First Year Options
The Faculty of Forestry offers two options for enrolment in the first year:
- The standard program in which students admitted to the Faculty design their own program according to Degree Requirements, selecting both the courses and the sections they wish to attend.
- The Land One cohort option. Land One cohort option is jointly offered by the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and the Faculty of Forestry. In this limited-enrolment option, students admitted to their respective Faculty and degree programs enrol in a timetable of 16 core credits as a cohort. The timetable includes BIOL 121, MATH 180, LFS/FRST 101, LFS/FRST 110, and LFS/FRST 150. Additionally, students register for the remaining first-year credits according to their Degree Requirements.
Land One Cohort Option for the Faculty of Forestry
Land One is a unique way for first-year Forestry students to begin their degrees. Students with a passion for learning in an integrated format will benefit from the program’s cohort model, where complex issues related to food security, climate change, land use, forest management, and sustainability are explored through a coordinated curriculum offered in a small learning community.
Jointly offered by the Faculty of Land and Food Systems (LFS) and the Faculty of Forestry (FRST), the option integrates required first-year subjects (BIOL 121, MATH 180, FRST 101, FRST 150 and FRST 110) within the context of real-world cases from both Indigenous and Western perspectives.
It facilitates students’ transition to university and enhances the connections to their home Faculty by creating a learning community centred on collaborative engagement and learning with their peers and instructors
Students register in a 16-credit timetable that consists of designated sections of BIOL 121, MATH 180 (taught in the first term), FRST 101, FRST 150 (taught in the second term) and FRST 110 (taught over both terms).
Land One instructors teach the same course content as the standard program using examples, approaches, and case studies that relate to current issues in Land and Food Systems and Forestry through lectures, tutorials, and peer-to-peer engagement. All Land One students attend their lectures together and have access to a designated study space, creating a smaller social and learning community.
FRST 110 is an integrative seminar that discusses the connections between courses in Land One and current issues. Each week, students meet for a one-hour lecture and a one-hour tutorial session throughout both terms 1 and 2. Students work in groups to explore disciplinary and integrative approaches to cases involving both Indigenous and Western perspectives. Students also participate in field trips (e.g. to UBC farm, Malcolm Knapp Research Forest, and Museum of Anthropology) and engage in various hands-on activities.
All majors/programs in FRST allow for the Land One standard timetable to meet first-year degree requirements, however, students are responsible for meeting all remaining degree requirements in their respective program. The Land One cohort option is best suited to students in the Natural Resources Conservation and Forest Resources Management programs. The 16-credit standard timetable leaves space for students to take other courses in first-year and build their own program path within FRST, and across campus. Students who plan to transfer out of FRST after first-year should consult with the Faculty Advising Office responsible for the program they are interested in.
Application Process
The Land One program is limited to direct-entry students in their first-year of study in FRST. Students must be admitted to FRST in order to be eligible for the Land One cohort option. Students should consult the Admission section for details on applying to the Faculty of Forestry at UBC. As Land One integrates five courses, in addition to the Faculty’s admission requirements, students must meet the pre-requisites of these courses as listed below (or the equivalent in the students’ home curriculum):
- BIOL 121: Biology 11 or 12, or BIOL 111
- MATH 180: One of BC Principles of Mathematics 12 or Pre-calculus 12 and one of (a) a grade of 80% or higher in BC Principles of Mathematics 12 or Pre-calculus 12, (b) a satisfactory score in the UBC Mathematics Basic Skills Test.
- FRST/LFS 101: No pre-requisites
- FRST/LFS 150: Enrolment limited to FRST students with first year status. Because writing will be a significant part of the Land One option, proficiency in English is strongly recommended.
- FRST/LFS 110: No pre-requisites
Students must submit a separate application for the Land One program, via an online application by May 31. Students are required to submit a Letter of Intent (500 word maximum) addressing why they would like to join Land One.
Additional information about the Land One cohort option and the application process are available on the Land One website.
