Agrifood Innovation
The Agrifood Innovation course will provide you with a detailed understanding of the challenges facing the agri-food sector and is aimed at agricultural and environmental advisers, vets, FE lecturers and technical sales staff. If you currently work in one of these areas, or would like to, this blended learning course, which is delivered through a mixture of workshops and distance learning modules, is the ideal way to develop your advisory skills, update your technical knowledge and gain a postgraduate qualification while you are working.
This course is currently only available to students based in Wales.
Overview
Combining distance learning modules with practical workshops this course will equip you with the technical and communication tools to instigate innovation and lead change. Optional modules will allow you to delve more deeply into specific facets of the supply chain and/or expand your repertoire of communication skills. You will also develop research skills and put these into practice via a work-based research project.
This unique course provides a diverse blend of options in communication skills, science and business. The distance learning modules will be provided by two academic departments at Aberystwyth University, IBERS and Aberystwyth Business School. The practical workshop sessions will be provided by Menter a Busnes, a Welsh company specialising in agricultural knowledge exchange.
Course Details
Modules can be taken for your own continuing professional development or interest, or they can be built towards a Postgraduate qualification. To complete a PGCert part-time you can take no more than two years. To complete the full MSc you can take up to five years.
This course accepts three intakes every year (January, May and September). Applications are welcomed throughout the year.
Entry requirements:
2ii Bachelors (Honours) degree, or equivalent, in a relevant science subject area, or at least two years of relevant experience. Non-graduates will be considered individually based on relevant work experience.
English Language Requirements:
If you have a Bachelor’s degree from a UK University, you do not need to take an English proficiency test.
Non-native English speakers who do not meet this requirement must obtain IELTS 6.0, or equivalent in a University-recognised alternative qualification or test of academic English language proficiency. For further information please see our English Language requirements page.
Course Fees:
Distance learning modules - from £750 (£800 from October 2021)
Workshop modules - £1,100
Dissertation - £1,800
Modules
Please note: The modules listed below are those currently intended for delivery during the next academic year and may be subject to change. They are included here to give an indication of how the course is structured.
| Module Name | Module Code | Credit Value |
|---|---|---|
| Sustainable Supply Systems * | BDM1120 | 20 |
| Facilitation for Organisation Leadership | MMM5920 | 20 |
| Research Methods | BDM0120 | 20 |
Options
| Module Name | Module Code | Credit Value |
|---|---|---|
| Behaviour Change | BDM8820 | 20 |
| Biorefining Technologies | BDM7720 | 20 |
| Coaching and Mentoring for Leaders | MMM5820 | 20 |
| Controlled Environment Agriculture | BDM6220 | 20 |
| Farm Business Management | BDM8320 | 20 |
| Future of Packaging | BDM1320 | 20 |
| Genetics and Genomics in Agriculture | BDM5820 | 20 |
| Grassland Systems | BDM5120 | 20 |
| Home Grown Feeds | BDM5720 | 20 |
| Leading Change | MMM5720 | 20 |
| Life Cycle Assessment and Beyond | BDM6320 | 20 |
| Meat Processing | BDM8720 | 20 |
| Nuffield Scholarship Project (New Awards) | BDM1740 | 40 |
| Nuffield Scholarship Project (Post-Completion) | BDM1840 | 40 |
| Organic and Low Input Ruminant Production | BDM7520 | 20 |
| Plant Breeding | BDM8420 | 20 |
| Precision Livestock | BDM6420 | 20 |
| Public Goods | BDM1920 | 20 |
| Ruminant Gut Microbiology | BDM2820 | 20 |
| Ruminant Health and Welfare | BDM5920 | 20 |
| Ruminant Nutrition | BDM0320 | 20 |
| Ruminant Production | BDM5420 | 20 |
| Silage Science | BDM5620 | 20 |
| Waste Resource Management | BDM1220 | 20 |
| Module Name | Module Code | Credit Value |
|---|---|---|
| Dissertation | BDM3560 | 60 |
* Also available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh
Employability
Most people undertaking this course are already employed in the agri-food sector and see it as a way to update and improve their technical knowledge while increasing their communication skills and working towards a qualification. It also acts as an ideal stepping stone for those wanting to move into this sector.
Learning & Teaching
How will I learn?
The modules delivered by IBERS are entirely online distance learning. Each online module includes recorded lectures from academics and industry experts, presentations, podcasts, e-group projects, guided readings, interactive workbooks and discussion forums, as well as assignments and e-tutorials. The Aberystwyth Business School modules are delivered through workshops. Workshop-based modules comprise two 2-day workshops and a 1-day final session.
A typical postgraduate student is expected to study for 200 hours when taking a 20-credit module. You should anticipate spending approximately 2-3 hours a week on online lectures, presentations and podcasts, and the remaining time on readings and assignments. The more time and effort you can put in, the more you will benefit from studying the module and the better your grades are likely to be.
How will I be assessed?
There are no exams within this programme. Taught modules are assessed via coursework (namely reports and essays, but also literature reviews, case studies, research proposals and data analysis tasks), online assignments, presentations and forum discussion. Workshop-based modules usually involve the design and execution of a practical task as part of the assessed work.