Undergraduate Courses

 

(1) COURSE CONTENT

FIRST YEAR
Semester I

EMF 101 1.0 Ecological Principles	c
EMF 103 1.0 Forest Mensuration and Inventory	c
EMF 106 1.0 Principles and Practice of Silviculture	c
EMF 113 1.0 Practical Module in Siviculture, Ecology and Forest          Mensuration	a
EMF 115 1.0 Key Skills for Resource Managers	c

Semester II

EMF 102 1.0 Environmental Chemistry	c
EMF 108 1.0 Forest Biology	c
EMF 114 1.0 General Geology and Soil Science	c
EMF 116 1.0 Practical Module in Environmental Chemistry and Forest Biology	a
EMF 117 1.0 Principles of Wildlife Ecology	c

SECOND YEAR
Semester I

EMF 201 1.0 Tropical Forest Ecology	c
EMF 213 1.0 Surveying, Natural Resource Mapping and GIS	c
EMF 214 1.0 Practical Module in Surveying, Mapping, GIS and Soil Science, Forest Tree Improvement	a
EMF 220 1.0 Waste Water Management	c
EMF 221 1.0 Environmental Pollution and its Control	c

Semester II

EMF 216 2.0 Wood Science and Forest Based Industries	c
EMF 218 1.0 Tree Diversity and Systematics	c
EMF 219 1.0 Practical Module in Wood Science and Plant Systematics	a
EMF 222 1.0 Principles in Hydrology and Climatology	c

THIRD YEAR
Semester 1

EMF 313 2.0 Field/Factory Assignment (Semester I and II)	a
EMF 314 1.0 Forest and Environmental Policies and Laws	c
EMF 315 1.0 Environmental and Social Impact Assessment	c
EMF 316 1.0 Corporate Environmental Management	o
EMF 317 1.0 Resource and Environmental Economics	c
EMF 319 1.0 Water Resource Management	c
EMF 321 1.0 Wildlife Ecology and Management	c
EMF 323 1.0 Forest Tree Improvement	c

Semester II

EMF 307 1.0 Forest Management	c
EMF 311 1.0 Agro Forestry and Social Forestry	c
EMF 313 2.0 Field/Factory  Assignment (Semester I and II)	a
EMF 318 1.0 Forest Pathology and Entomology	o
EMF 322 1.0 Land Use Planning and Management	o
EMF 330 1.0 Ecoutourism Planning and Management	o
EMF 331 1.0 Project Planning and Analysis	s
EMF 333 1.0 Applications of GIS in Resource Management	o
EMF 370 1.0 Intergrated Resource Management	o

 

B. Sc. Special Degree Course Units

Part I
Semester 1

EMF 313 2.0 Field/Factory Assignment (Semester I and II)	a
EMF 314 1.0 Forest and Environmental Policies and Laws	c
EMF 315 1.0 Environmental and Social Impact Assessment	c
EMF 316 1.0 Corporate Environmental Management	c
EMF 317 1.0 Resource and Environmental Economics	c
EMF 319 1.0 Water Resource Management	c
EMF 321 1.0 Wildlife Ecology and Management	c
EMF 323 1.0 Forest Tree Improvement	c
EMF 351 1.0 Conservation Biology	c
EMF 352 1.0 Wood Structure, Identification and Timber Grading	c
EMF 354 1.0 Tree Physiology	c
EMF 356 1.0 Seminars on Special Topics I	a
EMF 366 1.0 Rural Sociology	c

Semester II

EMF 307 1.0  Forest Management	c
EMF 311 1.0  Agroforestry and Social Forestry	c
EMF 313 2.0  Field/Factory  Assignment (Semester I and II)	a
EMF 318 1.0  Forest Pathology and Entomology	o
EMF 322 1.0 Land Use Planning and Management	c
EMF 330 1.0 Ecoutourism Planning and Management	c
EMF 331 1.0 Project Planning and Analysis	s
EMF 353 1.0 Environmental Microbiology	c
EMF 357 1.0 Research Methodology	c
EMF 358 1.0 Advanced Silviculture	c
EMF 359 1.0 Advanced Resource Economics	c
EMF 361 1.0 Indigenous Knowledge in Natural Resource Management	s
EMF 362 1.0 Green Business Development	o
EMF 365 1.0 Seminars on Special Topics II	a
EMF 367 1.0 Chemistry and Industrial Utilization of Plant Products	o
EMF 369 1.0 Cleaner Production and Green Technology	c
EMF 370 1.0 Integrated Resource Management	c
EMF 371 1.0 Urban Forestry	c

