Target level of study
Master's degree
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Language(s) of instruction
French
Presentation
The Master's degree in Wood Sciences covers wood from its formation in trees to its many uses, from materials to molecules, incorporating economic, climatic, and environmental issues. This program draws on skills in biology, ecology, chemistry, physics, mechanics, and social sciences.
This demanding interdisciplinary program uses innovative learning methods to develop each student's personal project in a spirit of cooperation.
The training program is open to work-study students (5 places) and initial training students (15 places).
For more information: https://master-bois-fds.edu.umontpellier.fr/
Objectives
This master's program trains executives, engineers, and future researchers in wood science, who will be a driving force for development and innovation in forestry and wood industry companies and research laboratories.
Particular attention will be paid to cross-disciplinary skills that ensure graduates' adaptability to the eco-engineering and bio-based materials sector (project management, problem solving, scientific approach, etc.).
Know-how and skills
- Acquire interdisciplinary knowledge in wood science, from the formation of trees to their multiple uses, from materials to molecules, incorporating economic, climatic, and environmental issues.
- Identify, formulate, and solve complex problems in current and emerging areas of wood science.
- Developing an open and cooperative mindset and building your personal project
Organization
Knowledge assessment
Students will be assessed on an ongoing basis in various ways.
Special facilities
The Master's in Wood Science program is located in Building 4 on the Triolet campus.
It consists of the following facilities:
- Woodworking workshop
- Woodworking lab
- Project room
Open alternately
Type of contract | Apprenticeship contract, Professional training contract |
|---|
Internships, supervised projects
Internship | Mandatory |
|---|---|
Duration of the internship | 4 months in M1, 4 months in M2 |
Internship abroad | Possible |
Two internships of at least four months from March to June or March to August in M1 and M2 are planned: one in a company and one in academic research.
M1 case study project (5 weeks)
M2 R&D project (6 weeks)
Common thread project throughout the two years of training.
Program
The Master's in Wood Science is based on active and innovative teaching methods:
- Problem-Based Learning (PBL),
- Interdisciplinary projects,
- Field trips,
- Independence,
- Personal project development.
The training will be conducted in person. Two weeks of the M1 program will be held off-campus.
Select a program
Wood Sciences
How the shaft works
ECTS
4 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
33h
Morphogenesis and fundamental processes in tree development
Primary growth (organogenesis and elongation; cauline & root)
Secondary growth (functioning of cambium and phellogen)
Branching and branching patterns
Reproduction (from flower to fruit) and reproductive phenology
Tree architecture
Architectural models
The concept of architectural unity
The reiteration
Senescence and decline
Morphogenetic gradients
Root architecture
Diversity, variability, and plasticity in tree functioning and adaptation
Structure-time relationships: dendrochronological approaches
Phenology and chronobiology
Primary growth, branching, flowering, and morpho-anatomical markers
Cambial function and growth rings
A posteriori reconstruction of tree development
Ecophysiology and functional architecture of trees
Mechanical support
Root absorption (including the role of mycorrhizae)
Conduction
Photosynthesis
Reserves
Reproduction
Trade-offs and compromises between functions
Adaptations and structure-function relationships
Adaptation to herbivory (spines, underground stems, latex, chemical compounds, etc.)
Resistance to pathogens (bark, latex, etc.)
Fire resistance (bark, ability to regrow, pyrophytes, etc.)
Drought tolerance/resistance
Wood that marks history
Anthracology
Dendrochronology / dendroclimatology
Marker of vegetation, land use, climate
Practical work: analysis of cores after drying...
