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Career prospects after the degree programme Natural Resource Sciences

"In our field of activity, it is difficult to find suitable personnel. Environmental engineers have the necessary tools to succeed in the demanding everyday life of consulting and to maintain the connection between practice and research."

Urs Müller, Head of Special Crops, Arenenberg.

Environmental markets are developing rapidly and very dynamically. The areas of environmental technologies and services, energy and water supplies, regional agriculture, urban and landscape development are regarded as having high developmental potential both in the short and long term. In the course of (building) a sustainable economy, numerous new jobs are being created in the environmental sector.

The future relies on sustainability

The future relies on sustainability. With a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Sciences, you will be well equipped for this. The programme leads to professional qualifications, and thanks to the practically-oriented training, it will open up a wide range of career opportunities for you, be it as an employee in the private sector, public administration, a non-profit organisation, or as a self-employed entrepreneur

Career opportunities and remuneration after graduation

Almost half of our graduates who completed their studies in 2017 moved directly into employment. One year after graduation, 73% were in paid employment; two years after graduation. Among the graduates who graduated in 2015, 80% are in employment.

When looking for employment, personal contacts are often more promising than applications for publicly advertised positions. For many, gainful employment during their studies or an internship is a decisive move towards successful employment upon graduation. Two thirds of those who have found employment upon graduation consider their work to be within the realm of natural resource science(s).

The majority of graduates' annual income ranges between approximately CHF 65,000 and CHF 104,000.

Source: Institute of Natural Resource Sciences (IUNR) graduating survey, January 2019

Agriculture and Horticulture

Those graduating with the BSc in Natural Resource Sciences work in:

  • Agricultural research, consulting and educational institutions
  • Vegetable, fruit, wine and ornamental plant production 
  • Organisations trading and marketing agricultural goods
  • Public agricultural institutions and association

Renewable energies and eco-technologies

Possible occupational fields after your studies are ...

  • Engineering offices or advisory offices, e.g. with focus on renewable energies, energy efficiency and sustainable construction
  • Research institutes in recycling management and technology
  • Solar companies
  • Energy departments at federal, cantonal and municipal authorities
  • Sustainability departments of companies in logistics, energy and resource optimisation
  • Start-ups, e.g. for innovative water technology, solar energy or CO2-neutral solutions

Nature Management

Those graduating with the BSc in Natural Resource Sciences work in:

  • Environmental consulting and Engineering offices 
  • Centres of expertise for landscape, environment, nature protection, hunting and
    fishing at federal, cantonal and community levels
  • Administrative offices for nature reserves and nature parks 
  • Institutes for nature and landscape research 
  • Environmental organisations and foundations involved in nature and landscape
    protection

Environmental Systems and Sustainable Development

Those graduating with the BSc in Natural Resource Sciences work in:

  • Sustainability departments in local government, businesses and other organisations
  • Environmental communications offices
  • Environmental organisations and foundations focusing on sustainable development
  • Independent change management for sustainable development
  • Tourism agencies in regions and municipalities
  • Nature parks and regional development offices

Urban Ecosystems

Those graduating with the BSc in Natural Resource Sciences work in:

  • Offices for nature protection, environmental consulting and ecology
  • Landscape architecture offices, spatial and environmental planning companies
  • Centres of expertise at federal, cantonal and community levels for nature protection,
    planning, construction, management and maintenance
  • Research and educational institutions involved in urban ecology and biodiversity

Master's in Environment and Natural Resources

After completing your bachelor's degree in Natural Resource Sciences, you can also take our postgraduate master's degree in Environment and Natural Resources.
The master's combines socio-economic and scientific research methods. Our goal is a discipline-based education, while at the same time teaching interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary skills for answering complex questions in the environmental field. At the beginning of your studies, you choose one of the three main specialisations: Agrofoodsystems, Biodiversity & Ecosystems or Ecological Engineering.

"After my Bachelor's degree, I wanted to broaden my horizons and expand my knowledge of the environment and sustainability. The Master's offered me exactly this opportunity and I was able to expand my knowledge of biology with technical knowledge. The diverse modules gave me all kinds of insights into a wide range of my areas of interest."

Alena Frehner, graduate