Part II
Semester I

EMF 451 1.0 An Eco system approach to Forest Management	c
EMF 453 1.0 Plant Systematics	c
EMF 455 1.0 Forest Harvesting and Sawmilling	c
EMF 456 2.0 Seminars on Special Topics I	a
EMF 457 8.0 Research Project (Semester I and II)	a
EMF 461 2.0 Advances in Environmental Pollution Control	c
EMF 463 1.0 Environmental Epidemiology and Toxicology	c
EMF 467 1.0 Soil and Soil Conservation	c
EMF 468 1.0 Remote Sensing, GIS and Mapping	c
EMF 469 1.0 Operational Research in Environmental Management	c
EMF 474 1.0 Protected Area Management	c
EMF 477 1.0 Bioethics	o
EMF 478 1.0 Disaster Management	o
EMF 481 1.0 Ecohydrology	c

Semester II

EMF 454 2.0 Assignment on Forest Management Plan Preparation	c
EMF 457 8.0 Research Project (Semester I and II)	a
EMF 458 1.0 Wood Based Composites	c
EMF 459 1.0 Forestry for Rural Development	c
EMF 471 1.0 Energy and Environment	o
EMF 472 1.0 Land Reclamation and Soil Remediation	c
EMF 475 1.0 Economic Instruments in Environmental Management	o
EMF 476 2.0 Seminars on Special Topics II	a
EMF 480 2.0 Environmental Modelling	c

c – Core courses, a – Compulsory courses, o – Optional courses s – Optional for all students in the faculty, those who are doing economics as a subject are not allowed to do this course unit.

 

(2) COURSE COMBINATION

The Department of Forestry and Environmental Science will collaborate with other departments within the faculty to provide the following course combinations.

EMF – CHE – MGT

EMF – CHE – PBT

EMF – CHE – ARM

EMF – CHE – BIO      – New

EMF – CHE – GMB    – New

EMF – CHE – PHY     – New

 

EMF – Environmental Management and Forestry

CHE – Chemistry

PBT – Plant Biotechnology

MGT – Management

ARM – Aquatic Resources Management

GMB – Genetics and Molecular Biology

PHY – Physics

BIO – Biology

 

(3) DEGREE AWARDING CRITERIA

 

Credit Values and Pass Marks for General and Honours Degree Programs

General Degree

• Compulsory count unit Minimum ‘D’ grade.
• The total credit value of the course one main subject for three years should not be less than 27 and should not be more than 30
• The minimum total credit value: 90
• The Maximum total value: 99

Honours Degree

• The minimum total credit valve: 120
• The maximum total credit valve: 126
• Total credit of the specialization subject: 80 credits
• Minimum total credit of the specialization subject in 3rd year and 4th Year: 60 credits
• Special degree candidates should obtain at least a ‘D’ grade for the research project to qualify for the special degree and should obtain at least a ‘C’ grade for the research project to qualify for a 1st and 2nd class in the special
• At least 50% of the total credit value of the specializing subject course unit

1st Class – ‘A-’ and above grade

2nd Upper Class – ‘B’ and above grade

2nd Lower Class – ‘C’ and above grade

Cut off level of GPA

GPA                          Awarding Criteria

2.00                                        Pass

3.00                                        2^nd Lower

3.30                                        2^nd Upper

3.70                                        1^st Class

 

(4) DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF THE DEGREE PROGRAM

Internship program (Field/Factory Assignment)

In the third year, students are placed in leading public and private sector institutes in forestry, agriculture, environmental, sustainability, wildlife, rural development, and policy formulation for field/factory assignment (internship). This is intended to allow students to acquire knowledge of a real work environment. This program has made our graduates more employable in the previous years.

Practical Classes

Compulsory practical classes will be conducted in the first two years of the course. Silviculture, Ecology, Forest Mensuration, Environmental Chemistry, Forest Biology, Surveying, Mapping, and Soil Science, Forest Tree Improvement, Wood Science, and Plant Systematics, Environmental Economics, Life Cycle Assessments, GIS and Remote Sensing are some of them.

