The forestry major is a professional degree program and is the only one in Kentucky accredited by the Society of American Foresters. We are looking for students who share our passion for forests, wildlife, and other natural resources, and who wish to learn how to manage them for future generations.
Bachelor of Forestry at University of Kentucky
University Rank:#781
Bachelor of Forestry at University of Kentucky
International students can study the Forestry at University of Kentucky at its main campus in Lexington, United States of America. This Bachelor degree is available as a Full Time program delivered on campus in English. The program has a duration of 4 years and is offered at the university's main campus. Students can apply for the next intake starting on August 21, 2027.
About Bachelor of Forestry
Disciplines
College of Agriculture Food & Environment
Requirements and Admission Criteria for Bachelor of Forestry at University of Kentucky
Entry Requirements
- Freshman Admission: Applicants who have not attended a college or university upon completion of secondary school AND who have met all requirements including English proficiency as noted below.
- Transfer Admission : Applicants who have attended a college or university upon completion of secondary school AND met all requirements including English proficiency as noted below.
- Non-degree Admission: Applicants who are exchange or visiting students.
- Conditional Admission: Applicants who meet UK’s academic requirements for admission but do not meet the minimum language proficiency requirement or the departmental specific requirements (such as certain SAT/ACT math scores for Engineering and Nursing).
- Students who are offered conditional admission because of English may either resubmit a higher TOEFL/IELTS score or enroll in UK's Center for English as a Second Language program. The duration of these courses will depend on placement test results and individual student progress. Upon successful completion of the English language course(s), the student will move seamlessly into a degree program at UK. This means no TOEFL/IELTS scores will be required if students complete CESL.
- Students who require a higher math score for Engineering may submit a higher score or switch their intended major to a program that does not have specific requirements.
- No additional application is required for Conditional Admission.
English Requirements
- IELTSMin 6
- TOEFLMin 71
Career Opportunities after Completing Bachelor of Forestry
A forestry degree will prepare you to work with a diversity of landowners, agencies, wildlife, and a wide range of forest industries to help manage the benefits of and threats to forests throughout the region. As a forestry major, you will learn:
- how a forestry degree is an effective background for managing forests and a wide range of natural resources
- wildlife and watershed management
- how to enhance the health and integrity of our forests
- forest policy and ways to address complex socioeconomic issues involved with practicing forestry
- fundamental forestry concepts such as dendrology, ecology, silviculture, and forest measurements
Learn more about forestry and what you can do with a forestry degree.
Our department is also home to the Wildlife Biology and Management minor. Click here to learn more.
Experiential Education
There are very few majors that offer as many different opportunities to "learn by doing", and even fewer that focus on learning in outdoor classrooms and laboratories. For example, during the spring semester of the junior year, forestry majors participate in a semester-long, field-oriented immersion into the practice and application of forestry, wildlife, and natural resource management techniques. The first half of the Spring Field Semester is spent traveling throughout Kentucky and the surrounding region to learn about different ecosystems, land uses, landownership types, and wood industry facilities. The second half of the semester is spent at the university's 15,000-acre experimental forest in southeastern Kentucky to give students additional hands-on field experience.
Click here to learn more about the Spring Field Semester.
Career Outcomes
We want you to grow your future and pursue your passion. Our students come from all across Kentucky, as well as other states throughout the region, but one thing that unites them is a love for the outdoors. Whether they like to hunt and fish or simply hike in the woods, our students have found a place they can get a college degree that will lead to many different outdoor careers, and pursue their passion at the same time.
Our classes cover topics like forestry, wildlife, water, fire, forest economics, forest products, and GIS/GPS. We teach land-management techniques using the latest technologies and because many of our classes are actually conducted outdoors, our motto is "small classes, BIG classrooms".
Here are a few examples of employers of forestry majors: U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Kentucky Division of Forestry or other state forestry agencies, forest products companies, non-profit organizations, and forestry consulting firms. Many forestry graduates continue their education in graduate school. Job opportunities for forestry graduates include:
- Forester
- State and Federal Forester
- Land Manager
- Urban Forester
- Consulting Forester
- Wildland Firefighter
- Utility Forester
- Arborist
- Forest Biologist
- GIS Specialist
- County Extension Agent
- Environmental Scientist
- Water Quality Specialist
- Researcher
- Naturalist
- and many more.
Come See for Yourself
To learn more about this program, campus life, and chat with an advisor, schedule a campus visit. Virtual visits may be necessary in some cases.
In-State Tuition
Thanks to agreements through the Academic Common Market, students from the following states can enroll in the University of Kentucky Forestry program at in-state tuition rates:
- Maryland
These agreements are subject to change without notice. For the most up-to-date information on the Academic Common Market, click here.
Tuition and Fee Information for Bachelor of Forestry at University of Kentucky
Application Fee 60
How to Apply for Bachelor of Forestry at University of Kentucky
1. Complete UK International Application for Undergraduate Admission or Common Application
2. $60 Application processing fee (non-refundable)
3. Official transcripts in English
4. English proficiency directly from testing center:
- TOEFL: 71 iBT, 543 IPT (UK administered)
- TOEFL Essentials: 7.5
- IELTS: 6.0
- Duolingo: 105
5. Optional tests: ACT / SAT (M+CR) Scores
- ACT school code: 1554 | SAT school code - 1837
- Required for engineering programs and scholarships
Priority Deadline:
- December 1 for Fall semester (August start)
- October 15 for Spring semester (January start)
*Scholarship deadline for freshmen international undergraduate students is December 1.
Bachelor of Forestry at University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
United States of America, Lexington