Aims
Expanding global demand for foods from organic (ecological or biological) and other ‘low input’ systems is increasing the need for skilled professionals in primary production and associated processing, trading/retailing and certification/quality assurance industries. The programme provides specialist knowledge and skills required for organic farming and food production systems via a combination of lectures, field courses, seminars, practical classes and research projects.
Programme Description
The MSc comprises 110 credits of taught modules. Compulsory modules typically include: soil management in ecological and sustainable farming systems; ecological and sustainable farming standards and quality assurance; ecological and sustainable field crop production systems; ecological and sustainable livestock production systems; ecological and sustainable greenhouse crop production; ecological and sustainable perennial crop production; and ecological and sustainable farming and food production - field course.
One or two of the crop production modules may be replaced with a module from the optional module list below after consultation with the programme director.
All students take further optional modules (20 to 40 credits) which may include: essentials of food marketing; quantitative techniques, experimental design and data analysis; foundations of environmental law and policy; ecological development and environmental change; biodiversity conservation - policy and practice; tropical animal production; land-water interface; environmental and rural resource economics; global ecosystems and environmental change; and forest ecology and management.
You will also have the opportunity to attend a 10-day field course in March/April as part of the module on Mediterranean perennial crop production systems in Crete, Greece. The field trip is organised in collaboration with ecological farming experts from the Greek National Science Foundation (NAGREF).
The taught modules will be delivered at Newcastle University. Many practical sessions and seminars will be delivered at the University’s Nafferton Experimental Farm where a range of unique long term agronomic experiments are available for MSc projects.
You also undertake a 90-credit individual research project and dissertation. The dissertation can be carried out: at Newcastle University; in industry; in Crete as part of existing NEFG Research and Development projects; or in another country.
For further informationplease go to: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/subjects/agriculture/courses/529