It can seem daunting trying to choose your future study pathway but there are a wide variety of options in and near Cumbria, whether you are interested in animals, agriculture, conservation, forestry or something else.
For 16+ you don't necessarily need to stay on at school, you could go to a college and do alternatives to A Levels, such as T Levels or even start an apprenticeship. If you don't yet have your Maths and English you can study these alongside any college course.
For a full range of options in Land and Nature based study you may have to travel out of the county but those colleges (Barony, Kirkley Hall and Myerscough) have on-site accommodation options from when you are 16. Colleges tend to chunk taught sessions together where they can so that you only need to stay at college for part of the week and work placements can often be arranged in Cumbria to keep you nearer to home.
For 18+, the apprenticeship route is also an option, either through college, through an employer, or even a degree apprenticeship through a university.
See below for the full range of college and university options within reach of Cumbria.
Carlisle College offers an extensive range of higher and further education, professional qualifications, and community programmes. Whether you're looking for an apprenticeship, an alternative option to Sixth Form studies, additional qualifications, or are looking to further your studies with a…
Furness College offer a range of vocational, technical, and professional courses as well as apprenticeships and A Levels for 16+. Working in Land and Nature often entails running your own business, so why not take a look at their business courses? Likewise their engineering and construction courses…
Kendal College offers courses in Agriculture, Animal Care and Outdoor Adventure. They cater for students 16+ and offer a range of levels of qualifications including including T Levels, A Levels, apprenticeships, degrees and more.
Lakes college offer all sorts of subjects at all sorts of levels. Why not take a look at their Construction & the Built Environment, Business, Engineering and Science courses and get started on your pathway to a land and nature career? Choose from T Levels to apprenticeships to higher education…
Myerscough College offer a wide range of land based courses from their Preston Campus. They also offer Agriculture and Arboriculture Apprenticeships from Penrith and Carlisle and Forestry Apprenticeships across Cumbria. They cater for students 16+ and offer a range of levels of qualifications…
The University of Cumbria offers courses in Conservation, Forestry, Geography, Outdoor Studies, Science and Zoology from it's Ambleside and Carlisle campuses. These range from short CPD courses for those already working in the field and wishing to update their knowledge, to degrees and degree…
Lancaster & Morecambe College offer various courses in Animal Care, Management & Studies at Levels 1-3 and also have a Level 1 Land Based Studies course which acts as an introduction to land based industries. You can also study Engineering, Science, Business and Construction, all of which may set…
At Northumberland Colleges' Kirkley Hall Campus, you can study a range of Land, Environment, Outdoor, Animal, Equine and Vet courses at various levels.
At the SRUC Barony Campus in Dumfries you can study Agriculture, Animal Care & Veterinary, Tree & Timber, Engineering, Rural Business Management, Wildlife and Conservation and more various study levels starting at 16+
Lancaster university offers wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate study options, many of which are relevant to a career in the land and nature based sector.
The University of Lancashire offers degrees in Archaeology, Civil Engineering, Energy & Environment and Veterinary Science. Their Preston campus is easily accessible by public transport from Cumbria
