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Overview
UBC Forestry offers a research (thesis) -based Master's program within a Science (MSc) or an Applied Science (MASc) credential. Thesis Master's students receive training in research techniques, and also make contributions in their own right to the body of knowledge. The type of work undertaken by an MSc or MASc student tends to be focused, looking at a specific problem, and is generally completed within 2-3 years.
We have approximately 85-95 thesis-based master’s students in any given year, which is about 30% of our total Forestry graduate student population. In addition to being part of the Faculty of Forestry, MSc and MASc students are also considered members of one of our three Faculty departments, based on their supervisor’s affiliation.
What makes the program unique?
The Faculty of Forestry offers excellent courses and cutting edge research across a spectrum of disciplines related to forestry, and opportunities for interdisciplinary learning. Graduate students work with leading scientists in state-of-the-art facilities within the Forest Sciences Centre and at any of two research forests.
We are one of the largest graduate units on campus, with over 300 students enrolled in our 7 degree programs. We attract students from around the world, with over 40 countries represented in our community. Given the global nature of modern forestry, the experience our students gain by working with colleagues from around the world is a subtle but effective means of creating the global citizens that UBC aspires to produce.
Program Structure
The M.A.Sc. program includes a thesis (6-18 credits), a forestry communications course (FRST 544 or approved alternate), and other approved courses, for a total of 30 credits.
Quick Facts
Program Enquiries
Contact the program
Admission Information & Requirements
1) Check Eligibility
Minimum Academic Requirements
The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:
Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.
English Language Test
Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.
Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:
TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based
Overall score requirement: 100
Reading
23
Writing
24
Speaking
22
Listening
23
IELTS: International English Language Testing System
Overall score requirement: 7.0
Reading
6.5
Writing
6.5
Speaking
6.5
Listening
6.5
Other Test Scores
Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:
The GRE is not required.
Prior degree, course and other requirements
Prior Degree Requirements
Students admitted to the M.A.Sc. degree program normally possess a bachelor's degree in Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) or higher degree in engineering, and must meet the general admission requirements for master's degree programs set by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
2) Meet Deadlines
September 2025 Intake
Application Open Date
01 October 2024Canadian Applicants
International Applicants
3) Prepare Application
Transcripts
All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.
Letters of Reference
A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.
Statement of Interest
Many programs require a statement of interest, sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.
Supervision
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Master of Applied Science in Forestry (MASc)
Citizenship Verification
Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.
4) Apply Online
All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.
Tuition & Financial Support
Tuition
| Fees | Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat | International |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | $116.25 | $168.25 |
| Tuition * | ||
| Installments per year | 3 | 3 |
| Tuition per installment | $1,838.57 | $3,230.06 |
| Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%) | $5,515.71 | $9,690.18 |
| Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) | $3,200.00 (-) | |
| Other Fees and Costs | ||
| Student Fees (yearly) | $1,116.60 (approx.) | |
| Costs of living | Estimate your costs of living with our interactive tool in order to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies. | |
All fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees. Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors. In recent years, tuition increases have been 2% for continuing domestic students and between 2% and 5% for continuing international students. New students may see higher increases in tuition. Admitted students who defer their admission are subject to the potentially higher tuition fees for incoming students effective at the later program start date. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.
Financial Support
Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.
Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)
All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.
Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)
Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)
Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union.
Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)
Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.
Financial aid (need-based funding)
Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans.
All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.
Foreign government scholarships
Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.
Working while studying
The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.
International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.
A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement.
Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals
Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.
Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.
Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.
Cost Estimator
Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.
Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats
These statistics show data for the Master of Applied Science in Forestry (MASc). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.
ENROLMENT DATA
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | 13 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 23 |
| Offers | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| New Registrations | 8 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Total Enrolment | 15 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 11 |
Completion Rates & Times
Disclaimer
Research Supervisors
Supervision
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Master of Applied Science in Forestry (MASc)
Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors
These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.
This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.
