The Ranger School

The SUNY-ESF Ranger School in Wanakena, N.Y., offers students a unique educational experience in a spectacular natural setting. The school confers the associate in applied science degree. The A.A.S. degree can open doors to forest, natural resources conservation or land surveying technology careers, or it can serve as a hands-on, experience-based step toward a bachelor of science degree.

The Ranger School curriculum educates students for careers in the areas of environmental conservation, forestry and surveying, while also providing preparation for continued education in related bachelor's degree programs. Within the curriculum there are three areas of study: forest technology, land surveying technology, and environmental and natural resources conservation.

The Ranger School's one-plus-one plan allows students to complete their first year of higher education at the college of their choice, then spend their second year at The Ranger School. Students wishing to continue on for their bachelor's degree can do so at SUNY-ESF's main campus in Syracuse, N.Y.

Combining an A.A.S. with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree

There are several advantages of combining a Ranger School forest technology or environmental and natural resources associate's degree with a four-year B.S. degree in professional forestry. Ranger School graduates who go on to pursue the bachelor's degree have a solid field education as well as a managerial orientation and the deeper ecological and social understanding provided by the professional curriculum.

Students wishing to transfer from the forest technology concentration to the forest resources management program at the Syracuse campus will be admitted as juniors. They will be given credit for the summer session in field forestry. They will still have to complete some physical sciences, social sciences and humanities requirements while in residence at Syracuse, depending on prior preparation. A maximum of 32 transfer credit hours from the sophomore year of the forest technology program will be counted toward the B.S. degree. All other requirements as set forth in the forest resources management program option must be met.

Students contemplating subsequent transfer should concentrate their freshman year electives in the social sciences and humanities. Students should also complete the first semester in chemistry, one semester in physics and a course in calculus prior to transferring. It is possible to be admitted without these courses, but subsequent progress in the program becomes more difficult.

Dual Majors

Students who are pursuing the associate degree may pursue a dual major, combining any two of the three areas below. Program requirements must be satisfied concurrently (i.e., a student cannot graduate from ESF and return later to complete coursework for a second major). Students may petition for admission to a dual major A.A.S. degree after completing 18 credits and before 45 credits with an unambiguous GPA of 2.000 or greater (no grades of incomplete or missing grades). The diploma will state the completion of a single A.A.S. degree. The transcript will state the completion of two majors.

The forest technology program provides students with a unique combination of knowledge and skills. Students learn about all aspects of forest technology through a carefully planned combination of classroom lectures, demonstration and hands-on fieldwork. The curriculum's emphasis is on fundamental forestry knowledge and applied field training as well as the relationship between forest technology and managerial needs.

This degree provides students with knowledge of the field practice of forest management, the ability to work and communicate effectively with professional and paraprofessional personnel, and an understanding of the physical, biological and quantitative aspects that form the basis of forestry.

The land surveying technology program’s educational objectives are for students to obtain a sound technical background in fundamental land surveying principles, techniques and skills; become well-rounded technical specialists capable of teamwork, communication and problem solving; and develop life-long learning skills and abilities.

The program provides students with a combination of surveying and land resource knowledge and related skills which are not available anywhere else. Students will be thoroughly exposed to the field of land surveying through a carefully planned combination of classroom lectures, demonstrations and hands-on experience.