Interdisciplinary project common thread 1
ECTS
3 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Personal project and professional motivation
ECTS
2 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Data analysis and applied statistics in wood science
ECTS
3 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
21h
- Introduction to statistics and the scientific method
Scientific approach
Data structuring
Descriptive statistics
Overview of analysis methods
A critical look at statistics
- Univariate analyses
Comparison tests
Distribution compliance
Simple regression and analysis of variance/covariance
- Multivariate analyses
Correlations and principal component analysis
Multiple linear regression
Nonlinear adjustments
- Classification and discrimination
Classification (supervised, unsupervised)
Segmentation and discrimination
- Statistical analysis tools
Introduction to R software
Wood for Tree 1: Chemical Composition and Microstructure
ECTS
5 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
36h
- Taxonomy/phylogeny: the concept of species
- The origins of trees / the origins of wood - The emergence of tree-like forms, the invention of wood, and evolution
- Development of the cambium and vascular system
- Diversity of woody tissues (tracheids/vessels/fibers/parenchyma)
- Anatomical features and taxonomic recognition of temperate and tropical woods
- Chemical composition of wood
- Macromolecules (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, etc.) and their properties (Tg)
- Nano-structure - meso and nano-porosity, organization of cellulose microfibrils (interaction between chemical compounds)
- Chemical composition of wood
- Secondary metabolites (function, composition, diversity), extractables
- Chemical composition of wood - Gums, latex, exudates, resins
Diversity of mechanical and physicochemical properties
ECTS
5 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
40,5h
Mechanical behavior of wood
One-dimensional elastic behavior and strength of materials (RDM) applied to structures with wooden beams and introduction to calculation codes (finite element modeling).
One-dimensional viscoelasticity and damping.
Orthotropic behavior.
Fracture behavior.
Quasi-static and vibratory measurement methods.
Wood compared to other materials (Ashby cards).
Physicochemical properties of wood
Thermal and hygroscopic properties (shrinkage-swelling), impact on elastic properties.
Relationships between structure, chemistry, and physical-mechanical behavior (from the cell wall scale to the macroscopic scale).
Sensory properties: colors, smells, touch, sound, and taste properties.
Diversity of woods and diversity of uses
Variability within a species and diversity between species (temperate, Mediterranean, tropical) in terms of physical and mechanical properties.
Woods at the interface of several categories of diversity (biological, physical-mechanical, functional, cultural), illustrated by specific uses and across different geocultural areas.
Case study in wood science
ECTS
5 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Case studies are a stimulating part of training and learning that aim to develop not only students' knowledge, but above all the know-how and interpersonal skills of managers and executives, through real-life situations in business, industry, or research related to the forestry and wood sector. Case studies are therefore geared towards active learning by students through group reflection and discussion in a real-life situation.
The various topics of study are proposed by industrialists, professionals, researchers, and research professors. The themes of the topics are interdisciplinary, scientific, technical, or socio-economic.
To meet the client's requirements, students draw on their prior knowledge and combine it with their newly acquired knowledge. Supervised by one or more academic tutors, the group of students will be responsible for developing instructions, procedures, specifications, reports, and study findings based on the results of tests, trials, and/or surveys in order to meet the client's request. Dialogue with peers, through exchange, confrontation, or argumentation, contributes greatly to the successful completion of this project.
Forests, wood, and global issues
ECTS
3 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
24h
History and sociology surrounding wood
History of wood use, from the Paleolithic era to the present day
Myths surrounding trees and wood: storytelling tour of the Jardin des Plantes
Wood and forests: representations and uses
Carbon and climate change
Greenhouse effect and climate change
Carbon footprint from forest to wood products
Economics and geopolitics of the timber industry
Carbon economy
The global timber industry - Geopolitics and sustainability of timber use - Global flows
Actors in the traditional and technical wood industry, in France and around the world
Geopolitics of production, conflicts over land use. Value of forests compared to other uses (mining, agriculture, urban development, etc.)
Forest ecosystem services
Biodiversity, air/water filtration, hydraulic regulator
Welcoming the public, picking products, hunting,
Landscape, opening/closing of environments
Internship
ECTS
15 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Annual project theme 2
ECTS
5 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
From tree to uses
ECTS
5 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
46,5h
Forestry and primary processing.
