This degree explores countryside management from a wide variety of perspectives, to equip you with a balanced overview of the competing interests on the countryside.

Course overview

Your degree integrates elements from a range of subjects such as geography, ecology, wildlife conservation, agriculture, business and estate management. Topics include:

• rural development
• environmental and business management
• agriculture and land management

Newcastle is an ideal place to study, combining a city-centre university with access to fantastic countryside for fieldwork.

You can boost your employability and professional skills with an optional placement year in industry or the commercial sector. You also benefit from:

• access to our two University farms for hands-on experience
• expertise at our Centre for Rural Economy, recipient of the Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2014.

Teaching methods

In stages 1 and 2 just over half of your teaching time will be spent in classroom-based lectures or seminars. The remainder will be made up of field classes, computer classes, and practical lab work. In Stage 3 greater emphasis is placed on project work, culminating in a final-year project based on a topic of your choice.

Work placement

Get career ready with a work placement and leave as a confident professional in your field. You can apply to spend 9 to 12 months working in any organisation in the world, and receive University support from our dedicated team to secure your dream placement. Work placements take place between stages 2 and 3.

You'll gain first-hand experience of working in the sector, putting your learning into practice and developing your professional expertise.

If you choose to take a work placement, it will extend your degree by a year. Placements are subject to availability.

Your future

Many of our graduates have found employment in a range of organisations, including:

• national park authorities
• the European Parliament
• Met Office
• National Trust
• UK wildlife organisations

Our Countryside Management and Rural Studies graduates most commonly end up in land-based and environmental careers such as chartered surveying, as a rights of way officer or part of a local conservation team working for charities and pressure groups.

Additionally, government organisations and private firms provide openings for agricultural or environmental advisers.

Graduates with an environmental science background find employment with conservation bodies such as Natural England, the Environment Agency, water companies, local government environmental health departments and other environmental protection agencies, undertaking roles as varied as environmental consultancy and environmental engineering.