INSTITUTE OF FORESTRY

Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal

Master of Science in Forestry

Master of Science in Forestry

The Master of Science in Forestry at the Institute of Forestry (IOF) is a rigorous, research-driven program taught in the School of Forestry & NRM, IOF Pokhara, and IOF Hetauda, designed to develop advanced knowledge and professional expertise in forestry and natural resource management. Spanning two years over four semesters, the curriculum progresses from foundational theory, analysis tools to advanced topics like forest ecology, silviculture, and sustainable forest management, culminating in an original research thesis. Admission is open to candidates with a minimum of 45% in a BSc Forestry degree, selected through a competitive entrance examination. The program combines internal and external assessments, with students required to maintain at least 80% class attendance and secure minimum passing marks in both theory and practical evaluations. Students benefit from expert supervision during their research, and their theses are rigorously reviewed by a Research Assessment Committee. With a strong focus on academic excellence, field-based learning, and applied research, the MSc Forestry program prepares graduates to become leaders in environmental conservation, forestry policy, and resource management at both national and international levels.

For more details can visit the course list and curriculum.

Curriculum

Course List

SN Course Code Course Title Credit
Semester I
1 SFM 501 Forest and Environment Policy 3
2 SFM 502 Nature and Society 3
3 WME 503 Water- Energy-Food- Ecosystem Nexus 3
4 PWM 504 Landscape Management and Biodiversity Conservation 3
5 SFM 505 Natural Resource Management in Changing Environment 3
Semester II
6 WME 551 Geoinformatics for NRM 3
7 BSH 552 Research Design and Scientific Writing 3
8 BSH 553 Advance Statistics 3
9 SFM 554 Natural Resource Economics 3
10 SFM 555 Forest Biometrics 3
Semester III
11 SFM 601 Advance Forest Management 3
12 SFB 602 Forest Growth and Silviculture 3
13 FPE 603 Forest Product and Wood Engineering 3
14 SFB 604 Forest Ecology and Ecosystem Management 3
15 SFB 605 Forest Ecosystem Health (Optional) 3
16 SFB 606 Natural Resource Professional Ethics (Optional) 3
Semester IV
17 SFM 651 Proposal 2
18 SFM 652 Pre-defence 2
19 SFM 699 Dissertation 9
20 SFM 653 Manuscript of Research Work 2