Houghall Campus
Qualification
Course overview
This qualification is a one-year, full-time course, it is a Tech Level qualification which involves learning that brings together knowledge and understanding with practical and technical skills. This is achieved through learners performing vocational tasks that encourage the development of appropriate vocational behaviours and transferable skills. Developing communication, teamwork, planning and completing tasks to high standards, which are valued in both the workplace and in higher education.
Topics
• Professional Working Responsibilities
• Plant and Soil Science
• Countryside Estate Skills Activities
• Managing Environmental Habitats
• Work Experience in the Land-based Sector
• Identification, Planting and Care of Trees
• Developing a Land-based Enterprise
Job opportunities after this course
This course supports progression to careers in the countryside management sector. This qualification is primarily for learners who are intending to gain employment directly, in roles such as fieldwork assistant or assistant warden, but can also be used to progress to an apprenticeship or a higher education course in countryside management or environmental conservation.
Below are just some of the job roles our recent Level 3 Land & Wildlife students have gone on to secure:
• Ranger with the National Trust
• Volunteer Coordinator with Tyne Rovers Trust
• Self-employed ecological consultant working with the MoD and other large landowners
• Assistant Ranger and a Reserve Assistant with the RSPB.
• Apprentice Ranger with the North Yorks Moors National Park
• Groundskeeper with the local authority
• Invasive Species Manager with the Orkney Native Wildlife Project
Further study options after this course
Will accrue UCAS points which could lead onto (after completion of the extended diploma) to degrees in ecology, environmental conservation and countryside management.
Entry requirements
Our entry requirements are reviewed annually and are subject to change as qualifications, awarding bodies and assessment criteria evolve.
For the latest qualifications and grades required by course time and level, view our current entry criteria for direct entry and internal progression.
How is this course assessed?
Through external examinations and assignment work
When does the course start?
September 2026
Length of course
1 year face to face teaching
Fees & Funding
Please read our Course Fees & Funding page.
How to apply
To apply online for this course, please click on the 'Apply' link at the top/bottom of this page.
Alternatively, if you need assistance with your application or you would like to apply over the phone or using a paper-based application form, please call Student Services on 0191 518 8222.
If you're not quite ready to apply for this course and would like some more information or to speak to a member of staff then please click on the 'Enquire' link at the top/bottom of this page.
