My son wants to study sustainability but has no idea what course to choose. Can you help?

My son is sitting the Leaving Cert in June and is passionate about sustainability and the environment. His strongest subjects are biology, home economics and agricultural science, but he is struggling to find a course which plays to these strengths and offers good career prospects.

There are so many degree programmes that it can easily feel overwhelming trying to choose the right one. A good place to start, however, is Qualifax.ie, which allows you to search for key words such as “food”, “environment” and “sustainability”.

I’m familiar with highly rated DCU courses such as the BA in climate and environmental sustainability and the BEng in mechanical and sustainability engineering.

If your son in more interested in the food side of things, a new option is the BSc in sustainable food systems at UCD.

‘It’s a double grief’: Teachers talk of difficulties in standing before a class after a miscarriage

School secretaries to strike in September unless pensions issue resolved, union warns

Education infrastructure another casualty of Gaza war, TUI conference hears

Ireland has an excellent track record in food production, and the agri-food sector has an ambitious national plan to become a world leader in the area of sustainable food systems.

At a time when there are worries about multinational investment into IT, pharmaceuticals and other sectors, agri-food is the largest indigenous sector in the economy, with exports valued at €19 billion in 2024.

Sustainable food systems is a relatively new field of study which highlights practices that conserve natural resources, reduce waste, support biodiversity, enhance resilience to climate change and foster social equity.

[ Jobseekers are looking for high sustainability standards at work Opens in new window ]

I understand the new UCD course was developed following consultation with relevant stakeholders to develop graduates with the skills and competencies required by the sector now and in the future.

The course explores the complex challenge of sustainably producing food to meet the nutritional requirements of a growing world population, while protecting the planet’s limited natural resources.

The course curriculum includes topics such as food production, food processing, the consumption of a sustainable and healthy diet, and concepts such as the circular bioeconomy.

UCD anticipates that graduates from the programme will be in demand across the entire food system, including in food processing, retail, distribution, sales and marketing, the public sector (government departments, county councils, European agencies, international agencies), farm bodies, policy agencies, NGOs and also as entrepreneurs.

Other programmes connected with sustainability at UCD include the BSc in sustainability programme where there are three options to choose from, including the BSc in sustainability with environmental science; sustainability with social sciences, policy & law; and sustainability with business & economics.