Program Overview

Selkirk College students spend more than 50 percent of their class time in the field learning in real world projects. The program also emphasizes advanced technology, including mobile data collection, Geographic Information Systems, and Global Positioning Systems applications. The College's graduates are benefiting from our training and the recognition by government, industry and communities of the importance of better forest management. Students successfully completing our diploma automatically qualify to become a trainee forest technologist (TFT) leading to registered forest technologist (RFT) in the Association of BC Forest Professionals.

Curriculum Advisory

The curriculum for this program is developed in consultation with the Program Advisory Committee (PAC). The PAC membership includes people who hire our students and many are past graduates. Organizations currently having representatives on the committee include Ministry of Forests, small and large forest companies, and forest consultants. The PAC meets regularly and their feedback result in changes to the program.

Degree Programs

The Forest Technology Program ladders into the Selkirk College Bachelor In Geographic Information Systems and counts as the first two years of this highly attractive program. Alternately, there is a long-standing tradition of our graduates transferring and successfully completing university degrees. Selkirk's Forest Technology graduates have successfully transferred credit towards degrees in universities throughout Canada and the United States. Selkirk College also has formal transfer arrangements with University of Northern BC,  University of British Columbia, BC Institute of Technology, Thompson Rivers University, and Royal Roads University.

Common Core

The first year of Forest Technology, Recreation, Fish and Wildlife Technology and Integrated Environmental Planning Technology programs consist of a core of common courses emphasizing resource skills, knowledge and professionalism in fish and wildlife ecology, botany and terrestrial ecology, inventory, measurement, mapping, communications, math and interpretation.

The second year of each program synthesizes the skills, knowledge, and professionalism of first year with applied management, planning, and advanced techniques and principles.  Integration of learning in each program is required.

The common core allows students to obtain an additional diploma in RFW or IEP by completing the relevant third year.