Wood engineering

Made for you if you want to create innovative solutions using Quebec’s most abundant natural resource.

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Did you know

$117,268
Average salary

(Genium360, Remuneration of engineering professionals in Quebec – Investigation report 2025-2026)
4 years
Duration of the bachelor’s degree in wood engineering
99%
Of homes in Quebec are built using wood.
From residues to biofuel: the science behind wood engineering
Residues from logging operations can be transformed into renewable energy. Nothing goes to waste! Wood engineering directly contributes to the energy transition and to reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.
83% of Quebec municipalities depend on the forest sector
From the Laurentians to the Côte-Nord, wood sustains hundreds of communities.
From the forest to the factory
Wood engineering covers the entire wood value chain.

What you will actually do

As a wood engineer, you’ll plan and optimize wood-processing operations—from the forest to the finished product.

Plan and manage industrial wood-processing operations according to specifications.
Estimate manufacturing costs for products such as lumber, composite panels, furniture, and building systems.
Design sawing, veneering, drying, machining, and wood-preservation processes in manufacturing plants.
Design and market innovative wood or composite-material products.

Source: REPÈRES, the official school and career information website (in French)

Where do you see yourself?

Wood engineers work in fields as varied as construction, the forest industry, and furniture manufacturing.

Consulting engineering firms
Building construction companies
Forest operations
Structural wood component manufacturers
Federal and provincial government
Lumber and building materials wholesalers
Pulp and paper industry
Sawmilling and shingle industry
Furniture and furnishings industry

Where to study

Universities offering the program

Université Laval

FUEL MADE FROM WASTE

Harvest residues that can power engines instead of oil

What remains after logging—branches, bark, sawdust—can be converted into biofuel. This fast-growing sector in Quebec helps reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and fully leverage forest resources.

1.5 million cars

In greenhouse gas emissions eliminated if all forest residues were converted into biofuel

HIGH-TECH WOOD: IT EXISTS

What’s more fire-resistant than steel? Glulam.

Engineers have developed glued-laminated timber using Quebec softwood species. By removing natural defects and layering laminations, this process creates a material stronger than raw wood—and surprisingly, more fire-resistant than steel.

Read the article about glued-laminated timber

Play Mission Génie to discover the type of engineering that suits you!

An interactive game to explore the different types of engineering and find the one that best matches your interests and talents.

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