How Getting An Online Degree in Forestry Actually Works

Video Transcript

Are these types of degrees available online in different places? And would there be any advantages or disadvantages to studying this type of work online? I am aware of I think there are a handful of bachelor’s and master’s programs. I’m less sure about the associates program as far as advantages and disadvantages. I mean, you have the advantages that are typical to online programs, which is that they’re convenient, that you can do them from wherever, but they typically cost less. You can be working a part or full time job while doing them. So those are big pluses for a lot of people. Obviously disadvantages, especially for a field that is so field going, is that with an online program, you’re probably not going to be spending as much time outside or getting that like on the ground experience. It’s not the same as an online program in accounting where you’re in essentially the same setting that you would be for your work. Whereas if you’re doing an online program at forestry, you can expect to be outside the 90% of the time, and that aspect of it is removed from an online program. Definitely seen a lot of programs where you can do all these degrees online, which is great if you don’t want to necessarily move too far away to school or you don’t have the money or time to do that, you don’t or you don’t want to have to drive to classes, which is a huge advantage. And a lot of times you can go at your own pace, which is really nice. But the downside I definitely say is you won’t necessarily have the same experience in that if you have, say, a class that’s focused on field work, it’s kind of hard to do field work without your surrounding classmates and your professor leading you. So that’s kind of where I think you would have a downfall if you tried to do all these degrees online. I would avoid online for environmental because honestly, especially for your entry level and mid-level, it’s a lot hands on. The problem is, are you making connections with people or are you actually getting hands on experience in like remediation where you can’t learn to pull samples out of the ground? Now, master’s work is that’s typically more technical, a lot more computer oriented. going to be typing upper boards, typing up, you know, working data sheets. And I think that could be a horizontal line. I’ve seen a ton of Forestry classes online, I think, or because a lot of these do require some hands on experience. What I’ve seen more is the environmental and sustainability science classes that are offered online. I’m not saying that there aren’t those online programs out there, but the online ones tend to be more of, like I said, environmental or sustainability or conservation science. And not saying it will be impossible to get a forestry or silver culture or some more hands on job with an online degree. But it might be a lot harder to gain the requisite experience from purely getting your classes.