Overview
Today’s forest conservation and resource management decisions are made in the context of global agreements and international competition for forest products and services. Decision makers and practitioners must be prepared to compete in rapidly changing social, economic or cultural settings.
The University of British Columbia’s Master of International Forestry (MIF) is an intensive, 10-month, course-based master’s program that provides the knowledge, skills, and tools required to address the social, environmental, and economic challenges of global forest change and natural resources management.
What makes the program unique?
The MIF empowers graduates to seek, negotiate, and implement solutions for complex global forest challenges, and most importantly, to adapt and succeed in changing landscapes.
As an MIF graduate, you will be equipped to:
- Examine relationships among societies and their forested environments
- Assess trends in the valuation and marketing of forest-based goods and services
- Understand landscape-level changes and spatial datasets
- Implement principles of sound forest governance
- Negotiate and evaluate multilateral environmental agreements
- Develop policies for sustainability
- Break into the international forestry scene
Program Structure
As an MIF student, you will spend 8 months studying full-time on UBC’s Vancouver campus, and 2 to 4 months on an internship or in a guided study in your field of choice. The program’s curriculum is a mix of experiential learning and real-world experiences taught through:
- Courses covering a wide range of topics, including:
- Forests and society
- Social, community, and Indigenous forestry
- Integrated natural resources management
- Natural resource economics and environmental finance
- Forest business enterprise
- International forest governance and policy
- International forestry institutions, diplomacy, and negotiations
- Leadership and management workshops to improve skills required for work with international organizationsInternship or directed study–previous MIF internships have been completed in Italy, Kenya, Malawi, Nicaragua, Thailand, Canada, and the United States, within a wide range of international organizations, including the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO)
Quick Facts
Program Enquiries
Meet a Representative
Master of International Forestry Info Session
OnlineDate: Thursday, 31 October 2024
Time: 09:30 to 10:30
Are you ready to take the next step in your career? Register today for the Faculty of Forestry's Master of International Forestry (MIF) online information session. Learn more about program details and how to prepare a strong application in our exclusive online presentation and question-and-answer session. MIF is a 10-month, course-based master’s program that provides the knowledge, skills, and tools required to address the social, environmental, and economic challenges of global forest and natural resources management. The program also offers a 6-12 week placement or guided study working directly with partner organizations upon completion of the program. Previous placements include working with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO) and the Asia-Pacific Network For Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation.
Admission Information & Requirements
1) Check Eligibility
Minimum Academic Requirements
The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:
Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.
English Language Test
Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.
Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:
TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based
Overall score requirement: 100
Reading
23
Writing
24
Speaking
22
Listening
23
IELTS: International English Language Testing System
Overall score requirement: 7.0
Reading
6.5
Writing
6.5
Speaking
6.5
Listening
6.5
Other Test Scores
Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:
The GRE is not required.
Prior degree, course and other requirements
Prior Degree Requirements
Bachelor degree in a related field.
Course Requirements
Applicants must have an academic background in science, social science, or a related discipline with adequate grounding in natural resource conservation and management.
2) Meet Deadlines
September 2025 Intake
Application Open Date
01 October 2024Canadian Applicants
International Applicants
3) Prepare Application
Transcripts
All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.
Letters of Reference
A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.
Statement of Interest
Many programs require a statement of interest, sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.
Supervision
Course-based programs do not have a thesis component. While they may assign academic advisors to students, they do not require applicants to reach out to individual professors / faculty members to seek commitment as their thesis supervisor. Please do not contact faculty members for the purposes of thesis supervision if you are applying to this program.
Citizenship Verification
Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.
4) Apply Online
All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.
Research Information
Program Components
Upon completing the MIF course work (September to April), MIF students finish the program with a placement, directed study and/or final project. Students leverage their previous work experience and newly acquired skills to work with various organizations around the world. Students provide valuable work to the partnering organization and in return, gain relevant experience and networks to further their careers.
Tuition & Financial Support
Tuition
| Fees | Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat | International |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | $116.25 | $168.25 |
| Tuition * | ||
| Installments per year | 3 | 3 |
| Tuition per installment | $6,869.60 | $13,703.51 |
| Program Fee | $20,608.80 | $41,110.53 |
| Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) | Not applicable | |
| Other Fees and Costs | ||
| Student Fees (yearly) | $1,116.60 (approx.) | |
| Costs of living | Estimate your costs of living with our interactive tool in order to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies. | |
| Deposit to accept offer (if admitted) | ||
| Deposit requirement | $1000.00 | $1000.00 |
All fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees. Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors. In recent years, tuition increases have been 2% for continuing domestic students and between 2% and 5% for continuing international students. New students may see higher increases in tuition. Admitted students who defer their admission are subject to the potentially higher tuition fees for incoming students effective at the later program start date. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.
Financial Support
Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options.
Program Funding Packages
For information on funding, please visit our funding webpage.
Employer support
Organizations may provide their employees with tuition benefits as part of an employment package to support lifelong learning of their workforce.
Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)
Professional / course-based programs usually do not provide merit-based funding. Some programs may offer bursaries.
Financial aid (need-based funding)
Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans.
All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.
Foreign government scholarships
Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.
Working while studying
The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.
International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.
A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement.
Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals
Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.
Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.
Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.
Cost Estimator
Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.
Career Options
Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats
These statistics show data for the Master of International Forestry (MIF). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.
ENROLMENT DATA
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | 44 | 43 | 127 | 70 | 86 |
| Offers | 19 | 25 | 28 | 14 | 23 |
| New Registrations | 13 | 14 | 17 | 10 | 20 |
| Total Enrolment | 13 | 14 | 17 | 10 | 20 |
Completion Rates & Times
Disclaimer
Further Information
Specialization
Forestry offers advanced study in natural and social science, management, and economic aspects of forestry and wood science, in an interdisciplinary setting.
Program Website
Faculty Overview
Program Identifier
Classification
September 2025 Intake
Program Enquiries
Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form.
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