Sustainable Land Management

UCAS code: P900

Here's what Plumpton College says about its Sustainable Land Management course.

Are you ready to tackle climate change and protect our planet? If you’re passionate about the outdoors and want to work with conservationists, farmers, and landowners to make a real impact on biodiversity, then our Sustainable Land Management programme is for you. 84% of the UK population live in an urban environment yet a 2017 study showed that we occupy only 6% of the UK landscape. The rest of our land is used for a large variety of uses ranging from farming to sports grounds, airports to peatbogs and this offers an enormous scope for maximising the ecosystem services and biodiversity that each habitat has the capacity to maintain.

This foundation degree course will give you the tools to analyse and assess the ecosystem health of a wide range of UK habitats and the skills to deliver practical, realistic and achievable management plans within a financially viable framework that recognises the needs and requirements of all interested parties.

Our Sustainable Land Management foundation degree is an across the board course that allows the student to examine and evaluate the full range of factors that contribute to modern day conservation and farming practises. Students will be immersed in a practical, theoretical and sustainable learning environment that enable nature recovery, support food productions and foster an enduring and positive approach to managing our land in the current day and for future generations across all industries.

During the course you will learn the practical skills of estate management and also of maintaining and enhancing a wide range of UK habitats, including the use of livestock to achieve this. You will learn a suite of survey techniques that will enable you to assess and monitor habitat quality to a range of UK standards while comparing international case studies. You will investigate the legislation and practises around current UK conservation and potential schemes such as the new Environmental Land Management scheme. Business management skills including an understanding of funding schemes are a vital skill for new land managers along with people management and digital mapping software– something industry informs us is an essential requirement if you want to progress into a graduate career.

Why study countryside management at Plumpton?

• Our 800-acre Sussex estate at the foot of the South Downs National Park is the perfect location for an immersive learning experience.

• We have a well established Countryside Management team with excellent research and industry experience.

• Our degrees are quality assured by the University of Greenwich (TEF Gold).

• This degree gives you the perfect opportunity to progress to work across a range of sectors and industries such as the National Trust and National Parks.

You will study a range of modules over the duration of the course (2 years full time or 4 years part time).

Level 4 (Year 1) Understanding Soils and Plants for Effective Management Sustainable Landscape Innovation and Generation Communication and Leadership for Diversity and Inclusion Species Monitoring for Sustainable Landscapes Effective Access: Boundaries and Pathways for Connecting Habitats Study and Research Skills.

Level 5 (Year 2) Living Links: Livestock and Communities Climate Science for Global Futures Business Principles for Dynamic Land Management Sustainability of Aquatic Ecosystems Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for Landscape Evaluation Independent Enquiry Work Placement.

Students are assessed through a combination of assessment methods which varies from report writing, reflective essays, fieldwork, portfolios as well as an independent enquiry (small scale research project) in the final year of study. Students are supported through academic tutorials and can access reasonable adjustments to support them.