The one-year work placements are organised and managed through a dedicated placement unit at Harper Adams. To further support you on placement the countryside and wildlife team have a course specific placement manager and academic staff to visit you on placement twice during the year to review your progress. You will be helped to find a placement within a countryside organisation. This time spent working in industry gives you the chance to use what you have learned in a real job and to gain experience in your chosen area of work. It gives you unique prospects as employers value the combination of theory and hands-on experience. Recent placement employers include the National Trust, Game Conservancy Trust, the Woodland Trust and the Field Studies Council.

What you study

Modules will cover a broad range of subjects including ecology, countryside and environmental issues, wildlife, landscape development, woodlands and forestry.

Field trips

All first year CEW 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 CEW 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 field work 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

The breadth and flexibility of this course means our students go on to careers in a wide range of areas.

Countryside 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. These key elements of our approach help to produce graduates with a valuable combination of academic knowledge and real-world experience. These courses prepare you for careers such as countryside rangers, rights of way officers, reserves managers and agrienvironment project officers.

Opportunities are available with local authorities and employers such as Natural England, Defra, Wildlife Trusts, the National Trust, the Forestry Commission, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and Groundwork Trusts. Technical awareness ensures that graduates are sought after by organisations in the agri-food sector.

The transferable nature of the commercial skills developed enables graduates to work in government, trade and overseas development organisations, banks, specialist market research agencies and consultancies. Many have also found that this qualification equips them to set up and successfully run their own food, farm or rurally-based enterprise.