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Which master's course suits a BSc Agriculture and MSc Agronomy graduate considering Canada or Ireland?

15 Sept 2026 · Answered by Muskan Jain · 2 min read
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A Master of Plant Agriculture or MSc Plant Science at the University of Guelph is the strongest Canadian pick for advancing beyond a BSc Agriculture and MSc Agronomy into crop science, ahead of University College Dublin's MSc Crop Science, currently a 2-year part-time or blended program.

Muskan Jain
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Since you already hold both a BSc and MSc in this field, repeating a generic MSc Agronomy would add little, so the more useful move is picking a program that adds a genuinely new technical layer, whether that is plant breeding and genetics, precision agriculture, or a course-based industry route instead of another thesis.

Adding a New Layer Instead of Repeating Your MSc Agronomy

  • Want deep crop science research with a specific focus: University of Guelph's MSc Plant Agriculture, covering Crop Production Systems, Plant Breeding and Genetics, or Plant Biochemistry and Physiology.
  • Prefer a course-based, industry-oriented route over another thesis: Guelph's Master of Plant Agriculture (MPAg), which includes an internship component.
  • Want a genomics or breeding-heavy specialisation: University of Saskatchewan's MSc Plant Sciences, covering breeding, genomics and crop quality.
  • Prioritising Ireland specifically: University College Dublin's MSc Crop Science, built with Teagasc and industry input, though currently listed as a 2-year part-time or blended program worth verifying for full-time international study.

Canada vs Ireland for Advanced Crop Science

PriorityCanada PickIreland Pick
Research-intensive, thesis-basedUniversity of Saskatchewan MSc Plant SciencesUniversity College Dublin MSc Crop Science
Course-based with industry exposureUniversity of Guelph Master of Plant Agriculture (MPAg)Limited course-based equivalents currently
Immigration pathway considerationPlant Sciences and Agronomy/Crop Science both appear on Canada's PGWP-eligible field-of-study listCheck current Irish graduate work permission rules separately

This Information Is Also Available On

University of Guelph's Plant Agriculture graduate program page; University of Saskatchewan's Plant Sciences graduate program page; University College Dublin's MSc Crop Science program page; Government of Canada's PGWP eligible field-of-study list for agriculture and agri-food.

My Advice

Since you already hold an MSc in Agronomy, I would specifically avoid applying to another generic MSc Agronomy program, since admissions committees will read it as repetition rather than progression. Lead your application with your specific thesis topic and be explicit about the new layer you are adding, whether that is genetics, precision agriculture, or an industry-facing internship route, so the second masters reads as a deliberate specialisation decision.

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