Wood Science and Technology

Students assess a tree at a WVU forestImagine a major that offers small classes taught by nationally-respected faculty members, and when you graduate, finding a job with an excellent starting salary is almost a sure thing!

That’s just what the WVU wood science and technology program has to offer.

While the wood products industry employs about 1.6 million people nationwide, WVU is one of only 22 American universities offering specialized programs to train professionals to manage and to provide technical expertise to the industry. That means WVU wood science and technology grads are in high demand by employers.

WVU faculty members maintain close working ties with producers in the region to develop new products and methodologies. The benefits of this relationship are numerous for students, including internships and part-time employment opportunities and training on the latest technologies.

Facts

  • WVU offers a bachelor’s degree in wood science and technology, as well as a master’s degree in forestry and a doctoral degree in forest resources science.
  • The undergraduate program offers two areas of emphasis: wood processing and forest utilization.
  • A minor in wood science and technology is available to students enrolled in related disciplines.
  • A professional internship is required of all majors before beginning their senior year in the program.
  • Opportunities exist for part-time employment or for-credit independent study involving faculty and Appalachian Hardwood Center research.
  • The program is one of only 10 to receive accreditation from the Society of Wood Science and Technology.
  • According to an industry survey by the Pinchot Institute for Conservation, WVU’s program is one of the 10 most heavily recruited in the United States.
  • WVU is one of 10 universities to be home to a federally funded Center for Wood Utilization Research.

What’s the starting salary?


Average entry level salaries for wood science and technology graduates are the highest among Division of Forestry and Natural Resources programs. Starting salaries tend to range from $35,000–48,000, with the higher end salaries generally for careers in production management and marketing.

What can I do with this major?


Another great aspect of the major is the diversity of careers available to graduates. Grads can choose to work an urban or rural environment, at a desk or in the field, in the United States or abroad.

Recent graduates from the wood science and technology program have received job offers from major lumber firms, paper manufacturers, architectural millwork companies, building products distributors, and many other forest products companies.

What classes will I take?


All majors take 88 hours of core curriculum courses, plus 40 hours in their chosen area of emphasis (wood processing or forest utilization). In addition to courses to fulfill the University’s General Education Curriculum, core courses for wood science and technology majors include classes in forestry, mathematics, economics, biology, chemistry, physics, and a variety of wood science and technology courses, such as Wood Anatomy and Structure, Wood Grading and Procurement, and Forest Products Decision-Making.

Wood Science and Technology Curriculum

What department organizations can I join?


Majors and other students interested in the field can join the WVU Student Chapter of the Forest Products Society, which organizes its own activities as well as participating in Division of Forestry and Natural Resources events, such as the Division’s yearbook, The Cruiser, and the annual banquet and alumni weekend.

How do I find out more?


You can read more about the major at the Wood Science and Technology Home Page and the Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Consumer Sciences site. You can request an information packet from the Division of Forestry or e-mail forestry@mail.wvu.edu for additional information.

Also, check out the profile of Dr. James Armstrong, Wood Science and Technology Program Coordinator.

Photo Gallery

2006 graduates Jimmy King, Dustin Kuiken, and Matt Rowles get some hands-on experience in one of their final courses as studentsDr. Ben Dawson-Andoh shows a student procedures in a wood sciences and technology lab

A student conducts a test in Dr. Ben Dawson-Andoh's labA student uses an instrument to evaluate trees at a WVU forest

Students inspect boardsA student works with a machine in a wood science and technology lab

A student conducts a test in a wood sciences and technology labResearchers review a computer model of a forest

Photos courtesy of WVU Photographic Services and Dr. James Armstrong

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