Academic Program
Urban and Community Forestry
Urban and community forestry is the fastest growing segment of the forestry profession, especially in the northeast, where the total expenditure of time and money on community forestry (nursery, planting, pruning, removals, and line clearance) exceeds that spent on woodlands.
Undergraduate students interested in urban forestry can pursue the Urban Forestry Track within the Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources (EENR) Major or the Urban Forestry Minor within the Environmental Planning (EP) Major. The Track in EENR places a stronger focus on the science side of urban forestry while the Minor in EP emphasizes the planning and design aspect of the subject.
The Rutgers Urban Forestry Program also is a partner in several graduate programs and post-doctoral research projects.
After Rutgers
Program Performance
Students who graduate from the Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources major pursue successful careers in private industry, government, and the non-profit sector. Example careers include forestry technicians, arboretum directors, park managers, utility arborists, museum specialists, natural areas technicians, ecological restoration specialists, STEM educators, GIS developers, and more.
A 2023 survey of our program graduates with 55 respondents showed that: 55% of respondents were permanently employed, 16% were employed with temporary jobs, 22% were in graduate school, 2% were unemployed, and 29% did not report employment status.
Additional Information
- How do I apply to and learn more about the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS)?
- How can I contact the program faculty?
- What are the graduation requirements for Ecology majors?
- What are the Ecology program’s learning goals for students?
- How do I report an incident involving bias?
- How do I report another kind of concern?
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Here are sample curricula tracks for each program:
- Sample curriculum – Natural Resource and Ecosystem Management
- Sample curriculum – Urban Forestry
- Sample curriculum – Urban Forestry minor with an Environmental Planning major
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Rutgers is working to obtain accreditation from the Society of American Foresters (SAF) for our Urban Forestry Track, Urban Forestry Minor, and a Natural Resources and Ecosystem Management Track in the EENR major. Our program is currently in candidate status as we undergo their initial review process.
SAF programmatic accreditation is a rigorous, voluntary process which helps programs ensure they are meeting certain standards. To learn more about what SAF accreditation entails, visit the SAF website.
SAF also maintains a Code of Ethics, which our program firmly believes in and incorporates into our curriculum.
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Urban Forestry Careers:
- Forestry Technician:
- Conduct hands-on forestry work such as forest measurements, maintenance, and tree planting.
- Consulting Forester:
- Help landowners or townships come up with forest management plans, which balance the landowner’s goals with sustainable practices.
- Urban Forester:
- Manage trees in urban spaces which come with unique challenges.
- Extension Forester:
- Work for a land-grant university, linking the scientific research and the public.
- Forest Ecologist:
- Study the ecological processes within the forests by designing experiments, collecting data, and performing data analysis.
- Arborist:
- Care for trees on an individual level, diagnosing issues, providing treatments, pruning, and removing trees.
Natural Resource & Ecosystem Careers:
- Environmental Educator
- Educates the public on environmental and ecological topics, can work for a local or national park, nature center, or similar facility.
- Environmental Specialist
- Provides specialized plant, animal, and ecosystem knowledge about a habitat to assist with restoration or habitat maintenance.
- Conservation Biologist
- Can be active in a variety of roles, governmental or non governmental organizations (NGOs) assisting with soil conservation networks, land conservation.
- Wildlife Biologist
- Studies populations of wild animals, this can be a combination of fieldwork and data analysis.
- Forestry Technician: