Forests cover one-third of the land area in the United States and rangelands cover more than half of the earth’s land surface. Forestry & Wildland Resources degrees teach you to connect with and manage these lands, ensuring a sustainable future for the nation’s wildlands. At Humboldt, you’ll get hands-on learning in some of the world’s most spectacular and important forests and rangelands, personal attention from faculty, and a clear path to a career outdoors.
Choose from Two Majors
In the Forestry & Wildland Resources Department, you can choose to major in Forestry or Rangeland Resource Science.
Forestry
Cal Poly Humboldt is surrounded by redwood forests. You’ll gain hands-on experience and the skills that employers are looking for. Our staff and faculty work closely with students to help them understand the biological complexities of the forest and the interactions between the forest and social and economic forces, all through a lens of sustainability.
The Bachelor of Science in Forestry has a core set of courses, and you must choose one of six concentrations to emphasize in your studies:
Concentration in Forest Hydrology
Concentration in Forest Operations
Concentration in Forest Restoration
Concentration in Forest Soils
Concentration in Tribal Forestry
Concentration in Wildland Fire Management
Rangeland Resource Science
Open expanses of grasslands—private ranches, as well as federal and state land—are just minutes from Cal Poly Humboldt. You’ll learn from these lands through fieldwork, hands-on experiences, and faculty connections, gaining an understanding of how important they are as wildlife habitat and to human society. Those experiences turn into careers—government and private employers are always looking for rangeland and soil scientists, and opportunities are growing.
There are two paths to getting a Bachelor of Science in Rangeland Resource Science, and the program has one concentration in addition to the core set of range courses:
Major in Rangeland Resource Science
Major in Rangeland Resource Science with a concentration in Wildland Soils
Featured Alumni Profile
Kaelie Pena, 2017
Rangeland Management Specialist, United States Forest Service: Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
As a rangeland management specialist, I manage grazing allotments on Forest Service lands, which includes: managing grazing permits, vegetation monitoring, endangered species monitoring, restoration and development of lands, ecological monitoring, managing the district stock program (I get to ride a
Career Options
Forestry and rangeland scientists are in high demand. Our graduates have gone onto careers in private and public sectors, and tribal and nonprofit conservation agencies. They hold leadership positions at land management agencies and teach at major universities.
Here are a few possible career options:
Careers in Forestry
- Carbon auditor
- Consulting forester
- Fire management specialist
- Forester
- Geospatial technician
- Habitat restoration specialist
- Soil scientist
- Water resource analyst
- Registered professional forester
- Timberland appraiser
Careers in Rangeland Resource Science
- Biological Science Technician
- GIS Application Specialist
- Habitat Restoration Specialist
- Land Management Supervisor
- Hunting/Fishing Guide
- Natural Resource Specialist
- Rangeland Mgmt Specialist
- Range Technician
- Soil Conservationist
- Soil Scientist
Department Announcements
Department News
- Cal Poly Humboldt Rangeland Resource Science Students Win Triple Recognition in Albuquerque
- HSU Earns Recognition for Excellence in Fire Ecology
- HSU President, K-12 Teachers Explore Sustainable Forestry Practices at Scotia Mill
- McCrone Award-Winning Faculty, Student Honored for Research Excellence
- When it Comes to Identifying Plants, HSU No. 1 in the Nation
Achievements
Find out what our students, faculty, and staff are being recognized for.
