Agriculture is one of the fastest-growing choices for higher education amongst all students in the United Kingdom, as reported by the UK government back in 2015. A major reason for this can be attributed to the realisation that agriculture studies are not just restricted to farming but can also be extended to more fields of study like economics, supply chain management, and biosciences, among many others. Agriculture studies in the United Kingdom usually encompass exchanging ideas between agricultural schools and technology and scientific expertise. This free flow of ideas ensures that there is gross value added to the discipline, and it has overarching effects on improving plant growth, land use, and sustainable methods to make the best use of the total land area, etc. So, if you are an aspirant read this blog to know about the best-ranked agriculture in UK Universities and related courses.
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Top UK Universities for Agriculture Studies
As per the QS World University Rankings for the year 2021- here is a list of some of the most globally acknowledged agriculture universities in the UK. These ranks are awarded based on indicators like employer reputation, academic reputation, and the quality of research conducted.
University of Reading (Rank #12)
The University of Reading offers a large number of courses for the agriculture discipline. It is also the No.1 rank holder in the list of agriculture universities in the UK. Some of the courses offered here are Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (with and without placement) with specialisation in livestock production, horticulture, and crop science, BSc in Agricultural Management, BSc in Agriculture with Foundation, Master of Science by Research Agricultural and Food Economics, MSc Agriculture and Development, MSc by Research Agriculture, Ecology and Environment, and more.
These courses have a holistic approach in imbuing in their students a plethora of relevant skills that will help them become a part of the workforce in developing countries like India and developed countries like the USA. Some of these skills include developing an acumen for agricultural practices, applied economics, marketing skills, and developmental skills to tackle contemporary issues like climate change, etc. Students graduate and work in companies like Volac, HGCA, Syngenta, and internationally in the EU and New Zealand.
To apply to the university, the students have to create an online account on the university website first and then fulfil their specific course requirements by providing all necessary documents. To become eligible for applying to the programs, applicants must have an overall 6.5 band score in IELTS.
Additionally, the course tuition fees start at around £23,000 for international students.
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University of Edinburgh (Rank #49)
The university holds the 49th rank in the UK for being the best in agriculture studies. The Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Security offers students multiple courses for pursuing their higher studies in agriculture. Some of these courses are MSc Food Safety, MSc Global Food Security and Nutrition, BSc (Hons) Agricultural Science, BSc (Hons) Agricultural Economics, and more.
The university provides its students with necessary hands-on experience by offering them services to land internships and placements during their degrees. Key study areas in the university include food supply chain and management, food production systems, agricultural policy, food policy, agriculture systems, irrigation, and more.
As a part of eligibility requirements, students should ensure that they go through the specific academic and work experience requirements of the course accordingly. To apply for the bachelor’s program, students usually have to go through the UCAS route, and for the master’s programs, students can apply online through the website of university itself.
University of Nottingham (Rank #103)
The University of Nottingham has secured the 103rd rank by offering several agriculture-related courses at the Bachelor and Post Graduate levels. The courses are offered by the School of Biosciences and are always structured to be up to speed with the latest advancements in the farming industry. Some of these courses are BSc Agricultural and Crop Science, BSc Integrated Agricultural Business Management, BSc in International Agricultural Science, etc.
The typical areas of study include Global food security, biochemistry, contemporary agricultural systems, plant science, food marketing, common agricultural policy, plant disease control, agricultural land management, plant and soil environment, and more. The university has developed some close partnerships with various companies that offer placements and internships to the students of the discipline. Among all the sectors and fields that the graduates work in, the most common ones are arable farming and livestock consulting, agronomics, marketing, various roles in agricultural land agencies, food supply chain management, agricultural production management, and more of the likes.
All courses being offered have their own set of entry requirements that have to be satisfied in terms of the grades achieved in previous academic years, the subjects studied and how they align with the course opted for. Additionally, some supporting documents will also be needed to apply to every course. One standard requirement that remains throughout every course is the IELTS score of a minimum 6.0 band. To apply to the programs, students have to go through the UCAS gateway for undergraduate admissions to the United Kingdom.
The tuition fee should be expected to start from around £20,700 per year for international students. A wide range of bursaries is also available for financing studies abroad.
University of Leeds (Rank #85)
The University of Leeds bags 85th rank on the QS World University Rankings list. The department at the university that offers agriculture-related degrees is the School of Food Science and Nutrition. Some of the courses being offered presently are MSc Sustainable Food Systems, Food Science MSc, MSc Food Science Biotechnology, MSc Nutrition, and a free online course on Climate Change and Resilience in Food Systems.
The courses are structured in a way that ensures that all students gain sufficient practical understanding of their discipline through various regular field trips, project work and seminars. Main study areas usually revolve around food analysis, food safety, food security, sustainable methods of food cultivation like organic farming, food processing and nutritional quality, food supply chains in segments like dairy farming, innovations in the food industry, quality assurance, product development, and more.
After successfully completing higher studies, students of the university usually go on to work in agribusiness, non-governmental organisations, consultancy, food standards organisation, retail, processing, and policy-making agencies like Defra, WRAP, etc.
To be eligible to apply to any of the programs being offered by the University of Leeds, all international applicants must have a minimum IELTS score of band 6.5 with no component being less than 6.0. Furthermore, all applications must be filled out on the university’s official student application portal only. All courses will ask for supporting documents relevant to their course, and these must be uploaded on the portal within the application deadline.
The average tuition cost for one year for international students is observed to come out, usually starting from £25,000 and going upwards as per the course.
Conclusion
With growing populations and global challenges like hunger and food insecurity on the rise, agriculture has emerged as one of the preferred study areas in higher studies. By taking up education in parts of the world like Europe and countries in its vicinity, like England, students get to learn from many practical experiences owing to the favourable geography and well-developed grassland systems. Also, the advanced agricultural methods involving the use of many modern age facilities like a tractor and other modern machinery give students a chance to learn and develop better innovations for a sustainable future.
So, with so many reasons to study in this region, UK universities are the go-to for all aspirants because of the good reputation they continue to enjoy owing to their world-class education and employment opportunities.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are some of the common roles that students of an agriculture university in the UK take up?
Ans. After graduation, UK university graduates from agriculture and related degrees go on to take up the roles of product developer, policy analyst, consultant, marketing specialist, food technologist, quality assurance support, quality control analyst, sampling officer, and more of the likes.
What is the average starting salary after completing education in agriculture in the UK?
Ans. The starting salary of agriculture pass out in agriculture in a UK university can vary largely depending on an individual’s skill set, the recruiter, and the city of employment (salaries are usually higher in cities like London than in other suburban or countryside areas). However, on average, the starting salary of an agriculture graduate from the UK is around £16.15 per hour. This comes out to be around £31,500 per year.
