College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Forestry

The MSU Department of Forestry is pleased to offer non-credit course options for individuals interested in online learning. These courses are a great fit for those looking to expand their knowledge on topics of forestry outside of a degree-granting program.

Courses are taught at three levels: introductory (lower division undergraduate), intermediate (upper division undergraduate), and advanced (graduate). All participants that complete a course will receive a “Certificate of Completion." There are no pre-requisites for participation in these courses.

Available Non-credit Courses

Note: for-credit versions of courses listed below are available. Participants interested in earning graduate credit will need to complete an application for a graduate program. This can be part of a larger graduate program or can be completed as a standalone course. The enrollment deadline is the first day of the course. Contact us immediately if you will require a late enrollment.

Forest Carbon Policy, Economics and Finance

Available: Fall Semester 2021: Sept 1 - Dec 12

• This course will cover policy, economic and financial dimensions of the development and implementation of forest-based climate change mitigation projects, including: the role of forests in international agreements and policy, finance and investment approaches to forest carbon sequestration; emissions trading; biofuels; and valuation of ecosystem services.
• This course is taught at the advanced graduate level by Runsheng Yin, yinr@msu.edu.
  
  Register Discounted Rate (am I eligible?) 
  
  

Forest Ecosystems, Carbon and Climate Change 

Available: Fall Semester 2021: Sept 1 - Dec 12

• The focus of the course is on climate change – mitigation and adaptation – related to forests. The theme is international, and the course is interdisciplinary suited for all majors. We cover policy, measurement science, and solutions through new low-carbon forest management and climate smart agriculture.

• This course is taught at the undergraduate-level by David Skole, skole@msu.edu.

  
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Human Dimensions of Forest Carbon Management

Available: Spring Semester 2022: Jan 10 - May 1, 2022

• Social dimensions associated with the development and implementation of forest-based climate change mitigation projects, including: valuation of trees and forests by local communities vs. international community; community decision making; public participation; community engagement.
• This course is taught at the advanced graduate level by Lauren Cooper, ltcooper@msu.edu.
  
  Register  Discounted Rate (am I eligible?)

Measurement and Monitoring of Forest Carbon

Available: Spring Semester 2022: Jan 10 - May 1, 2022

• Skill-based training in forest carbon inventory and carbon accounting methods. National and international monitoring of forest carbon stocks. Applications of remote sensing and geospatial technologies to forest carbon inventory.
• This course is taught at the advanced graduate level by David Skole, skole@msu.edu.
  
  Register Discounted Rate (am I eligible?)

R Programming for Data Science

Available: Summer Semester 2021, Session II: July 6 – August 19

• This course will cover programming in R and use of associated open source tools. Addressing practical issues in documenting workflow, data management, and scientific computing.

• This course is taught at the advanced graduate level by Andy Finley, finleya@msu.edu.

  Register

Seminar on Contemporary Issues in Forests and the Environment

Available: Summer Semester 2021, Session II: July 6 – August 19, Fall Semester 2021: Sept 1 - Dec 12

• Role of forests in environmental quality and human well-being.

• This course is taught at the introductory undergraduate level by Rich Kobe, kobe@msu.edu and Andy Vander Yacht, vandery1@msu.edu.

• This course qualifies for 25.5 Cat. 1 Continuing Forestry Education (CFE) units. 
  

   

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Socioeconomics of Bioproducts

Available: Fall Semester 2021: Sept 1 - Dec 12

• Role of forest bioproducts in developing sustainable communities. Resource planning and availability for value added bioproducts.

• This course is taught at the intermediate undergraduate level by Dan Brown, brownd94@msu.edu, and David DeYoe, deyoedav@msu.edu.

  Register

Available Non-credit Short Courses

Professional Development Course Onboarding Information

Understanding Forest Carbon Management

This self-paced course takes 6-8 weeks and runs throughout the year during the following periods:

• March 15 - June 15 
• July 15 - October 15
• November 15 - February 15 

Please specify during registration which course period you would like to join. 

• Understanding Forest Carbon Management is an online short course designed to provide a robust introduction to the benefits of forest land management specific to carbon while offering clear action paths. Topic areas include carbon cycle and storage science, domestic and international policy overview, project case studies, management considerations, measurement basics, and available tools and support.

• This course is led by the MSU Forest Carbon and Climate Program (FCCP) and is offered in partnership and with funding from the USDA.

•  Additional details can be found on the Forest Carbon and Climate Program short courses page.

  
  Register

Available Non-credit Mini Courses

Forest Certification and Climate Change

This self-paced course takes 2-3 weeks and runs throughout the year during the following periods:

• March 9 - June 9
• July 9 - October 9
• November 9 - February 9

Please specify during registration which course period you would like to join. 

• Learners will develop a robust understanding of forest land values and ecologic services linking carbon management and climate change mitigation activities with forest certification.
• This course is led by the MSU Forest Carbon and Climate Program (FCCP) and is offered in partnership and with funding from the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).
• Additional details can be found on the Forest Carbon and Climate Program (FCCP) courses page.

 Register

How do I enroll?

Enrollment is a very simple 3 step process:

• Step 1 – Purchase the course of interest at our cashnet storefront.
• Step 2 – Our online education specialist will create your course access and will share additional details with you via email at the address used to purchase the course.
• Step 3 – Login to D2L (Desire 2 Learn) to access your course homepage. Your course will be available on the first date of the academic semester. View academic calendar
  
  

Questions?

Any questions can be directed to the online education specialist.

For-credit versions of these courses are available to MSU undergraduate and graduate students. If you are interested in participating in a formal degree-granting program through the Department of Forestry, please visit our undergraduate page or our graduate programs page to learn more.

Course Refunds and Administrative Policies

A course refund is available for participants that withdraw from a short course within a specific timeframe from the date of the course start date. The MSU Department of Forestry non-credit course program follows the University-wide policy regarding course fee and tuition refunds, which can be viewed in full through the MSU Office of the Controller.