My RAU experience

Growing up in a rural area, I soon realised that I wanted an agriculturally oriented career. After reading geography at Exeter University, the MSc in Rural Estate Management at the Royal Agricultural University stood out by a country mile.

It is intensive but also great fun and has the advantage of being vocational, embedding specialist skills and knowledge relevant to my future working life in professional practice as a Land Agent; its automatic RICS accreditation is a huge bonus.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the MSc Rural estate Management course, which is interesting, thorough, and well structured. I've met a lot of likeminded friends who will invariably also become the future key players in the agricultural and land agency industries.

The course at the RAU has provided me with a strong knowledge base.

I studied the MSc in Rural Estate Management at the RAU. I had been working in London for around four years previously, and I was looking to refocus my career. I have always been interested and passionate about the countryside, and decided to direct my career and learning.

Why did you choose to study this course at the RAU?

As an alumna of the RAU, I knew exactly what to expect in terms of the structure of the courses and the lecturing quality available. I knew when it came to studying for a Masters, I did not want to be anywhere else! The industry connections are second-to-none and it has been a fantastic learning experience to start my future career in industry.

What did you enjoy most about your course and studying at the RAU?

David: I enjoyed the closeness with our lecturers and their support. The course offered a great balance between theory and onsite visits, and its program and organisation fit perfectly with my needs in terms of my career path.

With an undergraduate degree in biology, I very much arrived in a property career by accident. Eight years later, and whilst I knew I had found the right arena, I realised I wasn’t excited by any of the ongoing career paths open to me.

Why did you choose the RAU?

Mt first experience of the RAU was back in 2007 when I came to the University to take part in a summer camp. Years later I’d already completed undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications at home based in agriculture. But I was keen to enrich my learning and gain a foreign experience as an international student. I remembered my visit to the RAU so started doing research into going there. I also visited again to attend some open days.

In between my second and third years I completed a 20-week work placement with AgriAngels, an agricultural consultancy company which is part of The Farm Consultancy Group.

It was a great opportunity to use what I’d learnt in my degree in a practical way and to meet different stakeholders in the industry.

I worked closely with farmers to complete nutrient management plans from the initial soil sampling to the production of the completed report, and learnt to use accountancy and mapping software.

My placement experience

I’m in the second year of my BSc Applied Farm Management degree at the RAU and have just undertaken a 4-week work placement at the NFU Mutual Head Office in Stratford. Working alongside Charlie Yorke, Farming Propositions Consultant at NFU Mutual, I was able to get involved in several exciting ongoing projects, including research on precision technology.

When Alice Foster graduates in 2020, she knows her first step on the career ladder is secure thanks to making a success of her work placement.

Alice completed an eight week internship in the summer of 2019 with leading property consultants Fisher German, which has a long association of working with RAU graduates to help them into the profession.

Her positivity and willingness to take on a range of tasks at the Ashby de la Zouch office saw her rewarded with the offer of a permanent post which she’ll be starting in September 2020.