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prescribed fire class

students learning to manage prescribed fire

Summer Practicum

Summer practicum is an immersive experience that takes students out of the classroom and into the outdoors at the Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center, located near Andalusia, AL.  Each summer, forestry and wildlife sciences students live and work at the Dixon Center taking courses that provide them with hands-on learning and the field skills necessary for their education and future careers.

Forestry majors attend between their sophomore and junior years for nine weeks, as a comprehensive introduction to the forester’s craft, before beginning courses in their major. Wildlife Ecology and Management students attend for six weeks before their senior year as one of their education’s final, unifying pieces.

Note: Transfer students majoring in Forestry must apply for summer semester admission prior to their junior year to attend the required summer practicum. For additional help with questions about application timelines and requirements, please contact Student Services before applying.

The Dixon Center was created by a gift from Solon and Martha Dixon to Auburn University in 1978 and is today considered one of the finest educational facilities of its kind in the nation. The facility is home to the 6,500 square foot Solon and Martha Dixon Foundation Learning Center, which houses a state-of-the-art auditorium, classroom, and conference room; two large bunkhouses, five semi-private dormitory buildings, a rec center, an administrative building, classroom and computer lab building, maintenance shop, and cafeteria. The original Dixon family home is also found on the property, which is preserved as a museum and historical landmark.

For decades the Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center has been a cornerstone of the Auburn University College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment educational program. This unique educational asset allows the CFWE to excel in preparing resource managers with the knowledge and skills necessary to make them competitive in the job market and leaders in their field.

To learn more about the learning and career development opportunities offered by summer practicum, you may enjoy reading more about this transformational experience from our faculty and students in a past story featured in the CFWE News.

For more information about summer practicum prerequisites, registration, tuition, equipment fees, and other details, contact CFWE Undergraduate Student Services at cfwesso@auburn.edu.