Wood Science & Technology at UMaine
The Wood Science and Technology program at the University of Maine is one of nine programs in North America accredited by 
the Society of Wood Science and Technology (SWST).
Our curriculum caters to a range of student interests, whether these
be carving and turning of wood, or the use of wood in advanced
engineered composites for the built environment. Our mission is to provide high
quality, comprehensive programs in undergraduate and graduate instruction
and to tailor the curriculum to the needs of the individual student.
All students are taught basics of wood properties and how wood can
be used by experts in the field. This basic information is then
applied to in more advanced training in specialized areas which
students choose themselves. Our Professional Electives options
provide training in Wood Design and
Craftsmanship and in Business,
or students can choose Professional Electives options in
Science or
Engineering. These later
options are particularly valuable for students with interests in
graduate school beyond the BS in Wood Science and Technology.
Whether a student is focused on wood tooling and furniture design or on the development of new and advanced structural products, an underlying theme in our program is understanding the wise use of wood and the conservation of forest and natural resources.
We offer a B.S. degree in Wood Science & Technology, as well as M.S. and Ph.D degrees specialized in Wood Science
& Technology.
The B.S. program is designed to provide the student with 
in-depth knowledge and understanding of wood as a material and
to train graduates to either build their own businesses as wood
craftsmen, to work in advanced-level positions in the varied forest
products industries, or continue for graduate work in Wood Science
and Technology or Materials Science and Engineering. The graduate degree program
at UMaine is closely integrated with the faculty's research
activities and provides students with academic and professional experiences through teaching, research publications, and
professional presentations. Current research programs
for graduate student thesis can be structured around the following broad subject areas:
- Wood and natural resource based composites,
- Wood surface chemistry, wood adhesion,
- Mechanical properties of wood,
- Wood deterioration and preservation,
- Biotechnological processing of wood materials,
- Wood physics, wood drying,
- Recycling of wood fiber materials,
- Forest products marketing.
For more information about Wood Science and Technology at the University of Maine, please download the following pamphlet in pdf format (~ 420 KB): WST_AEWC.pdf.
