SUTROFOR - Sustainable Tropical Forestry

SUTROFOR - MSc in Forests and Livelihoods

As an MSc in Forests and Livelihoods, you work with the growing challenges in sustainable tropical forestry in a global context. You become an expert in the connection between the exploitation of tropical forest and nature areas for profitable production which can benefit a local community and the preservation of biodiversity and the environment for the benefit of the global society. You acquire international experience and intercultural understanding which makes you capable of working with tropical forestry in countries and cultures all over the world.

 

Read an interview with Shauna Deidre Matkovich.

 

Admission requirements

A good first university degree in forestry, biology or related fields such as environmental science or geography, alternatively in economics, management or political science

• High proficiency in English: 1) IELTS score: 6.0 or 2) TOEFL score: 560/IBT 83
• CV
• Relevant practical experience may be an advantage
• Personal statement of motivation
• Recommendations from two references

Profile

The SUTROFOR programme offers you the best tropical forestry teaching in Europe. Through an outstanding, research-based education, you gain the required competences for working with tropical forestry issues: a firm theoretical foundation, practical and international experience and openness to foreign cultures – all competences needed for working as a researcher or in tropical forest practice, e.g. with a development agency, consultancy company, NGO, international organisation, ministry or governmental agency. Successful students will also be able to apply to high-level international PhD programmes.

 

Career opportunities

SUTROFOR graduates work in companies or organisations dealing with sustainable tropical forestry, development and natural resources, e.g. with a development agency like CARE, a consultancy company, NGO, international organisation like DANIDA, FAO or UNEP, a ministry or governmental agency. Successful students will also be able to apply to high-level international PhD programmes.

 

Structure

The first year of studies will take place at one of three European partner universities (Bangor, LIFE or Dresden) followed by a second year of studies at one of the other four partner universities.

 

The aim of the first 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 among all five specialisations in the second year. The first year ends with a Joint Summer Module including field work in a tropical country.

Specialisation options in the second year:

• Agro forestry systems (Bangor)
• Socioeconomics of tropical forestry (LIFE)
• 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)

You finalise the SUTROFOR programme by writing a research-based thesis. Former students have worked on issues like:

• Climate change and rural livelihoods
• Government interventions for forest plantation
• Trade chain analysis
• Forest legislation and rural livelihoods
• Participatory forest management

Contact

Information on application deadlines and procedures can be found on the SUTROFOR website: www.sutrofor.eu  or by contacting the Erasmus Mundus Secretariat: .

 

SUTROFOR is offered by a consortium consisting of five European universities:

• LIFE – Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark

• Bangor University, Wales

• Dresden University of Technology, Tharandt, Germany

• Paris Institute of Technology for Life, Montpellier, France

• University of Padova, Italy

 

Student life

Students enrolled in the SUTROFOR programme are part of a truly international study environment no matter at which of the five partner universities they study.

 

Read an interview with Shauna Deidre Matkovich, who studied her first year at LIFE in 2009-2010.