Employment

College of Forestry and Conservation graduates work in a wide variety of fields dealing with the environment and natural resources. We have graduated forest rangers and water managers, park rangers and wilderness guides, grassland and ranch managers, advocates in non governmental interest groups, land use and management consultants, wildlife and fisheries biologists, science education teachers, scientists and professors, and people who work in many other occupations. An increasing proportion of our graduates continue their studies in graduate school as more and more employers are looking for highly prepared graduates who can tackle highly complex problems. What do you see yourself doing in the years ahead? Do you want to protect the environment, be a conservation manager, or ensure that society has forests, grasslands, wilderness, and wildlife for the future?

Some of the best opportunities at the present time are for those students who have developed a specialization in a technical field such as remote sensing using satellite technology and geographic information systems or who have combined their environmental and natural resource education with business, journalism, education, or law. Others have chosen to enter the Peace Corps and begin a career in international environmental and natural resource management. Given the many environmental issues and changes in natural resource management over the past decade, new employment opportunities are emerging. We have found that CFC graduates are prized for their initiative and strong work ethic and that they are prepared to meet the challenges of the day.

Our graduates have had a great deal of success in both public and private work. One of our graduates was Associate Chief of the Forest Service, another was a vice president for Weyerhaeuser Company, another is the Executive Vice President of Plum Creek Timber Company, another is a principal in a major ski area, several are professors at leading universities, and others are just starting out as field ecologists, foresters, rafting guides, wildlife managers, land use planners, management consultants, wilderness rangers, and a host of other fun jobs. Our graduates get to work where others pay to play, and they are making sure that our forests, grasslands, wildlife and communities will be sustained into the future. Do you want to be part of this proud tradition—a tradition of excellence in education for our environment and our society?

While the CFC can’t guarantee you a job or success in a career, we will prepare you to succeed. Projections indicate that there will be about 1400 forestry and conservation scientist jobs available each of the next several years. This number is greater than the current number of graduates nation-wide. A degree or two from CFC will prepare you as well as any university in the world for these positions. Try us and see. CFC is World Class in the Rockies.