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Studying to become a forest or wood engineer in Québec

Université Laval is the only institution in Québec offering a program to become a forest or wood engineer.

To qualify for these professional titles and the professional orders that govern them in Québec, you must hold a bachelor’s degree equivalent to a North American undergraduate degree.

• To become a member of Ordre des ingénieurs forestiers du Québec and be able to perform acts reserved for professional forest engineers, you must obtain a Baccalauréat en aménagement et environnement forestiers (Bachelor’s Degree in Forest Management and Environment, BSc), a Baccalauréat coopératif en opérations forestières (Bachelor’s Degree in Forest Operations, BSc, Co-op Program) or a 4-year Baccalauréat coopératif en génie du bois (Bachelor’ Degree in Wood Engineering, B.Eng., Co-op Program).
• To become a wood engineer and hold the title of engineer, you must complete the Baccalauréat coopératif en génie du bois (Bachelor’s Degree in Wood Engineering, Co-op Program) and be admitted to the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec.

Learn more about these three programs:

• Baccalauréat en aménagement et environnement forestiers 
  (Bachelor’s Degree in Forest Management and Environment, BSc)
• Baccalauréat coopératif en opérations forestières
  (Bachelor’s Degree in Forest Operations, BSc, Co-op Program)
• Baccalauréat coopératif en génie du bois
  (Bachelor’s Degree in Wood Engineering, B.Eng., Co-op Program)

The difference between a forest engineer and wood engineer

• As a forest engineer specializing in forest and environmental management, you will contribute to sustainable forest management, environmental protection, the enhancement of wildlife habitat, and forest regeneration and improvement, while also paying close attention to economic issues and societal concerns. You will produce sustainable forest management plans that analyze forest ecosystem management and protection needs and provide management and harvest prescriptions, while at the same time ensuring the effective management of material and human resources.
• As a forest engineer specializing in forest operations, you will be called upon to direct work in a variety of areas, including reforestation, thinning, harvesting, road construction and maintenance, transportation, mill supply, and forestry company management. You will be qualified to supervise work teams, plan budgets, see to worker health and safety, ensure environmental compliance, and see projects to completion. You will contribute to improving processes, systems, methods, and techniques in the field of forest engineering. You will be responsible for implementing sustainable forest management plans as well as designing and carrying out forest operations.
• Wood engineers are specialists in wood materials. As a wood engineer, you will apply modern engineering and industrial management techniques to wood processing and will collaborate on improving wood products. You will help design engineered wood products for everyday use (frames and trusses, floors, furniture, doors, windows, wood-based composites) or implement innovative applications using wood as a source of energy or a raw material for green products from biorefining.

Application for professional status for foreign-trained applicants

• In Québec, the right to practice certain professions is regulated by the Québec government. You may be asked to meet certain requirements. Learn more on the requirements for working as a:
  • Forest engineer from the Ordre des ingénieurs forestiers du Québec (OIFQ)
  • Wood engineer from the Ordre des Ingénieurs du Québec  (OIQ)

Labour mobility agreement between France and Quebec

• France and Québec have signed labour mobility agreements allowing forestry and other engineers to practice in both France and Québec under certain conditions.
  • Mobility agreement for forest engineers (in French only)
  • Mobility agreement for wood engineers (in French only)

Studying to become an environmental professional

We also offer a 3-years undergraduate program in the environment field: Baccalauréat intégré en environnements naturels et aménagés (Interdisciplinary Bachelor’s Degree in Natural and Developed Environments, BSc)

Graduate studies in forest sciences, wood sciences, and agroforestry

Our graduate programs in forest sciences, wood sciences, and agroforestry train specialists, managers, and researchers who can contribute to better management of forests, forest ecosystems, and agroforestry practices, as well as to improving knowledge and development of wood products. We also offer two graduate short programs for distance learners.

Graduate programs

• Maîtrise professionnelle en agroforesterie (Master’s Degree in Agroforestry, MSc)
• Maîtrise de recherche en agroforesterie (avec mémoire) (Master’s Degree in Agroforestry with thesis, MSc)
• Maîtrise de recherche en génie du bois et des matériaux biosourcés (avec mémoire) (Master’s Degree in Wood and Biosourced Materials Engineering with thesis, MSc)
• Maîtrise professionnelle en sciences forestières (Master’s Degree in Forest Sciences)
• Maîtrise de recherche en sciences forestières (avec mémoire) (Master’s Degree in Forest Sciences with thesis, MSc)
• Microprogramme de 2^e cycle en agroforesterie (Short Graduate Program in Agroforestry – distance or in-class)
• Microprogramme de 2^e cycle en construction intégrée en bois (Short Graduate Program in Integrated Wood Construction – distance learning)
• Doctorat en en génie du bois et des matériaux biosourcés (Doctorate in Wood and Biosourced Materials Engineering, PhD)
• Doctorat en sciences forestières (Doctorate in Forest Sciences, PhD)

Research projects in forest sciences, wood engineering, and agroforestry

Are you interested in pursuing a research master’s degree or a PhD? Are you looking for a dynamic and exciting multidisciplinary research environment? Research opportunities are numerous and varied (forestry, wood engineering, silviculture, Indigenous forestry, biosourced materials, conservation, private forests, biomass, wildlife, etc.). The vast majority of projects provide funding and are carried out with various partners. We invite you to browse the list of faculty members and see their areas of expertise.

LIST OF FACULTY members AND areas of EXPERTISE

You can also check out the research opportunities for graduate students currently available in the Department of Wood and Forest Sciences.

FIND YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT