A.S. in Forest Technology
Elkins, USA
Associate of Science
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Aug 2027
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
Fast-track counseling
By contacting the school, you'll get access to free priority counselling for any study and application questions.
Key Summary
About: The A.S. in Forest Technology at Davis & Elkins College is a two-year sustainable resource management program combining lectures, field labs and hands-on training at the college’s 300-acre George A. Myles Experimental Forest. Small classes and close faculty–student mentorship support practical skill development. The degree is a candidate for SAF accreditation and allows transfer to a Forest Resource Management bachelor’s.
Career Outcomes: Graduates take forest technician roles with forestry agencies, wood-using industries, conservation NGOs, state Departments of Natural Resources, the Monongahela National Forest Supervisor’s Office, or private firms; roles include cruising, surveying, field operations, recreation and conservation and management.
The two-year sustainable resource management Forest Technology program provides students with the skills for a successful career in forestry. Graduates are immediately able to find jobs at the technical level. Forestry agencies and wood-using industries employ forest technicians as an important part of their forest management team. Students interested in a baccalaureate degree can easily transition to the Forest Resource Management specialization of the Sustainable Resource Management degree. Courses will involve a mixture of traditional lectures and outside labs, including hands-on learning at the college’s 300-acre George A. Myles Experimental Forest.
This educational program in forest technology leading to the degree of science is a candidate for accreditation by the Society of American Foresters (SAF), under the forest technology standard.
- Recognize and identify woody plants and ecological communities native to the Appalachian region, along with the abiotic and biotic challenges facing these systems.
- Demonstrate the ability to accurately and precisely quantify forest resources and develop appropriate sustainable forest management recommendations to achieve landowner objectives.
- Understand the science behind different silvicultural systems and when/how to apply them.
- Become familiar with forest products and their markets in the Appalachian region.
- Understand how to perform timber harvesting operations in a sustainable manner that protects land, water, and air resources.
- Understand the use and application of Geographic Information Science and Systems, and conduct spatial analysis (e.g., GIS, GPS, etc.), and be familiar with other natural resource technological advances.
- Become knowledgeable of forest ownership and stakeholders and understand how federal, state, and local laws and regulations govern the practice of forestry and the process through which forest policy is developed.
- Gain hands-on skills needed for forest management, including chainsaw skills, basic first aid, and safety around harvesting equipment.
- Demonstrate proficiency in the preparation and presentation of oral and written communication to both professional and nonprofessional audiences.
- Promote a high level of professional ethics while engaging and supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of forestry and in public relations.
In addition to needs-based assistance, many scholarships and grants are based on other criteria.
Scholarships
These are competitive financial awards that reduce your out-of-pocket cost of tuition. Candidates who apply for admission and are admitted to the College will be evaluated and considered. Additional steps may be required for some scholarships.
- U.S. resident from outside West Virginia (this scholarship is merit-based)
- West Virginia high school graduate
- Student athlete
- International student
- Member of the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)
- Related to D&E alumni
- Veteran or dependent of a veteran
- Student of the performing arts
- American Legion Boys & Girls State participants
- Nursing student
Grants
This is money for college based on your financial need that you don’t have to pay back. Grants to help pay for D&E tuition are given by the federal government, the state of West Virginia, or by states West Virginia partners with in reciprocal grant programs.
Federal Grants
- Pell Grants
- Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants
- Veteran Administration Grants
- TEACH Grants
West Virginia State Grants
- West Virginia Higher Education Grant Program
- West Virginia PROMISE Scholarship
At 78% forested, West Virginia is the third most forested state in the US and has the second-highest standing hardwood volume. The wood- and forest-related industries of WV rely heavily on these forested resources and currently employ over 30,000 people across all 55 counties while contributing over $3 billion annually to the state’s economy. Highly skilled and experienced technical workers are needed in order tomaintain and manage our forests for not only timber production but for many other uses as well, such as outdoor recreation, aesthetics, biodiversity, hunting and fishing, water quality, and more.Davis & Elkins College lies at the heart of WV, and in many regards, the heart of WV’s forests, located just across from campus is the Monongahela National Forest Supervisor’s Office, while other organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, Department of Natural Resources, and multiple private forest industries call Elkins home.