Primary andsecondary processing
Structuring ofprimary processing
Growth constraints and technological consequences
Drying and hygroscopic behavior
Degradation and sustainability
English for wood science 1
ECTS
2 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
18h
Listening comprehension—video materials, lectures, group discussions
Reading comprehension—based on articles from the scientific press
Oral expression in interaction—conferences, debates, and group work
Written expression - note-taking (reports)
Wood for trees 2: biomechanics & tree hydraulics
ECTS
3 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
22,5h
Biophysical specifications for trees
Mechanics of a shaft subjected to gravity
Shaft hydraulics
Mechanics of the shaft under external loading
Integrative biophysics of trees
Biophysical adaptations and wood quality
How the shaft works
ECTS
4 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
33h
Morphogenesis and fundamental processes in tree development
Primary growth (organogenesis and elongation; cauline & root)
Secondary growth (functioning of cambium and phellogen)
Branching and branching patterns
Reproduction (from flower to fruit) and reproductive phenology
Tree architecture
Architectural models
The concept of architectural unity
The reiteration
Senescence and decline
Morphogenetic gradients
Root architecture
Diversity, variability, and plasticity in tree functioning and adaptation
Structure-time relationships: dendrochronological approaches
Phenology and chronobiology
Primary growth, branching, flowering, and morpho-anatomical markers
Cambial function and growth rings
A posteriori reconstruction of tree development
Ecophysiology and functional architecture of trees
Mechanical support
Root absorption (including the role of mycorrhizae)
Conduction
Photosynthesis
Reserves
Reproduction
Trade-offs and compromises between functions
Adaptations and structure-function relationships
Adaptation to herbivory (spines, underground stems, latex, chemical compounds, etc.)
Resistance to pathogens (bark, latex, etc.)
Fire resistance (bark, ability to regrow, pyrophytes, etc.)
Drought tolerance/resistance
Wood that marks history
Anthracology
Dendrochronology / dendroclimatology
Marker of vegetation, land use, climate
Practical work: analysis of cores after drying...
Interdisciplinary project common thread 1
ECTS
3 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Personal project and professional motivation
ECTS
2 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Data analysis and applied statistics in wood science
ECTS
3 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
21h
- Introduction to statistics and the scientific method
Scientific approach
Data structuring
Descriptive statistics
Overview of analysis methods
A critical look at statistics
- Univariate analyses
Comparison tests
Distribution compliance
Simple regression and analysis of variance/covariance
- Multivariate analyses
Correlations and principal component analysis
Multiple linear regression
Nonlinear adjustments
- Classification and discrimination
Classification (supervised, unsupervised)
Segmentation and discrimination
- Statistical analysis tools
Introduction to R software
Wood for Tree 1: Chemical Composition and Microstructure
ECTS
5 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
36h
- Taxonomy/phylogeny: the concept of species
- The origins of trees / the origins of wood - The emergence of tree-like forms, the invention of wood, and evolution
- Development of the cambium and vascular system
- Diversity of woody tissues (tracheids/vessels/fibers/parenchyma)
- Anatomical features and taxonomic recognition of temperate and tropical woods
- Chemical composition of wood
- Macromolecules (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, etc.) and their properties (Tg)
- Nano-structure - meso and nano-porosity, organization of cellulose microfibrils (interaction between chemical compounds)
- Chemical composition of wood
- Secondary metabolites (function, composition, diversity), extractables
- Chemical composition of wood - Gums, latex, exudates, resins
Diversity of mechanical and physicochemical properties
ECTS
5 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
40,5h
Mechanical behavior of wood
One-dimensional elastic behavior and strength of materials (RDM) applied to structures with wooden beams and introduction to calculation codes (finite element modeling).
One-dimensional viscoelasticity and damping.
Orthotropic behavior.
Fracture behavior.
Quasi-static and vibratory measurement methods.
Wood compared to other materials (Ashby cards).
Physicochemical properties of wood
Thermal and hygroscopic properties (shrinkage-swelling), impact on elastic properties.
Relationships between structure, chemistry, and physical-mechanical behavior (from the cell wall scale to the macroscopic scale).
Sensory properties: colors, smells, touch, sound, and taste properties.
Diversity of woods and diversity of uses
Variability within a species and diversity between species (temperate, Mediterranean, tropical) in terms of physical and mechanical properties.
Woods at the interface of several categories of diversity (biological, physical-mechanical, functional, cultural), illustrated by specific uses and across different geocultural areas.
Case study in wood science
ECTS
5 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Case studies are a stimulating part of training and learning that aim to develop not only students' knowledge, but above all the know-how and interpersonal skills of managers and executives, through real-life situations in business, industry, or research related to the forestry and wood sector. Case studies are therefore geared towards active learning by students through group reflection and discussion in a real-life situation.