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Aitken, Sally (forest genetics, climate change, Climate change, conservation, ecology, genetics, genomics)
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Alila, Younes (Hydrology, Flood, Water Resources, Water Structures, Forest Hydrology, Forest management, hydrological engineering)
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Arcese, Peter (Global change biology; Ecology; Conservation Biology; Evolutionary Biology; conservation finance)
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Atleo, Tara (sustainable forest management; Communities and Indigenous Knowledge)
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Avramidis, Stavros (Other natural sciences, n.e.c.; Wood-water relations and sorption thermodynamics.; Fluid flow, heat transfer, and molecular diffusion; Modeling steady-state and dynamic non-isothermal diffusion in wood.; Application of fractals and machine learning to modeling wood physical properties.; Molecular modeling of the wood nano-pore network in the cell wall.; Industrial wood kiln drying optimization and development of new drying strategies.; Radio frequency vacuum (RFV) heating and drying of wood and wood products.; Dielectric wood phytosanitation.; Wood thermal modification.)
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Barbeito Sanchez, Ignacio (refining novel silvicultural practices; establishment and management of forests under global change)
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Boedhihartono, Agni (Forestry sciences; biodiversity; Communities and Livelihoods; conservation; Forest management; Land-use Change; social science; sustainability; Tropical Landscapes and Livelihoods)
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Bohlmann, Joerg (plant biochemistry, forestry genomics, forest health, conifers, poplar, bark beetle, mountain pine beetle, natural products, secondary metabolites, terpenes, floral scent, grapevine, Conifer genomics Forest health genomics Mountain pine beetle, fungus, pine interactions and genomics Chemical ecology of conifer, insect interactions)
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Booker, Thomas (population and quantitative genetics)
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Bulkan, Janette (aboriginal forestry, biodiversity, climate change, communities and livelihoods, conservation, corporate responsibility, forest management, forest policy, international trade, social impact, social science)
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Burton, Cole (Forestry sciences; Ecology and Quality of the Environment; Ecological Trends; Animal; Biodiversity and Biocomplexity; Landscape and Restoration; Environment Management and Protection; Biodiversity conservation; Ecological Monitoring; Landscape ecology; Mammal Ecology; Population and Community Ecology; Wildlife Management)
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Cardinal-McTeague, Warren (Earth and related environmental sciences; Forestry sciences; plant biodiversity; Indigenous environmental management and food systems; monitoring of ecosystem health and function)
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Carroll, Allan (climate change, mountain pine beetle, bark beetles, forest disturbance, integrated pest management, insect ecology, population dynamics, insect-plant interactions, Climate change, conservation, ecology, ecosystems, forest biology, forest management)
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Chanway, Christopher (Soil microbiology)
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Cool, Julie (modelling, wood products, wood science, wood)
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Coops, Nicholas Charles (Forestry sciences; Telemetry (Remote Sensing, Radar); Space Techniques; Forestry Technology and Equipment; Plants and Forests)
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Cranston, Emily (Nanoparticle synthesis, properties and applications; Bio-based materials and nanocellulose; Atomic force microscopy (forces, adhesion, friction, imaging); Colloid and interface science; Polymer chemistry; Cellulose nanocrystals; Bioproducts; Foams, emulsions, aerogels)
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Dai, Chunping (Forestry sciences; Bamboo; Bio-products; Wood Products; Wood Science; Wood Technology)
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Daniels, Lori (forest plants and trees; forest history; forest management; environmental protection and natural resource use, Climate change, ecology, fire regimes)
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Davies, Jonathan (Phylogenetics & Biodiversity. Development and application of phylogenetic methods in ecology and conservation biology)
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Devisscher, Tahia (Forestry sciences; adaptation; climate change; Human Health; Human Well-being; Nature Recovery; Social-Ecological Resilience)
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El-Kassaby, Yousry (Forestry sciences; Applied Genetics; conservation; genomics; Seed orchards’ genetics; Tree breeding; Tree domestication)
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Eskelson, Bianca (Natural resource management; Forest Biometrics; Forest Modelling; Disturbance Effects; Management Effects; Climate Effects)
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Evans, Philip David (Wood anatomy, wood durability, wood products, wood technology)
Pages
Sample Thesis Submissions
Further Information
Specialization
Forestry offers advanced study in natural and social science, management, and economic aspects of forestry and wood science, in an interdisciplinary setting.
Program Website
Faculty Overview
Program Identifier
Classification
September 2025 Intake
Program Enquiries
Contact the program
Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form.
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