The overall objective is to provide a top-level programme that qualifies graduates to deal with the huge challenges in contemporary tropical forestry. To obtain the SUTROFOR double degree and the Diploma Supplement, students have to acquire 120 ECTS by studying at two Consortium institutions (see below), 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. Due to the one-year Course components, SUTROFOR encourages its student body to engage in local language studies available at all the partner institutions. Total student population is expected to be 150 (75 per year) giving a 5:1 student/faculty ratio. The Consortium consists of five institutions:
(i) The University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Life Sciences, Centre for Forest, Landscape and Planning, Copenhagen, Denmark,
(ii) University of Wales, School of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, Bangor, Wales, UK,
(iii) Dresden University of Technology, Institute of International Forestry and Forest Products, Tharandt, Germany
(iv) Paris Institute of Technology for Life, Food and Environmental Sciences (AgroParisTech), School of Forestry, Agricultural and Environmental Engineering (ENGREF) and
(v) University of Padova, College of Agriculture, Padova, Italy.
The SUTROFOR Course consists of a first study year at one of three institutions (Bangor, Copenhagen, Dresden) and a second study year at one of the four other institutions. The building stones are existing masters programmes as well as research and network services. The aim of the first study year is to provide a thorough and broad introduction to sustainable tropical forestry. There is thus only one common first year programme specification – the learning outcomes are similar for the three first year institutions and will allow students to choose freely among the five specialisation options in the second year.
The first year ends with the Joint Summer Module including field work in a tropical country.
Specialisation options in the second year are:
(i) Agroforestry systems (Bangor),
(ii) Socio-economics of tropical forestry (Copenhagen),
(iii) Tropical forest management (Dresden),
(iv) Environmental management and policies for tropical forests (Montpellier), and
(v) Ethics and responsible trade in tropical forest products and services (Padova).
All parts of the SUTROFOR Course are described using the SUTROFOR standards developed by the Consortium:
(i) a standard programme specification, including the ten main learning outcomes of each part of the Course and the relationship between learning outcomes and modules, and
(ii) a standard module description.
There is only one common set of admission criteria, only one common application procedure, and only one joint student selection process. The main student selection criteria are: a good first university degree; the applicants CV; documentation of proficiency in English (and if choosing Montpellier, French in some cases); the applicants personal statement of motivation; recommendations from two references, of which at least one academic.
The SUTROFOR Course thus offers a truly integrated study programme and leads to a double degree, already fully recognised in all the participating countries. The following degrees are awarded: MSc in Agricultural Development in Copenhagen, MSc in Environmental Forestry in Bangor, MSc in Tropical Forestry in Dresden, MSc in Agricultural Sciences - specialty in Tropical and Rural Forestry in Montpellier, and MSc in Forestry and Environmental Sciences in Padova.
For information on the Consortium fee. Click here.
