The Department of Forestry, Wood Sciences & Design (FWSD) offers an innovative 5-year undergraduate study program, which upon completion leads to the award of a single and indivisible master’s degree (integrated master). The FWSD Department operates with 2 study directions (Natural Environment Management and Wood Sciences and Product Design) from the 7th semester onwards. The Undergraduate Study Program provides its students, in addition to the compulsory courses, a wide variety of elective courses aimed at providing advanced knowledge in specific objects of the natural environment, the utilization of wood, the design of furniture and other objects mainly based on wood, the administration, organization, economy and the introduction of modern technology in organizations and businesses that find direct application in the labor market.
In particular, this program offers vertically integrated knowledge from the sustainable management of the natural environment, to the exploitation of its main products, with an emphasis on wood and its uses, in the design of products and other objects, mainly based on wood, administration, organization, the economy and the introduction of modern technology in organizations and businesses. It is precisely this level of knowledge that we believe is an important competitive advantage, in a job market that requires graduates with the best academic background, acquisition of valuable skills and integrated thinking. The successful attendance and completion of the Undergraduate Studies Program (BAS) of the Department of Forestry, Wood Sciences and Design of the University of Thessaly contributes to the following learning outcomes (knowledge, abilities, skills).
Overall, the graduates of the FWSD Department, as foresters, wood scientists and designers, acquire knowledge and understanding of decision-making processes and tools in problems related to their field of study, and concern: administration, management, exploitation, protection, utilization and development of forests and forest areas in general, wildlife management, the utilization of mountainous and semi-mountainous pastures and grasslands, the study and construction of forestry projects, the handling, processing and control of the quality and marketing of forest products, the protection, utilization and maintaining the balance of the natural environment, forestry operations, the industries of production, processing and exploitation of forest products, the management and protection of terrestrial natural ecosystems, the touristic or other exploitation of peri-urban and aesthetic forests, the production, standardization and marketing of aromatics plants and fruits of the forest, the compilation of forest maps, remote sensing and the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for the characterization, management and utilization of areas of forest interest.
In addition, the graduates of the FWSD Department are able to assume positions of responsibility regarding decisions on the application of technological methods of design and production of furniture, wood products and wooden structures, the application of principles and rules of quality control and quality assurance systems in the entire range of wood products, furniture, the study of the establishment, organization, management, operation and staffing of wood, furniture, wooden packaging and wooden constructions units, as well as wood and furniture product trading units, the trading of furniture and wood products, research, development, use, maintenance and trading CAD/CAM/CAE systems and prototyping etc.
Finally, according to the above, the graduates of the FWSD Department will have the appropriate knowledge and skills to successfully staff businesses and services in both the private and public sectors, but also have all the necessary conditions and professional guarantees for the creation of their own independent professional activity.