Registered Professional Forester (RPF) Designation

Forestry is a regulated profession in Canada. Graduates of forestry programs, accredited by the Canadian Forestry Association Board (CFAB) can apply to become a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) in Alberta or any other Canadian province. The RPF designation is a common job requirement to work on any aspect of sustainable forest management in government or industry.

Accredited programs

The University of Alberta offers three degree programs that are CFAB accredited: 

 

 

Why pursue the RPF designation?

Participants of our accredited forestry programs acquire knowledge and skills necessary to become effective stewards of Canadian forest lands. You will learn to manage forest landscapes not only for timber and other forest products, but also for ecological, social and cultural values. 

Registered Professional Foresters are in high demand and earn premium salaries in Alberta and elsewhere in Canada. Internships, summer jobs, as well as career opportunities for graduates can be found through these databases: UofA Career Center, AAFMP, Gov. of Alberta, Gov. of Canada,  Forestry Jobs in Canada.

Accelerated 4+1 pathway for ENCS graduates

For students who completed a 4-year BSc in Environmental and Conservation Sciences (ENCS) at the University of Alberta, the Master of Forestry with Specialization in Sustainable Forest Management (MF-SFM) offers an accelerated 8-10 month pathway to become eligible for an RPF designation.

Most ENCS graduates will meet MF-SFM admission prerequisites of *3 university credits in each of six topics: (1) biodiversity or conservation, (2) plant physiology or structure and function, (3) soil science, (4) geomatics or GIS, (5) economics, and (6) statistics. Missing prerequisites can be covered during the first term under a conditional admission.

Further, ENCS graduates, especially those with a major in Conservation Biology or Land Reclamation have likely completed undergraduate courses that already meet RPF competency requirements and replace required MF-SFM graduate courses, including one or more from: ENCS 299, REN R 290, 295, 299, 322, 323, 340, 430, 431, 447, 448, FOREC 345, 473, R SOC 375 and 460.

Current ENCS students may choose their free electives and approved program electives to meet all MF-SFM admission prerequisites and some RPF competency requirements in advance. However, acceptance of admission prerequisites and course replacements is not guaranteed and require prior Departmental approval (see contacts below).

Contact Us

For more information about the undergraduate programs (BSc in ENCS, BSc in Forestry, and BSc in Forest Business Management) contact: questions.ales@ualberta.ca.

For more information about the graduate program (Master of Forestry with Specialization in Sustainable Forest Management) contact: grad.ales@ualberta.ca

For pre-admission approval of MF-SFM prerequisites and confirmation of undergraduate courses counting towards RPF competency requirements, contact: ahamann@ualberta.ca.