The Sustainable Tropical Forestry (SUTROFOR) is offered by a consortium of five European universities- Faculty of Life Sciences, Copenhagen University, Denmark
- Bangor University, School of Environment,Natural Resources and Geography, Bangor, Wales, UK
- Dresden University of Technology, Institute of International Forestry and Forest Products, Tharandt, Germany
- AgroParisTech (the Paris Institute of Technology for Life, Food and Environmental Sciences) , Montpellier, France
- University of Padova, College of Agriculture, Padova, Italy.
The course consists of a first study year at one of three institutions (Bangor, Copenhagen, Dresden) and a specialising second study year with different topics offered by each of the five institutions. Students are required to spend the second year at a different university to the first year. The aim of the first study year is to provide a thorough and broad introduction to sustainable tropical forestry. The learning outcomes are similar for the three first year institutions and allow students to choose freely among all five specialisation options in the second year. The first year ends with the Joint Summer Module including fieldwork in a tropical country.
Specialisation options in the second year are:
- Agroforestry systems (Bangor)
- Socio-economics of tropical forestry (Copenhagen)
- Tropical forest management (Dresden)
- Environmental management and policies for tropical forests (Montpellier)
- Ethics in forestry and responsible trade in tropical forest products and services (Padova).
To obtain the SUTROFOR double degree and the Diploma Supplement, students will acquire 120 ECTS credits by studying at two Consortium institutions, acquiring at least 60 ECTS credits at each. All SUTROFOR modular activities can be completed in English, except the second year at Montpellier which is only available in French.
The following degrees are awarded: MSc in Forest and Livelihoods in Copenhagen, MSc in Sustainable Tropical Forestry in Bangor, MSc in Tropical Forestry in Dresden, MSc in Agricultural Sciences, specialisation Environmental Management of Ecosystems and Tropical Forests in Montpellier, and MSc in Forestry and Environmental Sciences in Padova.
This course is accredited by the Institute of Chartered Foresters and gives partial fulfilment of Professional Membership Entry.
Career Prospects
There are excellent employment opportunities in the broad area of tropical forestry including national government, international organisations and consultancies. Many recent SUTROFOR graduates have gone on to do PhD research.