The course aims to develop an appreciation of a balanced and sustainable approach to the management of the countryside for both food production and leisure, and employ a range of land management methods to make an important contribution to the rural economy. // With a focus on practical skills and the application of knowledge, course units include: sustainable production systems, countryside development, rural planning, landscape and population ecology, habitat studies, agricultural systems and environmental science. Optional units may include: wildlife and habitat protection, rural land use policy, rural enterprise and marketing, sustainable forestry and data analysis. The course also includes two periods of work placement. // Practical elements of the course are delivered on the College Farm of 146 hectares. Home Farm is located in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) and is in its tenth year of Countryside Stewardship. An extensive array of tools and ecological surveying equipment is available for ecological and conservation management fieldwork and practical tasks. // An additional year of top-up study will lead to a BSc (Hons) and links are currently being developed to offer progression to Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) qualifications. Employment opportunities exist in consultancy and management in the areas of environmental and countryside management.