This MAg in Agriculture offers you detailed coverage of all aspects of the agricultural industry, looking at a range of highly important subjects such as sustainability, environmental management and technology. This course will prepare you for work in this modern industry, an industry which demands detailed knowledge across a broad range of areas.
You will study a fascinating blend of science, technology and management with a firm grounding in animal and crop physiology and husbandry as well as business, economics and land use. You will move on to cover current and projected production systems from a production, financial and environmental perspective, be exposed to best practice and become familiar with the most current research.
Our Farms
Aberystwyth is surrounded by a great diversity of farmland and agricultural terrain. In addition, you will have access to the 1,000-hectare university farms, which are managed commercially by the Institute as well as being used for teaching and research.
A prize-winning institute that will help you reach your full potential!
This degree is delivered by our award-winning Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), which is also the home of the Farm Business Survey for Wales. Aberystwyth University has a long-established and enviable reputation throughout the world for its teaching and research in agriculture and rural science, and IBERS is the largest and best-resourced university department of its kind in the UK.
Our students have won the “Biology Student of the Year” award at the European Science, Engineering, and Technology (SET) Awards, and the Welsh Ornithologists’ Union Student Prize!
Our Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) in conjunction with Bangor University had the 5th strongest submission in the UK for the Research Excellence Framework assessment (2014).
Passionate teaching staff who are experts in their field
Many have won awards for their teaching and they come from a diverse range of backgrounds, with a wide range of expertise and extensive links with the agricultural industry. Make no mistake, you will be learning from the best!
Want to study in Welsh?
Some of our modules are taught in Welsh as well as English. If you study through the medium of Welsh you may be eligible for a bursary.
Click the ‘teaching & learning’ tab to find out more.
Our Staff
The majority of teaching staff at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences are qualified to PhD level and are research active. Vocational courses also have staff whose background lies within industry. The Institute has a large number of research only staff with whom students may have contact.
You will be fully supported with developing your employability skills throughout the degree scheme. The degree will allow you to develop specialist skills such as the ability to undertake a range of practical estate skills and on-site project planning as well as developing a range of transferable skills highly valued by employers. You will join a department that has excellent facilities to support your studies; £55 million pounds has been invested over the last five years in IBERS infrastructure. These facilities enable students to develop their specialist skills and knowledge preparing them for a successful transition into the workplace. With access to the numerous university farms, upon successful completion of the Agriculture Degree you will have the core capabilities and skills demanded by employers. IBERS staff have close links with many learned societies which provide a route for students to network with others in their discipline and explore funding opportunities and recognition for their work. Guest lecturers and expert external teachers also contribute to the curriculum to pass on their expertise and knowledge.
The department has resources on the virtual learning environment, Aberlearn Blackboard to support your development and has a dedicated Twitter feed to keep students informed of developmental opportunities and work experience.
Your MAg in Agriculture opens up a range of exciting opportunities for employment and further training. You will be a strong candidate for work as an agricultural consultant, farm manager, agronomist and animal nutritionist, and a wide range of roles in the ancillary industries and with government and local authorities. Throughout your training you will develop a wealth of skills that can be easily transferred into almost any graduate or professional employment situation.
What will I learn?
In the first year you will be introduced to the technologies that are increasingly being developed for and adopted by the agricultural industry. You will investigate the factors that influence land use and explore the primary resources required to operate a rural business. You will gain useful business management skills, including the preparation of farm budgets and the analysis of commodity markets.
In the second year you will study the impact of agriculture and food supply systems on the environment. You will examine British livestock industries, crop production systems and strategies, and will learn how to analyse, budget and appraise a farm business.
In the third year you will examine business planning techniques and will learn how to construct fully detailed farm business plans. You will also look at recent developments in systems of crop production, modern plant breeding strategies and the use of crops for bioenergy production, alongside animal production systems and the environmental impacts of different agricultural systems. A week-long field course involving visits to farms, rural businesses and organizations involved in the regulation and management of the countryside will enable you to see the practical business applications of your theoretical and academic learning.
In your fourth and final year, you will develop your knowledge and understanding further by examining the global challenges facing the agricultural industry and the role of research in addressing these challenges. You will undertake a research project that will allow you to explore your chosen subject in depth and in conjunction with research active staff. You will also be able to choose from a range of modules such as livestock nutrition, production and grassland science that will provide you with masters level understanding, allowing you to become a subject specialist and giving you a competitive edge in the graduate job market.
How will I be taught?
This course will be delivered through a programme of lectures, seminars, workshops and field visits. Some aspects of the course will rely on student-centred e-learning, supported by computer workshops. You will have numerous opportunities to apply your academic learning in practical activities and workshops. You will also look at the connection between research and analysis and their real-world outputs in the form of improved technology, crops and animal welfare.
You will be assessed through numerous methods including essays, practical exercises, oral presentations, worksheets, reports, statistical exercises, wikis, reflective diaries, business plans, literature reviews, magazine articles, field notebooks and exams. A compulsory dissertation in your final year will allow you to perform in-depth research under the guidance of a supervisor. Your project may be based on laboratory experiments or fieldwork exercises, comprise a computer modelling exercise, or involve a critical review of published scientific literature.
The university's vibrant culture of academic and vocational learning will support you in your agricultural training and encourage you to take advantage of the many opportunities within the department and the university to develop your theoretical and practical expertise so that, upon graduation, you are perfectly positioned for the next stage of your career.
You will be assigned a personal tutor throughout your degree course, who will help you with any problems or queries, whether these are academic-related or personal issues. You should feel free to contact them at any time for help and advice.
