Occupation · SOC 25-1043
Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary
Teach courses in forestry and conservation science. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Median wage
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Projected growth
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Annual openings
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per year
Employed (US)
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Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
471 mapped
Core skills
InstructingReading ComprehensionLearning StrategiesWritingSpeakingActive LearningActive ListeningComplex Problem Solving
Knowledge areas
English LanguageEducation and TrainingMathematicsBiologyComputers and Electronics
Technology & tools
Web platform development softwareProject management softwareComputer based training softwareCalendar and scheduling softwareWord processing software
Representative tasks
Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics, such as forest resource policy, forest pathology, and mapping.Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.Supervise students' laboratory or field work.Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, and course materials and methods of instruction.Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in books, professional journals, or electronic media.Act as advisers to student organizations.Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks and laboratory equipment.Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.Review papers for colleagues and scientific journals.Provide information to the public by leading workshops and training programs and by developing educational materials.Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head.Participate in campus and community events.Provide professional consulting services to government or industry.Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Course syllabi and homework assignments — draft and organize under faculty mentorship for undergraduate forestry or conservation science courses.Foundational lecture content on forest resource policy or forest pathology — prepare and deliver with guidance from senior colleagues in a university classroom setting.Student assignments and short papers — evaluate and assign grades using established rubrics provided by the supervising professor.Undergraduate laboratory or field sessions — assist in supervising student work under the direct oversight of a lead faculty member at a field research site.Student attendance records and grade logs — maintain accurately using institutional learning management and records systems.Current peer-reviewed literature in forestry and conservation science — read and summarize to support lesson preparation and personal professional development.Word processing and course management software — use to create instructional handouts, post course materials, and communicate with enrolled students.Teaching and research issues raised by colleagues — participate in departmental discussions and contribute observations in collaborative faculty meetings.Geographic information system tools — apply at a basic level to support spatially anchored lab exercises or field mapping activities for students.Undergraduate research or internship activities — assist in monitoring student progress and providing structured feedback under faculty direction.
developing
Course syllabi, reading lists, and graded assignments — design independently for undergraduate and introductory graduate forestry courses with minimal oversight.Lectures on topics such as forest resource policy, mapping, and forest ecology — prepare and deliver routinely to undergraduate and graduate audiences in a semester-long course.Student class work, papers, and laboratory reports — evaluate with consistent, well-calibrated grading practices that align with learning objectives across multiple course sections.Field research and laboratory supervision — manage student activities at field sites, ensuring safety protocols and scientific rigor are maintained throughout sessions.Student academic records and required institutional reports — maintain and submit on schedule in compliance with university administrative requirements.Professional conferences and discipline-specific literature — engage with regularly to incorporate emerging findings in forest pathology, conservation policy, or related areas into course content.Undergraduate teaching assistants and graduate students in internship placements — supervise and provide structured professional feedback on their instructional and research performance.Project management and calendar scheduling software — use to coordinate multi-week field research projects and synchronize student timelines with departmental resources.Collaborative curriculum or research proposals — contribute substantively with faculty colleagues to address shared instructional challenges or pursue joint grant opportunities.Inductive and deductive reasoning challenges in student research design — guide students through problem framing and methodology selection in familiar disciplinary contexts.
proficient
Graduate and undergraduate courses spanning the full scope of forestry and conservation science — design, deliver, and continuously refine based on assessment data and evolving disciplinary knowledge.Advanced graduate seminars on forest resource policy, forest pathology, and conservation systems — lead autonomously, integrating current research and complex case studies throughout.Comprehensive grading systems for research papers, field reports, and dissertations — apply with nuanced critical judgment, providing formative feedback that advances graduate-level scholarly development.Multi-season field research programs involving graduate and undergraduate students — oversee fully, managing logistics, data quality, student safety, and scholarly output at remote or complex sites.Non-routine academic challenges such as academic integrity issues or struggling graduate researchers — address with sound judgment and institutional knowledge, resolving cases with appropriate rigor and sensitivity.Developments in conservation biology, forest ecology, and related sciences — synthesize continuously by engaging with primary literature, professional societies, and interdisciplinary colleagues.Graduate student thesis and dissertation committees — chair or serve on, guiding students from proposal through defense across multi-year research timelines.Geographic information systems and object-oriented database tools — apply at an advanced level within research and instruction, enabling spatially complex analyses for graduate field courses.Cross-disciplinary teaching and research collaborations with colleagues in biology, geography, or environmental policy — initiate and sustain to address complex, real-world conservation problems.Instructional learning strategies — evaluate their effectiveness across course formats and adapt pedagogy to serve diverse graduate and undergraduate learners in both field and classroom environments.
advanced
Departmental or program-level curriculum in forestry and conservation science — lead the design, review, and accreditation alignment for the full academic unit at a research university.Strategic research agendas for a forestry or conservation science program — set and communicate to internal stakeholders, funding agencies, and national professional organizations.Junior faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate teaching assistants — mentor systematically, shaping their pedagogical philosophy, research productivity, and professional trajectories.Institutional policies governing field research safety, academic integrity, and graduate student welfare — develop or substantially revise to reflect best practices across the discipline.Multi-institutional or federal research partnerships in areas such as forest carbon sequestration, wildland fire science, or biodiversity conservation — initiate, negotiate, and lead at an organizational scale.Scholarly reputation and external influence of the academic program — advance through keynote presentations, editorial board service, and national conference leadership in forestry and conservation science.Graduate program admissions criteria, fellowship allocation, and degree requirements — oversee and refine to strengthen program quality, equity, and alignment with workforce and research needs.Enterprise-level academic technologies and information retrieval systems — champion adoption across the program to enhance research capacity and instructional innovation for all faculty and students.Emerging societal challenges such as climate-driven forest disturbance or land-use policy reform — translate into transformative interdisciplinary courses and publicly engaged scholarship that shape the field.Organizational resource allocation decisions including hiring priorities, laboratory investments, and field station development — advise senior administration with evidence-based recommendations rooted in disciplinary expertise.
Also known as
45 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Wildlife Conservation ProfessorNatural Resources Program InstructorForest Products TeacherAssistant Teaching ProfessorEducation And Training Helper (Air Force 3F211)InstructorConservation Biology ProfessorTimber Management ProfessorCollege Faculty MemberForest Pathology ProfessorEducation and Training Journeyman (Air Force 3F251)Range InstructorAssociate ProfessorLecturerSilviculture ProfessorEnvironmental Conservation ProfessorNatural Resources InstructorForest Pathology TeacherForest Explorers InstructorRange and Road InstructorFaculty Member, College or UniversityForest Ecology ProfessorEducation And Training (Air Force 3F2X1)Natural Resources Faculty MemberForest Biometrics ProfessorForestry ProfessorForestry Faculty MemberCollege ProfessorNatural Resources ProfessorExtension ProfessorBiometrics InstructorForest Management TeacherForest Resources ProfessorAssistant ProfessorEducation And Training Craftsman (Air Force 3F271)USMA, Professor of Geography and Environmental Engineering (Army 47P)Forest Management ProfessorUniversity Faculty MemberForest Technology ProfessorForestry Instructor