BSc Honours Agriculture

Key Features

• 4 year full-time course (including 9 months work experience)
• Combination of science, production and management methods
• Development of technical and transferable skills
• Visits and study tours
• A range of methods of assessment
• Caring and supportive staff
• Located in one of the UK's leading localities for agricultural research and development

Content and Structure

Year 1
The first year of the scheme will include a general introduction to agriculture, studying animal production systems, animal science, crop science, cereal crop management and agricultural engineering, together with an introduction to the rural economy and habitat ecology.

Years 2 and 4
In the second and fourth year of study, you have the opportunity to pursue more specialist options. Agriculture and Agriculture with Animal Science follow different pathways. While studying core topics such as livestock and crop systems, farm planning and business management and food, farming and the environment, there is an opportunity for specializing through the choice of options which include the study of animal health, reproductive physiology, animal breeding, livestock nutrition, livestock and crop mechanisation, crop environment interactions and woodland management.

A significant feature of the final year is the Honours Dissertation which provides you with an opportunity to specialize through investigating a topic of your own choice. A tour to study agriculture in a different region is also an option in the final year.

Work Experience

The third year is a period of work experience which is an integral part of both courses. Its aim is to relate science and economics to current practice in industry.

The knowledge and skills gained during work experience make valuable contributions to your final-year studies and will help improve your employability on graduation. Work experience may be tailored to meet your particular requirements and cover farm management, the agricultural support sector or research and development. Each year a number of students take the opportunity to gain work experience overseas.

It may be possible to gain partial exemption based on appropriate prior work experience.

Teaching and Learning

The Agriculture degree scheme is delivered through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, projects and case studies, complemented by visits to farms, research stations and agribusinesses throughout the UK. You will be assessed through course work based on assignments, projects, essays and seminars, in addition to written examinations.