College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Forestry

Already an established arboriculturist and small business owner, three years ago Bryan Dobbs decided to take the next step in his career and become a Board Certified Master Arboriculturist (BCMA). This designation is held by fewer than 2% of professional arborists.

“I began looking over the study material to prepare for the BCMA exam and realized I was in over my head,” said Dobbs. With this realization, Dobbs enrolled in the undergraduate forestry program at MSU. This was a particularly ambitious endeavor, given Dobbs owns and operates a tree service, has young children, a lengthy commute, and a wife with an established career.

After three years in the program, Dobbs decided he was ready for the exam. “I was feeling extremely confident in all of the study material for the BCMA because of my education at MSU, and I successfully passed the 160-question, four-hour exam. I feel really good about that accomplishment,” said Dobbs.

Dobbs recalls several courses in particular that were particularly helpful in gaining the knowledge to pass the certification: Dendrology, Ecology, Entomology and Pathology, Soil Science, Plant Biology, and Silviculture and Urban Forestry.

“There is no way I would have successfully passed the exam without everything I learned over the last three years at MSU,” said Dobbs.