2 MISC. PUBLICATION 249, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 
fessional man. Such an education usually requires a minimum of 4 years 
of college work. A course of 5 or 6 years—l1 or 2 of which are spent in post- 
graduate work—is desirable for those interested in forest research. ‘The 
large number of men who look for employment in the lumber business or 
other forest-using industries will find college training in the principles of 
forestry as valuable to their success as it is to that of the men who plan to 
specialize in more scientific and technical forestry work. 
College training is but a part of the preparation needed. It must be 
supplemented by first-hand experience in forest or conservation work. 
Many young men obtain part of this experience through summer-school 
camps and some get it through fieldwork during summer vacation periods 
in a Federal or State forest, a conservation organization, or in the employ 
of a lumber company. Men who plan to specialize in lumbering find 
several years of work in logging camps and mills valuable in learning the 
practical details of the business. 
Courses leading to degrees in forestry are offered in about 40 institutions, 
Many other colleges also include forestry in their curriculums, the instruc- 
tion being given on a nonprofessional basis as supplementary training in 
other degree courses. Enrollment of undergraduates in the forestry schools 
in the United States prior to World War II totaled more than 6,000. 
Figures from the forestry schools indicated that about 500 degrees were 
being granted annually. More than 800 bachelor’s degrees in forestry 
were granted in each of the years 1955 and 1956. 
A list of the schools rated as accredited forestry schools by the Council of 
the Society of American Foresters can be obtained from the Forest Service, 
U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington 25, D. GC. In most cases, a 
4-year course is offered, leading to a degree of Bachelor of Science in 
Forestry. Several universities provide graduate instruction leading to 
Master of Forestry and doctorate degrees. As a Government agency, the 
Forest Service is not in a position to express an opinion as to the relative 
merits of the schools or their courses. Information concerning entrance 
requirements, tuition, etc., can be obtained by applying directly to the 
institution. 
Women in Forestry 
Forestry has generally been considered man’s rather than woman’s work. 
It will probably continue to be primarily, although not exclusively so. A 
few women have acquired technical training in forestry and have found 
employment in this field—for the most part in research or educational work. 
There have been instances of women successfully managing logging and 
other industrial forest enterprises, having in most cases “grown up in the 
business.” 
The opportunities for women in technical forestry work, however, are 
limited. Many outdoor positions are necessarily restricted to men; physical 
difficulties and other conditions in the field make the employment of women 
impracticable from the standpoint both of the employee and the employing 
agency. And since experience in such fieldwork is generally a requisite 
for promotion to higher administrative or technical positions, women are 
unfortunately at a disadvantage. 
In the nontechnical field, many women are employed in forestry agencies 
as clerks, stenographers, secretaries, draftsmen, etc.; and as a result of 
experience and special aptitudes, some have risen to important positions. 
