Hartpury University has unveiled its first official postgraduate agricultural degree, set to welcome its first cohort of students in autumn 2022.
The land-based college says the new degree, MSc Applied Agricultural Sciences, will equip graduates with the skills necessary to shape the future of British farming.
Students will benefit from access to its new £2m Digital Innovation Farm and government-funded Agri-Tech Centre, dedicated to new smart-farming technology.
Hartpury says the course has been designed to pursue key agricultural solutions to challenges including climate change, sustainability, food security, food safety and a growing world population.
A central theme will investigate how science can support the farming industry to conserve natural resources, particularly as they become scarce and pressure to meet sustainable development goals (SDGs) increases.
The university says students will delve further into the science of agricultural production and how it can meet numerous global issues over the next 50 years.
They will also play an active role in Hartpury’s smart farming platform where knowledge and digital technology combine.
Dr Wanda McCormick, head of agriculture at the university, said: “We’re delighted to introduce our first official postgraduate agricultural degree for 2022.
"The course sits alongside our government-backed £2m facilities to equip students with the skills necessary to meet today’s global farming issues, as well as establishing Hartpury as a leading national voice in agri-science."
The course also combines a mixture of online and campus-based learning, and students will have access to Hartpury’s commercial farm supplying the likes of Marks and Spencer, Muller and Morrisons.
