Agriculture

Two years full-time or three years part-time.

This new two-year programme aims to develop knowledge, understanding and practical skills required to work in the agricultural industry at an operational and management level.

Students will be able to select a number of options with which to specialise their interests. Industrial placement forms a key part of this course whereby students must also complete an industrial placement of their choice within the farming and rural sector. Examples of work placements in previous allied programmes include secondments in farm and estate management, agricultural consultancies, land management advisory bodies, grain merchants, the National Farmers Union, technical sales, machinery suppliers, livestock production enterprises etc.

Stage one

The first stage provides an introduction to farming systems, focusing on current issues effecting UK agriculture and farming. This includes livestock husbandry, crop production, practical farm machinery and wider environmental issues.

Stage two

The second stage builds on subjects studied in stage one, and develops knowledge of modern advances in agricultural science, farm diversification, global food production and farm business management.

• Unique 'hands-on' approach to study
• Developed following consultation with local and national representatives from industry
• Excellent commercial resources and high quality facilities - farm including heavy machinery and dairy unit with teaching environments
• This course includes a residential field course and study tour in stage one

• Farm Business Management
• Farm Mechanisation and Soil Management
• Livestock Production Systems
• Practical Farm Machinery
• Precision Farming and Green Technologies
• Principles of Environmental Sustainability
• Sustainable Crop Production
• Waste Management

Students are assessed using a wide range of assessment methods including practical project work, presentations, reports, written work, oral presentations and time-constrained tests. Students also produce a project related to their work placement in the form of an academic poster.

Students may progress to the Land Management BSc (Hons) (top-up). Recent graduates in previous allied schemes have successfully furthered their careers in farm and estate management, grain merchants, machinery sales and farm business management.