BSc (Hons) Sustainable Food Production (Fresh Produce) Bachelor's degree at Anglia Ruskin University
BSc (Hons) Sustainable Food Production (Fresh Produce) at Anglia Ruskin University. You'll engage with core theory, research methods, applied practice in the field, and specialist options tailored to your interests, culminating in an independent project that builds on your learning across the course.
About this course
Search for undergraduate, postgraduate, college, apprenticeship and CPD courses at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, Chelmsford, Peterborough and Writtle. From the provider’s course page.
BSc (Hons) Sustainable Food Production (Fresh Produce) is a Bachelor's degree (BSc (Hons)) at Anglia Ruskin University, based in ARU Writtle Campus. It is studied part-time; duration varies by route.
For Social sciences graduates from this provider, 95% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 90% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £29,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Environmental Science, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 30; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 95% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 78% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
A typical UK Environmental Science degree builds from foundations to specialist options and a final project. An indicative structure:
| Stage | Module |
|---|---|
| Year 1 | Earth Systems Science Atmosphere, oceans and land, how the planet works as a system. |
| Year 1 | Ecology Fundamentals Populations, communities and ecosystems in the field. |
| Year 1 | Environmental Data & GIS Mapping and analysing environmental data. |
| Year 2 | Climate Change Science & Policy The evidence, the projections and the policy responses. |
| Year 2 | Pollution & Environmental Management Monitoring, assessment and remediation in practice. |
| Year 2 | Field Course Residential fieldwork applying methods to real landscapes. |
| Year 3 | Specialist options Typically conservation, water resources, energy or environmental law. |
| Year 3 | Sustainability in Practice Working with organisations on live environmental problems. |
| Year 3 | Dissertation An independent field- or data-based research project. |
Typical structure for this subject (indicative). Modules vary by university. Check the provider's course page for the exact curriculum.
Specialisations & pathways
Tip: click a specialisation → current jobs in that area.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
You'll study sustainable food production with focus on fresh produce. A course like this typically moves from earth systems and ecology foundations in Year 1, covering how the planet functions as a system and populations within ecosystems, before introducing environmental data analysis and GIS tools. Year 2 normally progresses to applied topics such as climate science, pollution and environmental management, alongside residential fieldwork on real landscapes. In Year 3, you'll usually specialise in areas such as climate science, conservation, GIS and remote sensing, environmental policy, water and pollution, or fieldwork, often working with organisations on live environmental problems. Your final year typically culminates in an independent research project or dissertation.
Who it's for
You're suited to this course if you have a strong interest in food production and environmental responsibility, and you're motivated to develop both theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience. You'll benefit from an inquisitive approach to sustainable farming practices and a willingness to learn through practical work. If you're studying part-time, you'll need the discipline to balance academic study with other commitments, and you'll thrive if you're goal-focused about building expertise that matters to the agri-food sector.
Careers & job market
Graduates in Environmental Science find that 90% are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. Of those working, 65% progress into highly skilled roles or continue their studies. Earnings across the field vary: nationally, Environmental Science graduates earn between £24,000 and £30,000 in their first 15 months after graduating, rising to between £26,350 and £37,200 after five years. Over half of students entering this programme bring prior higher-education qualifications, reflecting the course's appeal to those building on existing study.
University & format
This BSc (Hons) is studied part-time at Anglia Ruskin University, a public university based at ARU Writtle Campus. Teaching is in English. Anglia Ruskin is a recognised UK degree-awarding body and has received a Gold award for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023. Part-time study allows you to balance academic work with other commitments.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
Part-time application dates vary by provider. UCAS dates
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Opened 2 July 2026; last choice 19 October 2026. Check vacancies now. A cached page never claims a place is still available.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| another higher-education qualification | 51% |
| A-levels or equivalent | 37% |
| a previous degree | 5% |
| an Access course | 4% |
| Other | 2% |
| No / unknown prior qualifications | 1% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by Apply directly to the provider
Part-time application dates vary by provider. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at Anglia Ruskin University →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Environmental Science graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £29,000 | £22,000 – £33,000 | 30 |
| 3 years after | £28,500 | £23,500 – £32,000 | 20 |
| 5 years after | £30,000 | £20,500 – £37,000 | 30 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 30; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in environmental science · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Environmental Science nationally
National figures for Environmental Science graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2021-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 30; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Environmental Science courses at the same study level.
Compared with 560 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 35% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
- Welfare ProfessionalsSOC 2020 246 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £39,047
- Other Educational ProfessionalsSOC 2020 232 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £47,130
- Teaching and Childcare Associate ProfessionalsSOC 2020 323 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £20,261
- Welfare and housing associate professionalsSOC 2020 322 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,937
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 95; response rate: 55%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Environmental Science graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Environmental Science graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Environmental consultancies
- Environment Agency
- Energy & utilities
- NGOs & local authorities
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Environmental Science graduates.
Environmental Science Graduate Leadership Scheme, HybridEnvironment AgencyRemote Environmental Science Evaluator – AI Output QAObsidianRemote Environmental Science Evaluator (Contract)MercorAssistant Professor: Ecology & Environmental Science and AISONICOMStrategic Leader, Environmental ScienceUK Research and Innovation (UKRI)Assistant Professor: Ecology, Evolution & Environmental ScienceImperial College LondonIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
95% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £29,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.4 out of 10: NSS 79% · in work or study 95% · continued 78%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Anglia Ruskin University
Geography, earth and environmental studies (social sciences) across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around ARU Writtle Campus
156 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Environmental Science right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Anglia Ruskin University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by Anglia Ruskin University; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Anglia Ruskin University’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Anglia Ruskin University and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Anglia Ruskin University
Environmental Science at other universities
BA (Hons) English Studies and Climate ChangeAberystwyth UniversityBSc (Hons) Environmental Earth Science (with integrated year in industry)Aberystwyth UniversityBSc (Hons) Environmental Earth Science (with integrated year studying abroad)Aberystwyth UniversityBSc (Hons) Environmental Earth ScienceAberystwyth UniversityCommon questions
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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