Your first step to becoming a Chartered Forester or Chartered Arboriculturist is choosing your career path. The forestry sector offers a diverse range of roles, from forest pathologist, forest ranger or forest manager to arboriculturist, urban forester or biodiversity officer. Here you’ll find a range of resources to take your first step in choosing a forestry or arboricultural career, including ICF-accredited courses and links to case studies.

Forestry and Arboriculture Courses

ICF-accredited forestry and arboricultural courses have a given number points awarded for the level of qualification. These points may be used as part of the chartership process, along with work experience.

If you possess a qualification that is no longer taught or isn’t currently accredited, please contact the Institute. The Institute maintains an archive database of historic qualifications, which can be used to determine qualifying points awarded.

ICF-ACCREDITED COURSES Currently Accepting new students

Institution Course ICF Points
University of Aberdeen PgDip Environmental and Forest Management

MSc Environmental and Forest Management

 5

6
 

 
Bangor University BSc (Hons) Forestry

BSc (Hons) Forestry with placement year

BSc (Hons) Conservation with Forestry

BSc (Hons) Conservation with Forestry with placement year

BSc Forestry and Environmental Management

MFor Forestry

MSc Agroforestry and Food Security

MSc Environmental Forestry

MSc Forestry (Distance Learning)

MSc Tropical Forestry (Distance Learning)

 8

8

6

6

7

8

5

6

5/6

6
 

 
Harper Adams University BSc (Hons) Countryside Management

BSc (Hons) Countryside and Environment Management

MSc Forestry Management

MSc Conservation and Forest Protection

 5

5

6

6
 

 
National School of Forestry

(University of Cumbria)

 FdSc Forestry

BSc (Hons) Forest Management

BSc (Hons) Woodland Ecology and Conservation

 5

8

6
 

 
Myerscough College

(University of
Central Lancashire)

 FdSc Arboriculture

BSc (Hons) Arboriculture and Urban Forestry

MSc Arboriculture and Urban Forestry

 5

8

6
   

 
Scottish School of Forestry

(Inverness College UHI)

 HND Arboriculture and Urban Forestry

HND Forestry

BSc (Hons) Forest Management (Forestry)

BSc (Hons) Forest Management (Arboriculture and Urban Forestry)

BSc (Ord) Sustainable Forest Management (with Forest Conservation)

BSc (Ord) Sustainable Forest Management (with Arboriculture and Urban Forestry)

 5

5

8/7

7

7

7

ICF-ACCREDITED COURSES Currently not accepting new students

Moulton College
(University of Northampton)		 FdSc Arboriculture 5
 

Sparsholt College
(University of Portsmouth)

 

 BSc (Hons) Woodland Conservation Management
FdSc Woodland Conservation Management		 6
5
 

Plumpton College
(University of Brighton)

  

FdSc Arboriculure
FdSc Forestry & Woodland Management

  

5
5
 

Pershore College
(Warwickshire College)

  

FdSc Arboriculture
BSc (Hons) Arboriculture and Tree Management

  

5
8

 

Forestry Careers Advice

Looking for more information on arboricultural or forestry careers? Here’s a list of organisations providing useful  resources:

Royal Forestry Society Forestry Careers Portal

Forestry Career Route Map

Which? University