BSc (Hons) Environmental Land Management

A dual-accredited course that will see you graduate as an environmental professional equipped with the skills and experience needed for sustainable land management.

Modern environmental land management is a challenging multi-disciplinary field. Natural landscapes need skilled oversight to ensure the right balance between leisure and commercial use and nature conservation.

The course combines a scientific underpinning of key areas yet enables students to gain hands-on experience in the techniques of collecting, analysing, and interpreting data for sustainable land management.

Areas studied include: Climate Change and Environmental Valuation, Developing & Managing Environmental Projects, The Natural Environment and Climate Change, Ecology, Environmental Survey Technologies & Field Skills, Sustainable Agriculture & the Environment, Rural Geography & Economics, Valuation and Estate Management.

This course will train you as an effective practitioner with good knowledge and understanding of the relevant scientific, policy and legislative frameworks as well as sound people and project management skills.

The Harper Advantage

• Residential field trips in years 1 and 4 to underpin and contextualise what you learn.
• A range of field trips and visits to relevant local and national organisations to provide real life experience and to meet professionals in their field of work.
• A focus on the practical application of theory– including a full placement year in industry as part of your degree, enabling you to put knowledge into practice, develop your network and discover your future ambitions.
• Professional Accreditation: This degree course is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) for the Environmental Surveying Pathway and by the CIEEM - Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management.
• More than 20 competitive scholarships open to students on Environment, Sustainability and Wildlife routes.

Duration

4 years (full-time) including a one-year work placement. A three year programme is available for applicants with at least two years, full-time relevant work experience. Please contact Admissions for further information on this option.

Careers

The breadth and flexibility of this course means our students will have the opportunity of careers in a wide range of areas. Environmental Land Management students at Harper Adams have a strong reputation in the graduate jobs market. This stems from our balanced and up-to-date course structure, good links with the industry and the placement year.

There are many career opportunities in the field of Environmental Land Management including the following examples: Environmental Surveyor and Auditor, Environmental Manager, Forestry Officer, Land-based and Environmental Consultant, Renewable Energy Officer, Countryside Manager, and Environmental Education Officer. Employers in the sector include environment and land-based consultancies, land agents, statutory bodies like the Environment Agency and Natural England, local authorities, National Trust and Wildlife Trusts.

Entry requirements for 2023

Use the drop-down tool to select the qualifications you have or are working towards to see what grades would be required for access to this programme. If you can’t see your qualification or would like any assistance with entry requirements, telephone the admissions team on 01952 815000, email admissions@harper-adams.ac.uk or complete a form to enable them to contact you.

Course fees

The latest fees for this course can be found in our undergraduate fees and funding section. You will also find course related costs, specific to this course in this area.

Teaching and learning

What you study

This course will give you comprehensive training in modern environmental management techniques and will introduce you to key concepts of biodiversity, sustainability, ecology and environmental systems.

You will develop a broad understanding of the scientific principles needed to effectively manage our environment, which is coming under increasing pressure as a result of human activities. You will gain hands-on experience of collecting, analysing and interpreting data for the conservation and management of our natural environment.

The strongly vocational nature of this course is supported by field visits to a diverse range of habitats, which include woodlands, nature reserves, conservation areas and other key UK landscapes.

Field trips

All first year ELM students attend the Introduction to Ecology field trip as part of their course. The trip provides students with practical ecological field skills and techniques of quantitative analysis. It normally takes place in May at the Field Studies Council Slapton Ley Field Centre in Devon. This is a seven night residential course, and costs £50*.

All final year ELM students attend a five-night residential field course, currently situated on Anglesey. The course provides students with an opportunity to investigate a real world issue of relevance to the environment and provides advanced data collection, analysis, project management and presentation skills. The trip normally takes place in the autumn term and costs £30*.

*cost includes all meals, accommodation and transport to and from the field centre, and are correct as of the 2018/19 academic year.

Teaching and learning

Here at Harper Adams, we are committed to high standards in teaching and learning. 

Teaching methods include student centred learning, resource based learning, independent project work, all of which is delivered in a variety of formats: including lectures, seminars and tutorials.  In addition to this, research-led learning is encouraged where students can be exposed to relevant research in a number of ways, from learning about the work of others and its relevance to wildlife resource management to conducting their own studies and field experiments.

To further underpin the applied nature of this course visiting speakers from within the sector are used and practical fieldwork and site visits form essential elements in the learning method as they provide the contextual relevance for students to establish the link between theory and practice.

Assessment methods

Assessment of student learning is conducted using a variety of methods.  Each course module is assessed by a combination of coursework and an end of year exam.  A part of the assessment process, student feedback forms an important element in the learning process.  All students receive verbal and written feedback on their coursework and exam scripts. 

Example of assessment methods include:

• Time constrained exams
• Flora and fauna Identification test 
• Management plans
• Essays / case studies
• Field reports
• Practical examinations
• Poster presentations

Work placement

Studying Environmental Land Management opens up a range of graduate careers. You will spend your placement year working in a key sector of your choice. Placements can be matched to your career aspirations to help you develop skills, knowledge and understanding that will improve your employability.

Current placement employers include public bodies such as; Natural England, Environment Agency, Forestry Commission, Local Authorities, through to organisations/consultancies such as; RSK ADAS, Eurofins, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, National Trust, The Wildlife Trusts, Field Studies Council. Placement gives you unique prospects as employers value the combination of theory and hands-on experience.