second Academic Year

Study Module 3

Your second academic year is conducted in one of the MSc EF Consortium universities in Austria, France, Germany, Spain or Romania (not in Finland) and it is based on Study Module 3 where each Consortium university offers a package core courses they are able to offer for each of the study track based on their expertise and course catalogues. Additional “Track+” includes studies provided by the Associated Partner Universities in Canada, China or Brazil. The study tracks of the second year with the related key words are described below:

  • Track 1: Decision support systems for resource management. Keywords: Forest Informatics, Precision forestry, Forest planning, Operations research
  • Track 2: Resource management for ecosystem services. Keywords: Carbon resource management, Efficient bio-resource analysis, Precision forestry
  • Track 3: Spatial and ecological modelling. Keywords: Production ecology, Spatiotemporal modelling, Geo-technologies, Natural hazards and risks.
  • Track 4: Resource economics and policy. Keywords: Applied forest bioeconomy, Environmental policy/governance, New bio-materials and Economics of multipurpose forestry
  • Track 5: Silviculture and forest engineering. Keywords: European forest practices, Forest based bio-economy, Forest management and chain of custody certification
  • Track +: Global perspective (a standard track 1, 2, 3 or 4 in Europe + additional studies provided by the Associated Partner Universities in Canada, China, or Brazil). Keywords: Global forestry, Forest management Canada/Brazil/China

The courses related to each study track are listed in the Academic Study Guide. Please note that there is also a wide selection of elective courses besides the core courses of each study track which you are free to choose. You are also encouraged to take language courses as the composition of the MSc EF Consortium allows students to learn Finnish, French, German, Romanian and/or Spanish.

Master’s Thesis and Online Thesis Seminar are also included in Study Module 3.

  • Advanced Courses, 30 ECTS.  The selected advanced courses support the European Forestry curriculum by offering you the very speciality of your chosen second year host university.
  • Master’s Thesis and online thesis seminar, 30 ECTS. The master’s thesis. Composing a master’s thesis, 30 ECTS, is one of the most important components of the MSc European Forestry curriculum. It trains you to carry out research independently in the field of forest sciences. The goal is to produce a piece of research work that could be published in an international scientific journal. The thesis must be prepared according to the guidelines given by the host university. For further information on master’s thesis, please click the Thesis link on the left. All the students also present their theses in an online seminar. This online seminar is compulsory for everyone and you can flexibly choose the timing for recording and uploading your video presentation.
  • European Forestry Forum – Job Fairs and Graduation Ceremony. You have a possibility to participate at the European Forestry Forum where the graduation ceremony takes place. All the graduated participants present their thesis to a wide audience of fellow students, researchers and employers. Those graduates who have not yet managed to find employment have an ample opportunity to meet potential employers and network with researchers from all over the world.