Environmental Land Management degree granted RICS accreditation

Posted 3 December 2020

Harper Adams University is pleased to announce that its honours degree in Environmental Land Management has been granted accreditation by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Course Manager Simon Irvin welcomed the news, saying: “I am really delighted that our course demonstrates a globally-recognised standard of surveying education and is recognised by RICS accreditation which ensures the course content and achievement of key learning outcomes has been rigorously assessed for quality, and for its breadth of ecological and environmental concepts. 

“RICS accreditation is a robust and professional process that will provide our students with the confidence that their programme of study is relevant for the environmental sector where their career aspirations are focussed.”

RICS works in partnership with universities to ensure that accredited degree courses are relevant to industry and therefore recognised by employers as the benchmark of quality.

The content of the BSc (Hons) Environmental Land Management programme has been mapped to the RICS Environmental Surveying pathway, such that students completing the Harper Adams degree will be eligible to enrol on to the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence when they graduate and begin to work towards achieving chartered surveyor professional status.

Some students will even start the APC during their industrial placement year, fast-tracking their route to qualification. 

The ELM course seeks to provide students with a thorough understanding of the underlying technical, economic and managerial principles, and the cultural, ethical and policy context of the sustainable management of the countryside.

The course took its first students in September 2020, who will all be eligible to progress on the RICS pathway (subject to course completion).

One of the students is Harry Vernon, 34, from Buckinghamshire, who said: “I chose to study ELM because I’m passionate about the environment and want to have a career where I can make a positive impact. The broad range of subject areas really appealed to me too, as it will open up more opportunities in such a multi-disciplinary field.

 “I am excited to learn the skills needed to manage land for the good of the environment and I’m looking forward to gaining valuable experience during my placement year.”

Find out more about the course at our next Virtual Open Days on December 14 and January 8.