Landscape Management and Nature Conservation
- The Faculty and first programme have the same name

The first diploma programme for Landscape Management & Nature Conservation got underway in September 1993. The programme, set up at the suggestion of Dr. Michael Succow, who later went on to be awarded the alternative Nobel Prize and be named Honorary Senator of the University for Sustainable Development, was a novelty among German universities.

The goal was — and still is today — to train experts who are able to analyse regions, landscapes and forms of land use on the basis of a solid basic knowledge of landscape ecology and evaluate them with respect to feasibility, sustainability and nature conservation requirements across sectors. The goal was the result, on the one hand, of the requirements arising from changes to the university system in the 1990s and, on the other, from the goal set by the newly formed University of Applied Sciences of offering a broad spectrum of degree programmes and areas of specialisation that would meet the complex demands of ecology and economy. The subsequent development of the University and of the Faculty has justified this approach. High numbers of applicants, also from the former states of West Germany, are evidence that this approach was not only the right one, it also appeals to students.

Bologna process
- The diploma is replaced by a bachelor's and master's degree and four degree programmes are added to the first one
After 3 areas of specialisation (planning and management, environmental education, natural resources) were defined for the courses of study at the end of the 1990s, the degree programme was broken down into modules consistent with the Bologna model in 2002/2003. The Bachelor of Science replaced the former Diploma in Engineering (Dipl. Ing.). The programme kept basically the same objectives but was shortened by two semesters. This wasn't easy due to the extensive range of subjects covered and required new forms of programmes. But it also paved the way for the University to create master's programmes. "Landscape Management and Nature Conservation" was broken down into the master's programmes "Sustainable Tourism Management" and "Regional Development and Nature Conservation".

Innovation led to the creation of the Organic Farming & Marketing (BSc) programme in 2004 which rounded out the programmes on offer. The new discipline enhances the University's programmes overall because it incorporates all areas of sustainable land use. Versatility is also the goal of this programme: graduates are fully prepared for the growth market of organic farming, whether as farmers, consultants or marketing experts. The new programme model which includes gives students first-hand experience in companies and involves companies in its research was not easy to get up and running at the beginning but it has increasingly undergone positive development. Students take on responsibilities in the companies as early as the 2nd semester and thus help solve concrete practical tasks. The master's programme in Ecological and Agricultural Management (MSc) now rounds out the programmes.

In 2014 the master's programme "Strategic Sustainability Management" (MA) for working professionals was launched. This programme was designed to be interdisciplinary with a high level involvement from the Faculty. Cluster accreditation/reaccreditation of the all programmes in the Faculty also took place in 2014.

Largest and most research-intensive faculty at the University

From its modest beginnings in 1993/94 with 46 students and 3 professors, it is now the university's largest faculty with more than 700 students, 18 professors, 8 academic staff members and 4 honorary professors. Two bachelor's and three master's programmes are offered to students.

Classroom learning is supplemented by extensive research activities. From the very outset, the Faculty took advantage of the opportunity to work on projects at federal and state level and in cooperation with companies and institutions to research issues related to land use and nature conservation as well as practical questions to give students the chance to delve in-depth into current developments. With more than one million euros annually, the Faculty makes an important contribution to the University's strength in third-party fundraising.