What is Agriculture?
If you want to study Agriculture, you will deal with agricultural processes and their conditions. This includes the cultivation of renewable raw materials and the production of food for humans and animals. The goal is to produce food efficiently and in an environmentally friendly way. Those who study agricultural sciences work in an interdisciplinary way. During your studies, you will learn about economic, technical, biological and social science perspectives.
Three reasons to study Agriculture:
- Interdisciplinary perspectives: A degree programme in Agriculture offers the opportunity to approach agriculture at different levels. Thus, knowledge about the management and organisation as well as about the cultivation of plants can be gained.
- Good job opportunities: Worldwide, about 40% of people work in agriculture. However, this figure is not transferable to every nation, yet there are many opportunities and good job prospects for graduates with a degree in Agriculture.
- Regional & international job opportunities: With a degree in Agriculture, you have a wide range of locations in which to pursue your job. There are opportunities to gain a foothold regionally as well as internationally.
How to study Agriculture?
Agriculture is an interdisciplinary field of study that brings different perspectives to the issues of agriculture.
At the beginning of the programme, students study the natural sciences, where they learn about the chemical and physical properties of natural resources. In addition, students are given an insight into the social sciences, in which they deal with animal and human nutrition.
Basically, students are taught content from the following four core subjects:
- plant sciences: This subject deals with specific plant science on the one hand and on the other hand also with large interrelationships such as the balance of the ecosystem and climate change.
- livestock science: In this subject, students learn about animals and food production. There are also insights into veterinary medicine and animal nutrition.
- agricultural economics: The focus of this core subject is on the economics and sociology of agricultural processes. Specialization here can also be taken in marketing or in the history of agriculture.
- science and engineering: In this core subject, students are introduced to technical aspects of food production. On the one hand, this involves understanding agricultural machinery and on the other hand, soil samples are taken and interpreted, for example.
Programmes in Agriculture are structured according to the Bologna Process and consist of a Bachelor’s degree (fundamentals) and a Master’s degree (specialisations). Practical insights are also an essential part of the study.
What kind of job can I get by studying Agriculture?
Agriculture is an interdisciplinary field of study, which the later work in agricultural science is mostly practically oriented and requires direct contact with animals and plants. Agricultural scientists work in consulting, research, development, and sales, among other fields. Potential employers include public agencies and companies in the areas of plant cultivation and agriculture, as well as producers of foodstuffs, luxury foods, and animal feed. But international organisations and green associations also employ agronomists. These then support, for example, the development of sustainable agriculture in developing countries or work on projects for ecologically compatible food production.
Source: Umultirank
