Why Study / Key Benefits

The Postgraduate Diploma in Forestry (PGDipFor) is a 120-point postgraduate qualification designed for graduates who want advanced knowledge and professional skills in forestry.

UC specifically describes the programme as suitable for students who:

• Already have a forestry degree or related qualification and want to update or retrain.
• Have another bachelor's degree and want to gain exposure to forestry.
• Come from countries where forestry degrees may have less quantitative content than forestry education in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Key benefits include:

• Advanced study of forestry science and forest management.
• Opportunity to select courses according to academic and professional interests.
• Strong combination of classroom, laboratory and field-based learning.
• Exposure to modern forestry technologies such as geospatial technology, remote sensing and forest-monitoring systems.
• Study of forest management, wood science, wood processing, plantation silviculture and environmental forestry.
• Opportunity to progress to the second year of UC's Master of Forestry Science, subject to suitable academic performance and availability of staff/resources.

Programme Structure and Subjects / Topics

The PGDipFor is coursework-based.

Students must complete 120 points from Schedule E of the Master of Forestry Science regulations, except FORE679. Up to 15 points may be replaced by an approved postgraduate course from another qualification.

The available forestry curriculum covers a broad range of topics.

Examples of 2026 courses include:

• FORE618 Wood Science – properties and quality of wood, with emphasis on fast-growing plantation species and tropical timber.
• FORE619 Wood Processing – sawmilling, engineered wood products, pulping and biofuels.
• FORE620 Plantation Silviculture – plantation forest establishment and management.
• FORE641 Plantation Forest Management – forest-management planning, operations research, forest-estate analysis, manufacturing/marketing integration, risk and human factors.
• FORE642 Geospatial Science in Forest Monitoring and Management – ArcGIS, positioning technology, image analysis and geospatial applications in forestry.
• FORE426 Forest Products Marketing and International Trade.
• FORE435 Forest Economics 2 – forest valuation, project analysis, risk and uncertainty.
• FORE436 Forest Tree Breeding.
• FORE437 Advanced Wood Products Processing.
• FORE443 Biosecurity Risk Management.
• FORE448 Advanced Remote Sensing in Forestry and Natural Resource Management.
• FORE449 Environmental Forestry.

Disciplines / Specialisations

The PGDipFor does not have formal majors, minors or endorsements.

However, students can develop an academic focus through their course selection.

Relevant areas include:

• Forest management.
• Plantation silviculture.
• Forest operations.
• Forest economics.
• Forest products.
• Wood science.
• Wood processing.
• Forest engineering-related operations.
• Geospatial forestry.
• Remote sensing.
• Environmental forestry.
• Forest biosecurity.
• Forest tree breeding.
• Forest products marketing and international trade.

Programme Highlights

• 120-point postgraduate qualification.
• 1 year full-time.
• Up to 2 years part-time.
• February and July starts.
• Coursework-based programme.
• Strong practical component.
• Classroom, laboratory and field-based learning.
• Broad selection of advanced forestry subjects.
• No formal majors, minors or endorsements.
• Suitable for forestry graduates as well as graduates from other disciplines with relevant forestry experience.
• Suitable for students seeking to update or retrain in forestry.
• Particularly relevant to international students whose previous forestry education has been less quantitative.
• Can provide a pathway into the second year of the Master of Forestry Science, subject to suitable conditions. 

Career Outcomes

UC states that postgraduate study can provide specialist skills, enhanced knowledge, access to specific occupations, career progression and research capability.

The wider UC Forestry subject information identifies career opportunities in:

• Forestry consultancies.
• Forest management companies.
• Government departments.
• Environmental agencies.
• Conservation.
• Forest protection.
• Biosecurity.
• Forest management.
• Forestry operations.
• Forestry policy.

Depending on the courses selected, graduates may develop expertise relevant to areas such as:

• Forest management.
• Plantation management.
• Forestry operations.
• Forest monitoring.
• GIS and remote sensing.
• Environmental forestry.
• Forest products and processing.
• Forestry economics.
• Forestry policy and planning.

Latest Updates / Special Requirements

The current PGDipFor regulations came into force on 1 January 2025, and the qualification was first offered in 1997.

Important current requirements include:

• 120 approved points are required.
• Students normally study full-time unless part-time study is approved.
• Maximum completion period is 24 months.
• There are no majors, minors or endorsements.
• Students who fail more than 30 points will be withdrawn from the qualification.
• Distinction is awarded for a GPA of 7 or better.
• Merit is awarded for a GPA between 5.5 and 6.99.
• Students requiring an extension of the normal completion period are not eligible for Merit or Distinction under the stated regulation.

International Student Visa Requirements

For an international student intending to study full-time in New Zealand, the Fee Paying Student Visa is the principal visa category to consider.

Immigration New Zealand currently states:

• Cost: from NZ$850.
• Maximum stay: up to 4 years.
• 80% of applications are processed within 8 weeks.
• An offer of place from an approved education provider is required.
• Students must have sufficient funds to pay tuition fees or an appropriate scholarship.
• Students must demonstrate sufficient living funds or have an acceptable sponsor.
• Acceptable medical and travel insurance is required.
• Health and character requirements apply.
• The applicant must demonstrate genuine intentions to study.
• The applicant must be able to demonstrate arrangements/funds to leave New Zealand at the end of the stay.