Department of Forestry Forest Carbon and Climate Program

MSU FCCP is pleased to announce a collection of online short courses tailored for natural resource professionals, extension agents, and landowners. For more information about each course, including registration details, click on a selected course below. 

The Department of Forestry has non-credit versions of additional undergraduate and graduate courses available for purchase. A full catalog of these courses, including those below, can be found at Continuing Education. 

Short Courses 

This category covers intensive professional short courses that will take 6 - 8 weeks to complete. Each course is self-paced and offered entirely online. To learn more about the on-boarding process and for a preview of what to expect upon registering for one of our professional development courses, please view this video or review this PDF.

Understanding Forest Carbon Management

This in-depth short course provides a robust overview of the connections between forests, climate, and human decision-making. The course builds confidence in foundational science, unpacks land management specific to carbon (including carbon crediting and other initiatives), and offers action paths for various decisions. The content is highly interdisciplinary and is designed to build shared understanding for diverse professionals.

Intensives

This category covers 2-3 week short courses that are focused on specific forest carbon and climate topics. Each course is self-paced and offered entirely online. 

New! Urban Forests and Climate Change

The Urban Forests and Climate Change intensive course explores the ways in which trees, forests, and wood products can contribute to climate change mitigation and improved community resilience in urban and municipal environments. The course identifies unique themes and addresses the ways in which urban forests can be impacted by climate change as well as how management can be used as a tool to reduce social inequities, improve human health and well-being, and reduce environmental and community vulnerability to climate-induced stressors.

US Regions: Forest Carbon & Climate Adaptation

The US Regions: Forest Carbon & Climate Adaptation (formally known as FCCP Intensive: US Regions) are short online learning experiences designed to take learners beyond the basics of forest carbon science by providing an in-depth analysis of trends, challenges, and opportunities for a chosen US region: Pacific Northwest US, Northeast US, or Southeast US. Topics include regional forest background, climate change trends and effects, carbon storage, climate impacts by forest type, and regionally appropriate adaptive management strategies.

Forest Certification and Climate Change

Learners will develop expertise in forest land values and ecologic services linking carbon management and climate change mitigation activities with forest certification. Topic areas include the physical science of forests and climate, forest certification and climate change, and climate benefits in chain of custody. This course may be used to fulfill Sustainable Forestry Initiative continuing education requirements in participating states.

Note on Course Completions + Course Refunds

Students must complete all course requirements within their chosen course period in order to receive a formal Certificate of Completion from the MSU Department of Forestry. Certificates will not be distributed to those who fail to complete the course by the closing date and course extensions cannot be granted on an individual basis. 

Students are eligible for a full course refund if requested within 14 days of the course opening date barring that a significant portion of the course has not been accessed. Reach us at forestc@msu.edu for more information.