Your degree in Urban Forestry

Skills you’ll develop

While studying Urban Forestry, you’re developing interdisciplinary skills to plan and manage urban green-spaces and ecosystems for human welfare, ecological health, and the protection of cities’ support systems. You’ll develop important ways of thinking that can lead us to a more sustainable future.

These skills may include:

Green-space planning and design methods
Forest and green-space management
Smart data, modelling and visualization
Community engagement and consultations
Analyzing access to greenspaces and equity issues
Understanding how social, economic, and political systems affect biophysical systems
Understanding of urban ecology and management, including ecosystem services, wildlife, and wetlands
Developing a systems understanding of climate change and environmental issues
Technical skills in geographic information systems (GIS), statistics, and computer programming
Understand the research, theory and principles of natural resources conservation
Developing and delivering effective presentations for a variety of audiences
Technical report writing

Career possibilities

Career opportunities vary widely across a range of fields including urban forest, climate change and sustainability consulting, urban forest management, arboriculture, research, education, urban planning, landscape architecture, and others. Upon graduation, many students can apply to become an International Certified Arborist.

There are many career paths that can combine your academics, skills, and experience with your different interests. Read through the job titles below for ideas. Some career options may require further education or training.

Visit the National Occupational Classification website to research basic requirements and responsibilities of jobs in your field.

Arborist
Architect
City forester
Conservationist
Consulting arborist/urban forester
Ecotourism manager
Environmental educator
Ethnobotanist
Green infrastructure planner
Landscape architect
Land use planner
Municipal arborist
Natural resources consultant

Non-profit director
Parks and recreation manager
Park naturalist
Parks technician
Planning technician
Policy analyst
Researcher
Sustainability consultant
Tree risk/health assessor
Urban greenspace designer
Urban forestry planner
Urban planner

Make the most of your degree

Your experiences will open doors to new opportunities and help clarify your understanding of your values and interests.

UBC Forestry Co-op Program
Gain paid work experience related to your degree by alternating academic terms with work terms through the Co-op Program.
Work Learn Program
Develop valuable skills through a part-time, on-campus job and grow your professional network.
Forestry Digest
Sign up to receive weekly updates about paid and volunteer opportunities, upcoming events, and more.
Forestry Tri-Mentoring Program
Connect with peers and industry mentors around career interests and build your communication and networking skills.
UBC Sustainability programs and clubs
Browse on-campus paid and volunteer opportunities related to sustainability.
Sustainability Ambassadors
Develop collaboration and leadership skills through an on-campus volunteer role.
UBC Centre for Sustainable Food Systems
Check out educational and community-building events at the UBC Farm.
Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions internships
Apply your classroom knowledge to real-world settings through climate change mitigation or adaptation projects.
Environmental mentorship program
Find a mentor through the Connecting Environmental Professionals organization.
UBC Climate Hub
Facilitate the sharing of climate knowledge to empower youth to become Climate Ambassadors in their own communities.
UBC Sustainability research opportunities
Participate in research and project-based roles to advance sustainability at UBC and in the region.
UBC Environmental Policy Association
Learn about the impact of global climate change policies through various discussion-based events.
AMS Sustainability
Access resources and funding of up to $15,000 to support your sustainability-related initiative or project.
Common Energy UBC
Join 1 of 6 action teams to implement sustainability initiatives and practices into all aspects of the UBC community.
UBC Student Environment Centre
Access funding for projects that address environmental and sustainability issues.
ECO Canada job board
Check out environmental employment opportunities.
Go Global
Learn more about international opportunities available for UBC undergraduate students.
Haida Gwaii Institute Semesters
Take immersive, UBC-accredited courses in Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, on topics including Natural Resource Science, Marine Conservation, Community Resilience, and more.
NSERC Undergraduate Research Awards
Receive funding to work on research-related jobs and projects.
Canada Summer Jobs Program
Check out summer jobs for full-time students.
Federal Student Work Experience Program
Apply for government positions across Canada through this student recruitment initiative.
Government volunteer and internship positions
Find local and international opportunities to prepare you for future employment.
Volunteer and internship opportunities
Browse various resources to gain local and international experience.

Build your network

Employers often hire people they know, so help them get to know you. You can build your network through clubs, classes, informational interviews, and more. There are so many ways to make connections and find mentors.

The professional associations below are also great resources for meeting people, learning about specific industries, and finding job and volunteer opportunities. Most have reduced membership rates for students and new grads.

Connect with alumni on LinkedIn

Find UBC Bachelor of Urban Forestry graduates on LinkedIn to learn about where they’re working, and their career and academic paths.

More information

From your Forestry degree, you’ll develop skills and experiences that can translate into many career paths. Check out other things you can do with your Forestry degree.