The Master of Forest and Ecosystem Science will involve two years of study and has been created as part of the university's education overhaul.

The new "Melbourne Model" is being introduced by the university and will decrease the number of undergraduate degrees from 96 to six broad areas.

The changes mean the Creswick campus has dropped its underdegree course in Bachelor of Forest Science but head of School of Science and Ecosystem Science Professor Rod Keenan said the changes would benefit students.

"We felt the Melbourne Model presented an opportunity to refocus and re-invigorate forest education," Prof Keenan said.

"The changes have been taken relatively well. A lot of our students have been doing double degrees over the past five or 10 years anyway so the changes won't increase the length they are studying."

As part of the degree students will be studying forest management and forest eco-systems.

Victorian agriculture Minister Joe Helper launched the new degree at the campus last week and said the new course would help address the challenges the industry faced in the future.

"The forestry industry has a strong and sustainable future in Victoria and certainly the skills that will be added to the industry through this course and school are important," he said.

"Forestry is clearly an industry that needs to be sustainable managed. Industry wants it, the government wants it and the community demands it.

"The industry faces the challenge to adapt to limited resources."

The new course can take up to 50 students.