Sustainability Basis for

Successful Studies

University of Applied Forest Sciences

University of Applied Forest Sciences

Applied Wood
Technology
Bachelor of Science

Studying at Schadenweilerhof hardly any other university

offers such a unique atmosphere: personal interaction instead of massive crowds. Historical walls and the most modern research facilities, surrounded by 2,500 ha of research
forest. With appr. 850 students, the University of Applied
Sciences Rottenburg is small but precisely because of this it
is an innovative university. With a clear forestry science profile and six pioneering degrees:
Forest Sciences, Bachelor of Science
BioEnergy, Bachelor of Science
Water Resource Management, Bachelor of Science
Applied Wood Technology, Bachelor of Science
Sustainable Rural Development and Regional Management,
Bachelor of Science
SENCE (Sustainable Energy Competence), Master of Science
The goal of each degree is sustainable management when
using natural resources. The University of Applied Sciences
Rottenburg has been awarded several times for these leading edge study programmes by the UNESCO. The close
cooperation with several other universities in the region, as
well as having worldwide contacts, provide students the
opportunity to gain overseas experience and work on international research projects. The University of Applied Sciences
Rottenburgs future concept was awarded for winning the
university competition Excellency Strategies from the Stifterverband fr die Deutsche Wissenschaft.

Schadenweilerhof
72108 Rottenburg a. N.
Tel. +49 (0) 74 72 / 951-0
Fax +49 (0) 74 72 / 951-200
hfr@hs-rottenburg.de
www.hs-rottenburg.de
Admission only applies for the Winter Semester
Applications close on 15th July
The University of Applied Sciences Rottenburg works
together with the following institutions:
- Within the university region Tbingen-Hohenheim, with
Tbingen and Hohenheim Universities, as well as the
universities Albstadt-Sigmaringen, Nrtingen-Geislingen
and Reutlingen.
- Ulm University of Applied Sciences
- Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences
- Van Hall Larenstein, Part of Wageningen, Velp
(The Netherlands)
In addition, there exist collaborations with many
universities worldwide.

Description of the Degree

Current Situation
Presently, 3.3 billion m3 of wood annually is used worldwide. Wood therefore plays a significant role in the commodity markets and is the resource of the future. The existing
intensive world timber trade will continue to develop strongly. Wood is the raw material of the 21st century: renewable,
environmentally friendly and versatile for its energetic or
material usage. The distribution of this growing resource and
its efficient utilization will be one of the most important tasks
in the future.

Theory and Practice

Even the technical and optical qualities within a wood type
are very diverse. Only by having knowledge about it can the
right choice be made for its practical and efficient usage.
This degree teaches knowledge which considers the qualities
of wood already in the production phase, how to fulfil the requirements of this modern building material, and to achieve
the highest product quality. Through technical and chemical
handling processes a great variety of different wood products
can be created.

Innovative and Practice Oriented

The innovative potential for wood is extremely high. This is
seen in new treatment processes and the combination with
other raw materials. The wood market is undergoing change
and new developments place great demands on planners
and manufacturers. The increasing shortage of this raw material requires a sustainable approach for its use and leads to a
great demand for know-how in the field of wood utilization,
particularly in other countries.

Study Content
Basic Study Period
The basic study period (semesters 1 - 2) teaches technical
and natural scientific foundations and the functionality of
economic processes. It gives a worldwide overview of the
resources forests and wood.

Main Study Period

The content includes understanding general building material, theory about isolation and insulation, procedures for
the modification and the energetic use of wood. Wood as
a design element and for construction is equally dealt with,
as well as the characteristics of wood composite materials.
Further components include material science and material
testing, applied building physics, material development and
so called Change-Management. Students are able to decide
their own individual specialization through the numerous
elective compulsory subjects.

Project Phase
Project and group work dealing with typical issues from
the timber industry enable a strong connection to practical
matters. To further this purpose there are also numerous
excursions and seminars.

Integrated Internship Semester

The 5th semester is an internship where theoretical knowledge can be applied in practice. It is possible to carry out
independent work, acquire high communication competence and learn about occupational activities. This can also
be completed abroad.

Bachelor Thesis
The degree ends with a final assessment, the bachelor thesis.
As part of this, practical and scientific relevant problems are
independently solved.

Career Perspectives
Experts for consulting, planning and
implementation
The degree Applied Wood Technology is conceived as
a career qualifying bachelor degree in cooperation with
the Chamber of Commerce and enterprises from the
wood industry with many promising career prospects.
The close cooperation with companies guarantees
a job-market orientated and close to practice based
education, while simultaneously being aligned with the
current state of research.
The wood manufacturing and wood processing industries, trading, planning, consulting and advising services
offer an abundance of jobs to the graduates of the degree. Further career fields are available in organizations
and non-governmental organizations both nationally
and internationally.
Should an internship company be carefully chosen, this
often represents an easier step in the direction towards
a professional career.

Further Qualifications
The degree is a multifaceted basis for attaining a further
qualification through masters study programmes. Attractive choices for this are available at the universities
in Freiburg and Hamburg, as well as the TU Dresden.
The deliberately international oriented degree also
enables the accomplishment of a further qualification
abroad. In the basic study period, there are foreign
language courses offered at the University of Applied
Sciences Rottenburg for this purpose.