Case studies of urban forestry higher education across a spectrum of learning opportunities.
| Name | Institution | Country | Year of inception | Approach | Delivery mode | Students in 2023 | Faculty | Faculty expertise | Core curriculum | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nature in the city: turning knowledge into urban forestry practice (MOOC) | Uforest alliance | European project, funded by the European Union | 2023 | Open, free online course in urban forestry | Online | 1024 | 16 | Urban planning; urban forestry; forestry; economy and management; socio economic studies; forest ecology; forest management; forestry mapping | History, planning and design, ecology, socioeconomic, governance and community engagement, entrepreneurship | Broad introduction to urban forestry practice |
| Urban forestry courses | DePaul University | USA | 2016 | Focused urban forestry courses within a degree | In-person | 16 to 20 per class every-other academic year | 1 | Environmental Science and Studies | Social-ecological systems, urban forest, management, tree inventory, urban forest practicum (field trips/labs with professionals) | Basic urban forestry skills and project-based learning |
| Urban forestry emphasis within forestry major | Virginia Tech | USA | 1999 | Urban forest specialization within undergraduate forestry major | In-person | 12 | 6 | Forest resources and environmental conservation; landscape architecture; geomatics; soil science; horticulture; tree physiology | Arboriculture, silviculture, dendrology, forest ecology, remote sensing and field inventory, policy, planning, and management | Professional preparation for urban foresters and arborists that integrates scientific theory and management best practices with a foundation of natural resources stewardship and sustainability |
| Bachelor of science in urban forestry | Southern University | USA | 1992 | Stand alone program | In-person | 20-30 | 8 | Urban forestry/ecophysiology and climate change, forest ecology and environmental science, GIS and remote sensing, urban forest management, entomology and pathology, ecology and tree biology | General science, arboriculture | |
| Graduate certificate in urban forestry | Oregon State University | USA | 2014 | Post-graduate urban forestry courses | Online | 30 | 3 | Urban forestry, forest ecosystems and society, fisheries, wildlife, and conservation sciences | Planning, policy, management, green infrastructure leadership | Advanced skills in planning, policy, management, and leadership |
| Master of urban forestry leadership | University of British Columbia | Canada | 2021 | Course-based masters degree | Online | 18 | 8 | Design, governance, environmental justice, urban ecology | Governance, arboriculture, assessment, management | Advanced skills in leadership, management, and assessment |