First Year focuses on teaching basic sciences relevant to agriculture (especially biology and chemistry) and provides an introduction to rural land-use systems and environmental issues.
Second Year focuses on the principles of crop and animal production and applied agri- environmental sciences. Modules include: Ecology, Agricultural Botany, Soil Science, Applied Zoology, Microbiology and Introductions to Crop & Animal Science.
On completion of second year, you develop field skills through a week-long residential field course in the Burren, Co. Clare.
Third and Fourth Year focuses on environmental management in agriculture (e.g. management of soils, nutrients, pests, diseases), while you learn practical field and lab based skills e.g. landscape analysis using GIS. You will also study policies, schemes and practices to protect rural environments.
In fourth year, you complete advanced modules in agri-environmental management, modelling, rural conservation and sustainable agriculture, and you conduct a supervised research project and produce a thesis. This provides an opportunity to study a topic of your own choice more deeply, and gain practical experience of research and scientific writing.
Students spend an average of 40 hours per week attending lectures, tutorials and laboratory-based practical classes, and in undertaking independent study.
A combination of continuous assessment and end-of-trimester written examinations is used. A number of modules also involve written assignments and/or project-based work.