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Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food & Environment

Urban and Community Forestry

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Urban and community forestry is about managing trees and green spaces in urban areas to create healthier, greener communities.

Lead the Urban Forest Future

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.

Program Requirements

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.


UCF 300 Urban and Community Forestry

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)

 

UCF 410 Urban and Community Forestry Capstone

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

 

Electives

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


Admission Instructions

Current University of Kentucky Students

  1. Submit a request through myUK to add the Undergraduate Certificate in Urban and Community Forestry as an "additional major".
  2. Once your request has been processed, you will receive an email outlining the next steps.

New Certificate ONLY students

  1. Navigate to UK's Undergraduate Application Portal.​
  2. Apply to UK with a "Non-Degree Application".
  3. On the "Applicant Information" page under Applicant Type, select "Certificate".
  4. Under Program of Study, select "Certificate in Urban and Community Forestry".

Visiting Students from Other Universities

  1. Navigate to UK's Undergraduate Application Portal.​
  2. Apply to UK with a "Non-Degree Application".
  3. On the "Applicant Information" page under Applicant Type, select "Visiting Student".
  4. Under Program of Study, select "Agriculture, Food and Environment - Non-Degree".
  5. Email CAFEAdvising and request to enroll in the Urban and Community Forestry Certificate upon admission.

Contact

Headshot of Dr. Ellen Crocker.

Ellen Crocker, PhD

Certificate Co-Director

Associate Professor

Christopher Sass, PhD

Certificate Co-Director

Associate Professor

Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food & Environment