Working group on graduate education in agroforestry
Key issues
Educational opportunities for students to study agroforestry at the university
level have increased in recent years, but only a few comprehensive
curricula are currently available. Although there is no precise estimation of
need (i.e., supply versus demand), there is a general belief that programs
leading to the B.S., M.S., and/or Ph.D. degrees are warranted. The exact
programs and degrees required will vary because country-specific curricula
will need to reflect the needs of the country and the capabilities of the
institutions involved. Programs, therefore, will vary greatly between and
among developed and developing countries.
Regardless of the country, however, critical mass problems (e.g., faculty,
facilities and instructional materials) exist at most institutions which greatly
limit their capability to develop comprehensive agroforestry programs. This
includes the need to support scholarly research which increases in importance
in higher degree programs. Although specialization in the agroforestry
sciences becomes an integral part of post-graduate degree programs, cur