Content

Wood Products

Our Mission

To improve the wise utilization of forest resources for enhanced productivity and quality of life. We will educate our students in critical knowledge and develop their skills in changing technologies through research, integrative classrooms, professional development, and continuing education programs.

"If you think wood is just about 2' x 4's and panels... think again!
Check out this 2 minute video to see for yourself!

Degrees

B.S. in Wood Products Business Management

The Business Management option enables the Wood Products student, who is seeking a foundation in accounting, finance, marketing, and business skills, to attain these skills and also earn a minor in Business Management. The Business Management concentration provides a concentrated exposure to business management practices, including financial and operations management, accounting practices, and marketing.  This concentration is for the Wood Products student who has career goals of owning an enterprise or having responsibility for the business operations aspect of a company and who desires to acquire business management skills to complement the technical background in wood. 
Semester-by-Semester Curriculum

B.S. in Wood Products Manufacturing & Engineering

The manufacturing option enables the Wood Products student, who desires a strong background in industrial engineering principles, the opportunity to acquire these skills and earn a minor in industrial engineering (IE). The Manufacturing option provides a concentrated exposure to IE principles and practices.  This option is for the Wood Products student who has career goals which are either in process and product engineering or in upper-level plant management in a large wood manufacturing company.
Semester-by-Semester Curriculum

B.S. in Wood Products Interdisciplinary Option

The basic WP curriculum contains 15 hours of advised/technical electives, as well as 9 hours of free electives. These 24 hours of electives allow the Wood Products student to design an academic program to specifically serve the individual’s career goals. Electives may be selected from a variety of academic areas to meet the objectives of students who desire a broad-based program instead of concentrating on a minor. Courses might be selected from Graphic Communication, Forestry, Business Management, and/or Engineering.
Semester-by-Semester Curriculum

Scholarships

Qualified students are awarded scholarships for up to 1/3 off tuition providing funds for tuition and books. Financial awards include but are not limited to the following scholarships:

• Roy M Carter Endowed
• Thomas Forshaw Jr. Endowed
• James B. and Mildred Wilkinson Endowed
• R.B. and Irene Jordan Endowed
• Valspar Corporation Endowed
• Frank Hart Endowed
• Brian Cardini Memorial
• David B. Morgan, Sr. Endowed
• Butch and Brenda Wilson Endowed
• Forestry Foundation Alumni

To apply for a Wood Products scholarship, please complete our online Interest Form.

Our Teachers

Limited enrollment in our undergraduate program allows faculty to know students as individuals and to be personally involved with their development. In fact, student ranking of our advising program is consistently among the highest at the university. Advisers are also professors and understand exactly what it takes to be a successful student. In addition, Wood Products core curriculum courses offer class sizes of less than 15 students allowing for one on one professor assistance.

Internships & Opportunities

Graduates of the Wood Products program enter the real world with hands-on experience gained through internships, lab experiments, and practical coursework. More than one half of Wood Products students participate in paid undergraduate research and work study opportunities. In addition, students are required to complete a paid summer internship or a semester co-op with a company in the industry. There are many other summer employment opportunities that are available to you beyond the required internship.

“The internship was a great learning experience. It's one thing to hear about what to expect out in the real world after you graduate, but actually experiencing it is entirely different. Internships generally help students decide what kind of position in the wood products industry they are interested in pursuing, and possibly more importantly, positions that they are not interested in.” 

Brian Furnas, WP Student

Careers

Graduates of the Wood Products curriculum have many and varied job opportunities upon graduation with most receiving more than one job offer. Graduates enter the industry as management trainees, sales trainees, process engineers, quality assurance specialist, research & development associates and many others. They earn $32,000 to $60,000 per year immediately upon entering the industry.

• The average starting salary is $47,000.
• Graduates usually see a rapid rise in salary as they acquire industrial experience and advance into more responsible positions.
• No geographical limit in career opportunities - from North Carolina to international locations.
• Graduates are limited only by their willingness to relocate.
• Most of the wood industry understands the necessity of having young, educated individuals who understand the properties and characteristics of the material wood and are knowledgeable of the current state of technology in the industry.

Meet Our Current Students

See what our students are doing inside and outside of the classroom by visiting Student Chapter - Forest Products Society Homepage.

Want to learn more? Have a question? Think you'd like to visit our college?

Please fill out our online Interest & Information form.