FdSc Agriculture

Develop your agricultural management skills with our foundation programme, informed by the latest research, extensive agri-sector networks and expert staff.

We will support you as you develop the skills needed to manage an increasingly diversified business and embrace a range of responsibilities for enhancing the environment, integrating production within the food chain and maintaining rural communities.

Students studying general Agriculture study a broad range of livestock, crop production and science, and business management modules, together with some marketing and mechanisation. In the first part of the course the focus is on practice on farm and the underpining science and business principles. Areas of study include animal and crop production systems, agricultural science, an introduction to farm business management and marketing; and agricultural mechanisation.

The later parts of the course focus on the applied scientific and business principles that underpin farm practice and the application of practice and principles to case studies to solve real problems. Areas of study include farm animal and crop production science, farm business management, plus a choice of optional modules. All foundation degree students undertake a Professional Project in the final year in a subject area of interest to them.

Following completion of the FdSc Agriculture programme, subject to performance, you can top-up to a Pass Degree or a full Honours Degree in Agriculture or one of the specialist routes.

Careers

Employability of agriculture graduates is excellent, and there are many diverse career opportunities in all sectors of the food chain. The applied nature of our courses, teaching methods and close links with industry give you the academic, technical and employment skills which are highly sought after by employers.

As an agriculture graduate you may go on to manage farms either at home or elsewhere, for example with Velcourt, Sentry Farming, Beeswax Farming, or G’s Fresh.

Alternatively, you may opt for a career in the support industries: example employers include Frontier Agriculture, NFU, Savills; or advisory services such as DEFRA and ADAS.

Studying agriculture also develops the skills needed for other graduate careers such as accountancy, teaching, journalism or the civil service.