Woodland Management and Conservation BSc (Hons) Undergraduate - September 2025/26* Entry

Woodlands are important for the benefits they provide and there is great interest in creating new woodlands in UK and other countries around the world. This degree focuses on developing the knowledge and skills to manage woodlands to deliver improved biodiversity conservation, public wellbeing, and sustainable production of renewable materials. On this course you will cover woodland management in both a UK and International setting, their role in adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change. We will use a ‘hands-on’ approach to explore the ecological value of woodlands and their broader role in agroecology (i.e. agroforestry). You will also examine the benefits delivered by trees outside woodlands.

This degree will give you an in-depth understanding of the structure and behaviour of woodland ecosystems, the physical, biological and ecological aspects of woodlands and their interactions and variation in time and space.

You will investigate the scientific and socio-economic principles underlying woodland management as well as the physical and biological processes which shape the natural world.

You will also become an expert in sustainable woodland management and the economic and environmental appraisal of woodlands (including design, silviculture, restoration protection and inventory (including both the tree and non-tree components); and you will study the broader role of various forms of woodland system for resilience and as part of broader socio-ecological systems.

Why choose Bangor University for this course?

• We have been teaching about woodlands for more than 110 years, we were the first University in the UK with a degree in this subject.
• Much of our education takes place in woodlands outdoors: we own 82 ha of woodland and visit a wide range of woodlands in Snowdonia.
• Week-long field courses in all three years.
• We have excellent links with woodland organisations in the UK and overseas, who play an important role in our degree programmes, and employ our graduates. 
   

Additional Course Options

In the first year you will be given an introduction to the structure and ecological function of woodland ecosystems and the basis of their past, current and future management. The second year builds on this and develops your understanding of the scientific and socio-economic principles of woodland management, how woodlands are measured and assessed, woodland health and the role of trees and woodlands in the wider countryside and sustainable land use. In the final year you will develop a woodland management plan, and you will carry out an independent review on a woodland topic that particularly interests you, under the supervision of a member of academic staff. You will study agroforestry and woodland ecology, and have access to the broad range of optional forestry and conservation modules, including a new module on urban woodlands. This degree will provide you with a mix of transferrable skills, current subject-specific knowledge and understanding to equip you for a broad range of careers in and around sustainable woodland management. This is a major growth area and every year we help our graduates to start exciting careers in a whole range of roles across the UK and overseas.

Modules for the current academic year

Module listings are for guide purposes only and are subject to change. Find out what our students are currently studying on the Woodland Management and Conservation BSc (Hons) Modules page.

Course content is for guidance purposes only and may be subject to change.

General University Costs

Home (UK) students

• The cost of a full-time undergraduate course is £9,250 per year (2025/26).
• The fee for all integrated study abroad years is  £1,385 (2025/26).
• The fee for an integrated year in industry as part of a sandwich programme is £1,850 (2025/26).

More information on fees and finance for Home (UK) students.

International (including EU) students

• International Student Tuition Fees
• International Student Living Costs and Scholarships

Additional Costs
There are also some common additional costs that are likely to arise for students on all courses, for example:

• If you choose to study abroad or take the International Experience Year as part of your course.
• If you attend your Graduation Ceremony, there will be a cost for gown hire (£25-£75) and cost for additional guest tickets (c.£12 each).

Course-specific additional costs
Depending on the course you are studying, there may be additional course-specific costs that you will be required to meet. These fall into three categories:

1. Mandatory Costs: these are related to a particular core or compulsory module that you’ll be required to complete to achieve your qualification e.g. compulsory field trips, uniforms for students on placement, DBS Check.
2. Necessarily Incurred Costs: these may not be experienced by all students, and will vary depending on the course e.g. professional body membership, travel to placements, specialist software, personal safety equipment.
3. Optional Costs: these depend on your choice of modules or activity and they are shown to give you an indication of the optional costs that may arise to make sure your choice is as informed as possible. These can include graduation events for your course, optional field trips, Welcome Week trips.

General University Requirements

To study for a degree, you’ll be asked for a minimum of UCAS Tariff points. For a fuller explanation of the UCAS Tariff Points, please see www.ucas.com.

We accept students with a wide range of qualifications and backgrounds and consider each application individually.

All students need to have good basic skills and the University also values IT and communication skills.

As part of the University’s policy, we consider applications from prospective disabled students on the same grounds as all other students.

We also consider applications from mature students who can demonstrate the motivation and commitment to study a university programme. Each year we enrol a significant number of mature students. For more information about studying as a mature student, see our Studying at Bangor section of the website.

EU and International Students' Entry Requirements

For detailed guidance on the entry requirements for EU and International Students, including the minimum English Language entry requirement, please visit the Entry Requirements by Country pages. International applicants can also visit the International Education Centre section of our website for further details.

Bangor University offers International Incorporated Bachelor Degrees for International students whose High School qualification is not equivalent to the UK school leaving qualification. The first year (or Year 0) is studied at Bangor University International College, an embedded College on our University campus and delivered by Oxford International Education Group.

Employers are always looking for forestry graduates who are self-motivated and enjoy working with people. A high proportion of our graduates find a forestry-related job within six months of graduation, and are employed by public, private and non-governmental organisations both in the UK and overseas. Our unique history, reputation and teaching excellence makes Bangor Forestry graduates highly employable.

Opportunities at Bangor

The University’s Careers and Employability Service provides a wide range of resources to help you achieve your graduate ambitions. 

Internships

Bangor University runs a paid internship scheme within the university’s academic and service departments.

Student Volunteering

Volunteering widens your experience and improves your employability. Find out more about volunteering on the Students’ Union’s website.

A 'with Foundation Year' option is available for this course. Apply for Environmental Science (with Foundation Year).