Urban and community forestry is about managing trees and green spaces in urban areas to create healthier, greener communities.
Nearly two-thirds of the world's population live in an urban area. As this number continues to grow, trees are an increasingly critical resource for ecosystem services, city aesthetics, human health, and community wellness and cohesiveness. This certificate helps prepare students for careers that involve the interactions of trees and people in urban and suburban communities. Students seeking careers involving urban spaces, such as those in public health, engineering, architecture, urban planning, and environmental education, will benefit from this certificate.
To complete the Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) certificate, students must successfully complete 14 credit hours. All certificate students must take UCF 300, UCF 400, and nine credits of 200-level or greater of approved electives. Course substitutions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
This course will introduce students to core concepts related to urban and community forestry. It seeks to provide a solid foundation in how trees in cities function, how they benefit communities, and how they can be better supported. This course will consist of an introduction to urban and community forestry including modules such as (1) trees and tree health, (2) green infrastructure, planning, and design, (3) environmental education, and (4) trees, human health, and wellness. (3 credits) Prerequisites: Sophomore standing or higher (or approval of instructor)
Completing this course will prepare students to work with the public and make a difference in people's daily lives. Students in this course will synthesize cross-disciplinary concepts related to urban and community forests and be provided with real-world experiences to strengthen their knowledge base. This course will build upon UCF 300, facilitating student specialization in their field of study while applying topics across different disciplines and careers that connect to urban and community forests. (3 credits). Prerequisites: UCF 300
Students must complete at least nine hours of pre-approved electives.
CPH 310 Fundamentals of Epidemiology
ENT/FOR 502 Forest Entomology
FOR 219 Dendrology
FOR 330 GIS and Spatial Analysis
GEO 285 Introduction to Planning
HRT 320 Woody Horticultural Plants
HRT 451 Landscape Maintenance
LA 307 Cultural Landscape Preservation
LA 345 Design with Plants
LA/NRE 355 Introductory Geospatial Applications for Landscape Analysis
NRE 365 Environmental Education
PLS 366 Fundamentals of Soil Science
SOC/CLD 360: Environmental Sociology
Current University of Kentucky Students
New Certificate ONLY students
Visiting Students from Other Universities
Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food & Environment
