Bachelor of Science in Forestry
Admission, Evaluation and Award of Degree:
Students who have secured a minimum of 40% marks in aggregate in ISc, Diploma in Forestry, +2 Science, A- level or equivalent are eligible to apply for admission in the Bachelor’s level programme. All students must appear in the entrance examination administered by the Examination Section of IOF and are selected for admission based on their merit score.
Evaluation and Examination System
Students are internally and externally evaluated based on final exam (theory), internal assessment and practical examination in each semester. Forty percent marks is set aside for internal (assessment and practical) exams and 60 percent marks for the final exam. To pass the examination, students must secure 40% marks in final theory, internal assessment, practical examinations and field training separately. A statement of marks is issued to students after the result is published for that particular semester. Students who do not pass the regular semester examination can appear in the make-up examination.
Attendance Requirement
A student must attend at least 70% classes in each subject. Failure to fulfill the attendance requirement by a student may result in his/her disqualification to appear in the final examination.
Credit Hours
Each course is assigned a certain weightage as full marks. The full mark is divided into Theory, Internal Assessment and Practical classes. One credit hour carries 20 contact hours and 25 marks. One practical class load is equivalent to two theory classes. All courses are three credit hours and five in each semester. The field tour is allocated one to two credit hours. Moreover, one contact lecture hour consists of two hours of student work in each subject.
Core Courses
Students enrolled in the BSc Forestry programme are required to pass all the subjects prescribed in the course curriculum. The core courses are the major subjects related to Forestry, Watershed and Soil Conservation, and Wildlife.
Elective Course
Elective courses are designed to provide greater exposure and specialization in certain areas of Forestry. Electives courses are categorized into two groups. Students in the final year will select one course from each group. Based on the application the campus/department announces the elective courses to be offered in the final semester.
Students' Seminar and Intern/Project Paper
In collaboration with government and relevant organizations, IOF provides opportunities for internship to the final year students to work with prospective employers to obtain hands-on experience, as well as to get to know forestry and other natural resource professionals outside the University. Additionally, students can conduct project work to develop knowledge and skills in research in their Fourth year Second semester. Project papers are selected based on students’ interest and specialization. Students are encouraged to conduct original research on the burning issues in Forestry and Natural Resource Management aspects. Each student is assigned an advisor to guide his/her study. In both intern and project work, as an internal examiner of the project paper, the advisor guides the student. Both the project paper and intern report is evaluated by an external/internal expert in the subject matter concerned. After the completion of the project work, students are expected to present their work in a seminar. Students’ research projects are supported by various national and international organizations. A few students who do not get outside funding are supported by IOF.
Field Training and Educational Tours
In order to provide field exposure and hands-on experience, students are frequently taken for outside camping. Students visit various research stations, educational institutions, and experimental and demonstration plots.
