Degree first, or work first? Why not both.
If you’re weighing up a career in rural surveying, chances are you’ve already hit the same question everyone does: degree first, or work first? Traditional routes ask you to choose, three years of study before you’ve ever advised a real client, or years of on-the-job learning with no formal qualification to show for it. At Batcheller Monkhouse, we didn’t think that trade-off made sense, so we built two routes that remove it.
Rural surveying needs more people, and firms can’t just wait for them
The rural surveying profession has a well-documented pipeline problem, fewer people are entering it than the sector needs, particularly as experienced surveyors retire and the demands on rural land, from Biodiversity Net Gain to farm succession to telecoms infrastructure, only grow more complex. Firms that wait for a steady supply of ready-made graduates are competing for a shrinking pool. We decided to help create that pipeline ourselves, rather than just recruit from it.
Two routes into a career in rural surveying
Already got a degree? Start your surveying career in practice
Our Graduate Training Scheme is for anyone who already has a degree, or is finishing one, and wants to move straight into practice. From week one, you’re on site, meeting clients and contributing to real instructions, not observing from the sidelines. You’re supported by a supervisor, a formal counsellor and a mentor outside your immediate team, three people in your corner while you work toward RICS, CAAV or RTPI qualification.
Prefer to study and work at the same time? Try the Plumpton surveying route
The Plumpton Degree Course is different. Developed by Batcheller Monkhouse alongside Plumpton College from the outset, it’s a fast-track BSc (Hons) in Rural Land & Business Management, completed in two years rather than three, and built around block teaching: one week on campus, three weeks studying and working. It’s a genuine route for school leavers and career-changers alike.
What our students and graduates actually say
Here’s what that choice actually looks like for two people building a career in rural surveying with us right now.
Georgia Hillyard joined us in early 2026 after twenty years in commercial property, ahead of starting the Plumpton course this September. “Wanting to keep working while building my academic knowledge made the opportunity with Batcheller Monkhouse especially valuable,” she says. “Since joining, I’ve already gained real rural sector insight ahead of starting the degree.”
For Kaddy Taylor, part of the very first cohort, the value has been in how directly the two sides reinforce each other: “It has provided us with the opportunity to practically apply all of the theory we have learnt in the lectures to real life scenarios and client situations, which has reinforced our learning in a way you would not be able to otherwise achieve.”
Which route is right for you?
Neither route is the “right” one, they’re built for different starting points. What they share is the same principle: real client work from the earliest possible moment, proper support toward chartership, and a firm that’s employee-owned, so the people investing in your development have a direct stake in your success too.
Choose Your Route
Whether you’re ready to start in practice straight away or want to combine study with real experience, we’re here to help you take the next step.