MSc Sustainable Agriculture and Food Production

Year 1

(Award available for year: Master of Science)

Learning outcomes

On completion of the year/programme students should have provided evidence of being able to:
- demonstrate in-depth, specialist knowledge and mastery of techniques relevant to food production and to demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of concepts, information and techniques at the forefront of sustainable agricultural practices;
- exhibit mastery in the exercise of generic (communication, leadership, project design and management, data analysis) and subject-specific (agricultural research, crop science, biotechnology, sustainable practices) intellectual abilities;
- demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to their own research or advanced scholarship;
- take a proactive and self-reflective role in working sustainably in the agricultural or food production space, and to develop professional relationships with peers, academics and others;
- proactively formulate ideas and hypotheses about the impacts of sustainable agriculture on food production, and to develop, implement and execute research and monitoring to evaluate these;
- critically and creatively to evaluate current and potential future issues, research and advanced scholarship in the sustainable agriculture and food production.

Transferable (key) skills

Masters (taught) students will have had the opportunity to acquire the following abilities, as defined in the modules specified for the programme:
- the broad range of analytical and research skills necessary to undertake a higher research degree and for employment in a higher capacity in agriculture or food production industries and other agricultural related disciplines;
- Evaluating and reflecting on their own achievements and those of others;
- self-direction and effective decision making in complex and unpredictable situations;
- independent learning and the ability to work in a way which ensures continuing professional development;
- critically to engage in the development of professional/disciplinary boundaries and norms.

Assessment

Achievement for the degree of Master (taught programme) will be assessed by a variety of methods in accordance with the learning outcomes of the modules specified for the year/programme and will include:
- evidencing an ability to conduct independent in-depth enquiry within the broader field of sustainable agriculture;
- demonstrating the ability to apply breadth and/or depth of knowledge to a complex specialist area;
- drawing on a range of perspectives on an area of study;
- evaluating and criticising received opinion;
- making reasoned judgements whilst understanding the limitations on judgements made in the absence of complete data.