Field Classes

The department has organized extensive field surveys across diverse subject categories, spanning various locations throughout the country. These encompass studies on tropical forest ecology in Sinharaja and Yagirala forests, forest mensuration and inventory in Inamaluwa forest plantation and Yagirala forest, wildlife conservation and management in Anawillundawa, Lunugamwehera and Wasgamuwa, wood science and timber technology field survey, geology and soil investigations, sanitary landfill assessments in Nuwara Eliya, evaluations of solid waste dumpsites in Colombo, examinations of water resources and watershed management in Upper Kothmale, rural sociology investigations in Meemure, carbon calculations at different sites, as well as silviculture and agroforestry field surveys.

Industrial Visits

In addition to classroom and hands-on sessions, organized excursions to industrial sites are scheduled to provide real-world exposure to forestry and environmental science. This educational approach encompasses visits to both private and public sector entities, including BOI zones for studies on waste management, wastewater treatment, and cleaner production, tours of plantation sectors and factories, visits to meteorological departments, botanical garden, exploration of industrial-scale mining sites, insights into wood science and timber-based industries, forest harvesting and sawmilling industries as well as exposure to environmental auditing processes, among other activities.

 

Seminar Presentations

The department has noted a significant enhancement in students’ skills through the seminar presentations. After two years of active participation, students demonstrate high confidence in developing their abilities. These presentations are mandatory for third and fourth-year honours degree students. Students conduct presentations on current issues in forestry and environmental science every Tuesday from 8:30 to 12:00 in the presence of the entire academic staff.

Workshops and Short Courses

The Department of Forestry and Environmental Science arranges workshops and short courses offered to students free of charge. Students within the department who are interested have the opportunity to acquire new knowledge through these courses. Additionally, some short courses, conducted in collaboration with leading global universities and the private sector, serve as certificate programs that contribute to developing additional qualifications for the students.

Adhere to the International Standards

In 2015, the Member States of the United Nations established a collective framework to foster peace and prosperity for both people and the planet, spanning present and future generations. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are central to this initiative, serving as a pressing call to action for nations worldwide to collaborate in a global partnership. The Department of Forestry and Environmental Science comprehensively addresses all the SDGs across various course units. The accompanying figure illustrates the allocation of teaching hours for each course conducted by the department, reflecting the integration of the SDGs into the curriculum.

 

 

 

(5) CAREER PATHWAY

Upon graduating from the Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, our graduates embark on distinctive career pathways. A range of private and public sectors actively seek and hire our students upon completion of their studies.

Postgraduate Education

Many exceptional students are pursuing master’s and Ph.D. programs globally and actively exploring job opportunities in countries like the USA, Canada, Australia, the UK, New Zealand, Germany, Japan, Finland, South Korea, China, and more. After completing their PhDs, a significant number of these students return and engage in university academic positions across various departments in different universities within the country. The department also offers facilities for post-graduation studies, including MSc and PhD degrees, to graduates.

Government and Non-governmental Organizations Jobs 

Job-seeking graduates can join various government sector organizations, including the wildlife department, forest department, waste management authority, central environmental authority, water board, water resource board, national gem and jewelry authority, and government school teaching positions. Additionally, there are prospects for employment as environmental scientists with large-scale national development projects. Some graduates may even find opportunities to work with international organizations such as UNDP.

Privet Sector Employment

Forestry and environmental science students are increasingly sought after by private industries, primarily due to heightened requirements in various areas. These include sustainability sectors in all industries, plantations, cleaner production, wastewater and solid waste management, environmental auditing, carbon trading and green business, disaster management, environmental certification, environmental economics, environmental impact assessment, and more.

Self-employability

The undergraduate programs offered by the Department of Forestry and Environmental Science equip students with the skills needed for self-employment within the sector. These programs cover various topics, such as the marketing of non-wood forest products, ecological monitoring, biodiversity conservation and development of value-added products, wood-based industries, wastewater treatment solutions, waste management solutions, carbon footprint analysis, and more. Notably, some of our students have already successfully launched their businesses. The department actively supports and encourages self-employment initiatives.