Course description
The importance of sustainable and resilient soil management has surged in recent years. Soils, and their delivery of critical goods and services, are a fundamental asset for the health, sustainability, and resilience of the terrestrial environment, its ecosystems, as well as the longevity and productivity of society. Recently, there has been widespread recognition from researchers, industry, and policy arenas of the burgeoning pressures faced by soils, and the urgency needed to deploy robust land management strategies to address these.
Co-designed by UK industry, the Soil Scientist Apprenticeship will equip and upskill organisations with the knowledge, understanding, tools, practices, and resources to achieve optimal soil management. It will deepen your knowledge of soils across diverse land-use contexts, delve into cutting-edge technologies for effective decision-making, showcase best practice in analysing soils on and off site, and help you build the personal competencies you need as a soil scientist.
Our Soil Scientist Apprenticeship meets the requirements of the Level 7 Soil Scientist Apprenticeship Standard, enabling graduates to perform effectively as professional soil scientists in a competitive ad fast changing environment.
On completion of the programme, you will acquire a Soil Scientist Apprenticeship and a Master’s Degree in Soil Science. You will also attain Technical Membership of the British Society of Soil Science, and you will be eligible to apply for Chartered Scientist status.
Upcoming start dates
Suitability - Who should attend?
The course is suitable for:
- Soil scientists and consultants, who are keen to upskill their knowledge and understanding of soil monitoring and analysing soil conditions, as well as those who assist farmers in determining soil health and optimizing sustainable management strategies.
- Employees of organisations that offer guidance on earthworks, construction and demolition projects, or urban green infrastructure, who are keen to advance their expertise in assessing and mitigating the effects of such works on urban soils.
- Soil mappers and surveyors who use a combination of digital technology and traditional tools like soil pit digging to evaluate soil types for various stakeholders.
- Environmental consultants specializing in providing advice on sustainable materials, waste management, biodiversity, flood control, and ecosystem restoration.
- Government agencies and non-profit organizations that inform soil policy decisions and develop guidance documents.
Outcome / Qualification etc.
The course will equip and upskill organisations with the knowledge, understanding, tools, practices, and resources to achieve optimal soil management across both rural and urban settings.
The course aims:
- To help students to critically evaluate soil properties and functions, and understand how soils interact with the wider environment to deliver critical ecosystem goods and services.
- To allow students to devise effective soil management plans that can integrate the principles of sustainable and resilient land management with the priorities of local and national policy.
- To provide students with a wide-ranging toolkit for effective decision-making across different land-use and management contexts, including GIS-based mapping, data analytical skills, field-based techniques, and laboratory analyses.
- To empower students to enhance their professional competencies and personal development in order to build the next generation of soil scientists ready to address the needs of internal and external stakeholders and tackle grand and complex challenges.
Training Course Content
Core Content
- Project Management and Portfolio
- Introduction to Soil
- Soil Policy
- Desk-based Soil Assessments and Basic Statistics
- Soil Survey
- Field-based Methods for Rural Soils
- Fundamental Laboratory Methods in Soil Science
- Soils -a Nexus
- Soil Mapping, Modelling and GIS
- Advanced Data Analysis and Statistics
- Field-based Methods for Urban Soils
- Advanced Laboratory Methods in Soil Science
- Sustainable and Resilient Land Measurement
Course delivery details
The course comprises 12 taught modules and a reflective portfolio project. It will be primarily delivered online from Cranfield University’s new state-of-the-art teaching studio which allows students to engage interactively within a virtual classroom. This will also enable wide and diverse participation across the UK. Modules are evenly spread throughout the two years and will primarily be delivered live on Tuesdays.
Four modules (two in Year 1 and two in Year 2) will include one-week Residentials at Cranfield, where field-based and laboratory-based skills can be best demonstrated. This will provide ideal opportunities throughout the course for the cohort to get to know each other, network with academics and industry representatives, and create enduring supportive alumni groups.
Throughout the course, you will also work on an individual reflective portfolio which will draw upon the knowledge, understanding, skills and behaviours that you accrue throughout the taught modules. This will provide an opportunity to demonstrate that you can apply the learning from the course in a practical real-world scenario.
Course delivery
Taught modules: 120 credits, Reflective portfolio project: 60 credits
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Cranfield University
Cranfield is a specialist postgraduate university that is a global leader for education and transformational research in technology and management. We have many world-class, large-scale facilities, including our own global research airport, which offers a unique environment for transformational education...