The various topics of study are proposed by industrialists, professionals, researchers, and research professors. The themes of the topics are interdisciplinary, scientific, technical, or socio-economic.
To meet the client's requirements, students draw on their prior knowledge and combine it with their newly acquired knowledge. Supervised by one or more academic tutors, the group of students will be responsible for developing instructions, procedures, specifications, reports, and study findings based on the results of tests, trials, and/or surveys in order to meet the client's request. Dialogue with peers, through exchange, confrontation, or argumentation, contributes greatly to the successful completion of this project.
Forests, wood, and global issues
ECTS
3 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
24h
History and sociology surrounding wood
History of wood use, from the Paleolithic era to the present day
Myths surrounding trees and wood: storytelling tour of the Jardin des Plantes
Wood and forests: representations and uses
Carbon and climate change
Greenhouse effect and climate change
Carbon footprint from forest to wood products
Economics and geopolitics of the timber industry
Carbon economy
The global timber industry - Geopolitics and sustainability of timber use - Global flows
Actors in the traditional and technical wood industry, in France and around the world
Geopolitics of production, conflicts over land use. Value of forests compared to other uses (mining, agriculture, urban development, etc.)
Forest ecosystem services
Biodiversity, air/water filtration, hydraulic regulator
Welcoming the public, picking products, hunting,
Landscape, opening/closing of environments
Internship
ECTS
15 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Annual project theme 2
ECTS
5 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
From tree to uses
ECTS
5 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
46,5h
Forestry and primary processing.
Primary andsecondary processing
Structuring ofprimary processing
Growth constraints and technological consequences
Drying and hygroscopic behavior
Degradation and sustainability
English for wood science 1
ECTS
2 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
18h
Listening comprehension—video materials, lectures, group discussions
Reading comprehension—based on articles from the scientific press
Oral expression in interaction—conferences, debates, and group work
Written expression - note-taking (reports)
Wood for trees 2: biomechanics & tree hydraulics
ECTS
3 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
22,5h
Biophysical specifications for trees
Mechanics of a shaft subjected to gravity
Shaft hydraulics
Mechanics of the shaft under external loading
Integrative biophysics of trees
Biophysical adaptations and wood quality
Professional integration and communication
ECTS
5 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
30h
Interdisciplinary project common thread 3
ECTS
6 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Uses of solid wood, panels, and composites
ECTS
6 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
48h
Use of timber:
Wood products for construction (solid wood, finger-jointed wood, glued laminated timber, cross-laminated timber, panels, etc.), sectors, classifications, and uses.
History of construction and contemporary architecture
Challenges and specificities of wood construction projects:
- Design: main checks on structure, envelope, acoustics, etc.
- Implementation: specific features and organization of construction sites.
- Operation: hygrothermal performance, comfort and well-being, etc.
- Longevity and end of life: life cycle analyses of buildings, recyclability, reuse.
Fine woods used in crafts such as cabinetmaking, marquetry, stringed instrument making, etc.
Uses of industrial wood:
Wooden packaging materials (pallets, crates, tubs, etc.)
Plant-based composite materials, including wood (in products for construction, transportation, sports and leisure, design, etc.)
Wood materials in thermal insulation (loose, semi-rigid, rigid, etc.).
Functionalized wood materials (transparent wood, enhanced wood, etc.)
Resources, materials, and paper production (printing, techniques, cardboard, etc.)
