Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Forest Engineering University of Canterbury

Engineers design the future. They provide innovative solutions to meet the needs of our modern world. From buildings and bridges, to apps and smart devices, to pharmaceuticals and renewable energy, engineering feats are everywhere.

The Bachelor of Engineering with Honours (BE(Hons)) is a four-year professional degree. The degree is accredited by Engineering New Zealand, allowing our graduates to work as professionally qualified engineers all over the world.

‌Forest engineering is a hybrid of engineering, forestry and management. It requires people who can combine skills to solve engineering problems in the natural environment, with a focus on balancing economic, societal and environmental requirements.

Forest engineers construct and evaluate the operational systems that make the forest industry ‘work'. This can include:

• designing and building new roads
• developing or modifying forestry equipment
• planning harvest operations
• optimising transport logistics
• integrating new technologies
• supervising employees and contractors
• ensuring safety standards are maintained.

Forest engineers work with public and governmental agencies. They look after the environment, and may steer projects through the resource consent process. Forest engineering graduates know the forest environment and forest products and processes, and they provide the essential link between the forest and the final product.

Studying Forest Engineering includes courses and expertise taught through the School of Forestry and the Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering. There is a real focus on 'hands-on' engineering practices, with many field trips to expose students to real-world engineering problems and opportunities. The Forest Engineering programme at UC is the only one of its kind in Australasia.

How do I plan my degree?

The first year of the degree is called the Engineering Intermediate Year and comprises nine courses (120 points) which is made up of:

• five compulsory courses and
• four further Intermediate Year courses which vary depending on which Engineering discipline you want to specialise in.

The Intermediate Year is followed by three Professional Years of study in one of the Engineering disciplines. Entry to the Professional Years is limited and based on your performance in the first year(s). All students must also complete one compulsory course in their First Professional Year, and 800 hours (approximately 100 days) of practical work placement.

Career opportunities

Forest engineers have a wide skillset that provides work opportunities both at home and abroad. Graduates can take up employment in the forest industry, but because of the multidisciplinary nature of forest engineering, job opportunities are also available in areas including general engineering consultancy, local and regional councils, government agencies, resource management and research.

Careers in these organisations are challenging, creative, stimulating and offer great scope for advancement.