MSc in Agriculture: Plant Science, Production and Environment
When you study Agriculture you work with problems and challenges linked to plant production as a human activity. The focus is on applied plant biology combined with environmental challenges. You concentrate on plants and plant products, develop new and more sustainable production systems and find solutions to problems related to plant production for food, feed, fibre, energy, human health and recreation. These topics make it possible to include environmental, social and economic aspects in your curriculum.
Content
Academic focus
About the programme
Study programme
In touch with real life
Career opportunities
Admission criteria and admission
Application
I want to know more
Read an interview with Shimelis Raji Gizachew.
The MSc in Agriculture enables you to identify, describe, analyse problems and suggest improvements to complex situations related to sustainable use of natural resources. You learn to apply your biological knowledge to find solutions which secure environmentally sound plant production for food, feed, energy, human health and well-being.
Some of the questions you may work with are:
- How do plants respond to climate change?
- Can new ways of controlling pest and diseases reduce pesticide use?
- Can health-promoting constituents in fruit and vegetables be increased through genetic improvement or better production methods?
- How can food producers satisfy environmental demands, e.g. through green technologies?
- Can tomorrow’s greenhouses decrease their energy consumption or become energy producers?
- How can production chains be understood and improved, e.g. what potentials do alternative food systems have?
- Which potentials and risks are associated with new technologies, e.g. GMO?
- How may sustainability of production systems be evaluated, e.g. is organic agriculture better for climate and biodiversity than conventional production?
- What benefits may urban agriculture provide in future cities?
- What are the challenges in plant production for bioenergy?
The MSc programme consists of course work and a thesis and has three specialisations.
Plant Science specialisation
In the specialisation Plant Science you work with individual plants and plant products, from genes to traits, genetic resources, quality parameters and postharvest biology, plant functions in relation to agricultural and horticultural production and use of plants.
Central topics are physiological and molecular methods to improve plant performance, plant responses to internal and external growth factors, interaction of plants and other organisms, nutritional composition of food, feed, energy, high value crops and ornamental plants.
Production and Environment specialisation
If you choose the specialisation Production and Environment, you work with production systems, both in the field and in protected cultivation. Your focus is on economically efficient and environmentally sound management of soil, water and plants in these systems, aiming in reduction of the use of limited natural resources and the provision of ecological services. The major attention will be on agriculture in the European natural and regulatory context.
Central topics are nutrient resources, assessment of effects on environment and biodiversity and development of novel production systems. The impact of food production on environment and climate change is addressed.
Common for the two specialisations are topics like seed biology, weed biology and management, biological control of pests and diseases, plant nutrition, postharvest biology, green technologies, business economics. Also methods like life cycle assessment or applied plant biotechnology can be included, as well as tools like statistics, project management, communication and innovation.
EnvEuro specialisation
EnvEuro is a joint programme in Environmental Sciences, Soil, Water and Biodiversity offered by LIFE and three European partner universities and can be chosen as a specialisation as well. Read more about EnvEuro here.
In addition to courses at LIFE you are free to choose courses from the other faculties at University of Copenhagen or from other Danish or international universities.
Read more about knowledge, skills and competences in the temporary curriculum (pdf, revised March 2012).
One block is equal to 15 ECTS and 9 weeks.
The programme is set at a total of 120 credits, equivalent to two full years of study.
The programme must include the following elements:
• A thesis of 30, 45 or 60 credits depending on specialisation
• Core and compulsory courses of 45 or 60 credits, depending on the master thesis
• Elective courses of 30 credits
Core and compulsory courses
See the different courses in the temporary curriculum for MSc in Agriculture (pdf, revised March 2012).
Elective courses
The elective courses are your opportunity to create you own academic profile. You can choose courses which either elaborate on or expand your professional competency. You can follow the courses either at LIFE, at one of the other faculties at the University of Copenhagen or at other Danish and international universities. The elective courses are equal to two blocks or 30 ECTS.
Master thesis
The thesis is the final part of your degree. It is your opportunity to work for 6, 9 or 12 months on an issue or a scientific problem within your core area of interest (30-60 ECTS). The thesis may be both theoretical and practical and often it will contain independent experimental work or collection and analysis of data.
The structure of your degree is illustrated below, however, consult the temporary curriculum (pdf, revised March 2012) of the specialisation of your interest to check the spefic structure and courses you can select.
Note! Curriculum currently being revised.
Plant Science specialisation - see temporary curriculum (March 2012) for courses
|
Year 2 |
Block 1 |
|
|
| Block 2 |
|
|
| Block 3 |
MSc thesis (30, 45 or 60 credits) |
| Block 4 |
Production and Environment specialisation - see temporary curriculum (March 2012) for courses
|
Year 2 |
Block 1 |
|
|
| Block 2 |
|
|
| Block 3 |
MSc thesis (30 or 45 credits) |
| Block 4 |
EnvEuro Specialisation - see temporary curriculum (March 2012) for courses
|
Year 2 |
Block 1 |
|
|
| Block 2 |
|
|
| Block 3 |
Thesis (30 credits) |
| Block 4 |
|
The dark fields are compulsory courses |
|
The medium fields are MSc thesis and core courses |
|
The light fields are elective courses |
When writing your master thesis or as a Project in Practice, you have good opportunities to collaborate with a private company, the advisory service, a NGO or a public institution. There are also plenty of opportunities to achieve an international profile by taking courses at some of the partner universities which LIFE has in e.g. Europe, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The many specialisations give you a wide range of career oppotunities within:
- Advisory services within the agricultural and horticultural sector
- Consultancy within farm management, nature and environment, economy and financing
- Research in plant science, crop production and environment in private or public institutions
- Sales and marketing in companies dealing with food, feed, seed, ornamental plants or related businesses as plant protection, soil, fertilizer
- Innovation, breeding and product development in companies specialising in food, ornamentals, seeds, plant breeding, bioenergy, etc.
- Sector organisations related to food production, processing or consumption
- Public administration and management related to production, environment, bioenergy, GMO, rural development, etc.
- Teaching and communication
- International organisations within food and energy provisions on European or global scale
- Developing own enterprise
Admission criteria and admission
For more information about admission, please consult the specific admission requirements.
Read more about application processes, tuition fees and scholarships.
You are always welcome to contact our Student Services if you have any questions about the programme, student life etc. You can contact the Student Services by e-mail at or by calling +45 3533 3533.
Open House event.
Kirsten Jenlev , - last update:13 April 2012