English for wood sciences 2
ECTS
2 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
18h
Listening comprehension—video materials, lectures, group discussions
Reading comprehension—based on articles from the scientific press
Oral expression in interaction—conferences, debates, and group work
Written expression - note-taking (reports)
Natural and cultivated forests
ECTS
5 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
37,5h
|
Natural forest |
The main types of forests (tropical, temperate, Mediterranean, boreal, etc.) and their species |
|
|
Successive stages of forest development (pioneers, etc.) |
|
Cultivated forest and forestry |
Plantations, tree species |
|
|
Silvicultural practices: Selective cutting and natural regeneration, pruning, thinning, continuous cover, planting, tree maturity, rotation time, production tables, management & development plan |
|
|
Agroforestry |
|
Soil and nutrients |
Soils, litter, and dead wood decomposition |
|
Threats and opportunities for forests |
Climate threats (drought, disease, insects) and solutions for the future |
|
|
Anthropogenic threats (forest management, illegal trade, etc.) |
|
French sector |
Eco-socio-economic characteristics |
Biorefinery and energy recovery
ECTS
6 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
48h
Wood industry and sustainable development
ECTS
3 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
24h
Company or laboratory internship
ECTS
15 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Interdisciplinary project common thread 4
ECTS
6 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
R&D project
ECTS
6 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Professional integration and communication
ECTS
5 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
30h
Interdisciplinary project common thread 3
ECTS
6 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Uses of solid wood, panels, and composites
ECTS
6 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
48h
Use of timber:
Wood products for construction (solid wood, finger-jointed wood, glued laminated timber, cross-laminated timber, panels, etc.), sectors, classifications, and uses.
History of construction and contemporary architecture
Challenges and specificities of wood construction projects:
- Design: main checks on structure, envelope, acoustics, etc.
- Implementation: specific features and organization of construction sites.
- Operation: hygrothermal performance, comfort and well-being, etc.
- Longevity and end of life: life cycle analyses of buildings, recyclability, reuse.
Fine woods used in crafts such as cabinetmaking, marquetry, stringed instrument making, etc.
Uses of industrial wood:
Wooden packaging materials (pallets, crates, tubs, etc.)
Plant-based composite materials, including wood (in products for construction, transportation, sports and leisure, design, etc.)
Wood materials in thermal insulation (loose, semi-rigid, rigid, etc.).
Functionalized wood materials (transparent wood, enhanced wood, etc.)
Resources, materials, and paper production (printing, techniques, cardboard, etc.)
English for wood sciences 2
ECTS
2 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
18h
Listening comprehension—video materials, lectures, group discussions
Reading comprehension—based on articles from the scientific press
Oral expression in interaction—conferences, debates, and group work
Written expression - note-taking (reports)
Natural and cultivated forests
ECTS
5 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
37,5h
|
Natural forest |
The main types of forests (tropical, temperate, Mediterranean, boreal, etc.) and their species |
|
|
Successive stages of forest development (pioneers, etc.) |
|
Cultivated forest and forestry |
Plantations, tree species |
|
|
Silvicultural practices: Selective cutting and natural regeneration, pruning, thinning, continuous cover, planting, tree maturity, rotation time, production tables, management & development plan |
|
|
Agroforestry |
|
Soil and nutrients |
Soils, litter, and dead wood decomposition |
|
Threats and opportunities for forests |
Climate threats (drought, disease, insects) and solutions for the future |
|
|
Anthropogenic threats (forest management, illegal trade, etc.) |
|
French sector |
Eco-socio-economic characteristics |
Biorefinery and energy recovery
ECTS
6 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
48h
Wood industry and sustainable development
ECTS
3 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
24h
Company or laboratory internship
ECTS
15 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Interdisciplinary project common thread 4
ECTS
6 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
R&D project
ECTS
6 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Admission
Admission requirements
Admission to the master's program is based on application. It is open to holders of a bachelor's degree in biology, chemistry, physics, mechanics, or environmental studies who are open to interdisciplinarity and motivated to achieve the required level in disciplines with which they are less familiar.
A few places are also available for highly motivated applicants with a three-year degree in other disciplines (economics, architecture, political science, history, etc.). Please contact the program coordinators.
Registration procedures
Applications can be submitted on the following platforms:
- French and European students: follow the "Mon Master" procedure on the website: https://www.monmaster.gouv.fr/
- International students from outside the EU: follow the "Études en France" procedure: https://pastel.diplomatie.gouv.fr/etudesenfrance/dyn/public/authentification/login.html
Target audience
Bachelor's degree in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mechanics, or Environmental Studies
Other disciplines: Contact the training managers.
And after
Continuing education
Doctorate
Professional integration
H1206 - Management and engineering studies, research, and industrial development
K1802 - Local development
H2204 - Management of the furniture and wood industries
K2402 - Research in the sciences of the universe, matter, and life
H2504 - Team Management in the Manufacturing Industry