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Agri-Environmental Sciences

BAgrSc (NFQ Level 8)
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Sustainable Development Goals

This course is available through the following application route(s)

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If you are passionate about environmental sustainability and interested in the intersection of agriculture and environmental management, the Agri-Environmental Sciences programme may be the perfect fit for you! This specialist applied science degree will equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to make a meaningful impact in the fields of agriculture and environmental management.

About This Course

If you are passionate about environmental sustainability and interested in the intersection of agriculture and environmental management, the Agri-Environmental Sciences programme may be the perfect fit for you! This specialist applied science degree will equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to make a meaningful impact in the fields of agriculture and environmental management. Through a combination of classroom learning, practical field experience, and professional work placements, you will gain a deep understanding of rural environmental issues, sustainable agriculture practices, and the policies and schemes that protect our natural resources.

First Year

Animal Biology & Evolution • Introductory Chemistry • Mathematics for Agriculture • Physics for Agricultural Science • Land Use & the Environment • Introduction to Biomolecules • Cell & Plant Biology • Information Skills • Optional Modules including Agricultural Economics & Business

Second Year

Focuses on the principles of crop and animal production and applied agri-environmental sciences. Modules include: Diversity in the Rural Landscape • Agricultural Botany • Soil Science • Applied Zoology • Microbiology • Introductions to Crop & Animal Science. On completion of second year, you develop field skills through a weeklong residential field course in the Burren, Co. Clare.

Third & Fourth Year

Focuses on environmental management in agriculture (e.g. soils, nutrients, pests and diseases). You will develop practical field and lab-based skills e.g. GIS, and study policies, schemes and practices to protect rural environments.

In fourth year, you complete advanced modules in agri-environmental management, environmental data and 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.

Professional Work Experience (PWE) 

A 16-week period of structured PWE takes place in third year. Assisted by a dedicated lecturer, students arrange placements on farms, environmental agencies and companies. This is a fantastic chance to get new experiences, make industry contacts and put theory from classes to practical use.

You can elect to study abroad for one trimester, at universities including:

  • Cornell University, USA
  • University of California, USA
  • Kansas State University, USA
  • University of Queensland, Australia

Many graduates follow career paths as environmental advisors, planners or consultants. Others work in State agencies that require both agricultural and  environmental  management skills, including:

  • Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine
  • Teagasc
  • Environmental Protection Agency
  • National Parks & Wildlife Service 
  • Local Authorities

A high proportion of AES graduates go on to further studies at postgraduate level.

Professor Helen Sheridan
e. helen.sheridan@ucd.ie

UCD Agriculture & Food Science School Office
Agriculture & Food Science Centre
Belfield, Dublin 4

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Below is a list of all modules offered for this degree in the current academic year. Click on the module to discover what you will learn in the module, how you will learn and assessment feedback profile amongst other information.

Incoming Stage 1 undergraduates can usually select an Elective in the Spring Trimester. Most continuing undergraduate students can select up to two Elective modules (10 Credits) per stage. There is also the possibility to take up to 10 extra Elective credits.

Module Type Module   Trimester Credits
Stage 1 Core Modules
AESC10010 Land Use and the Environment Autumn  5
Stage 1 Core Modules
CHEM00020 Introductory Chemistry Autumn  5
Stage 1 Core Modules
MATH10230 Mathematics for Agriculture I Autumn  5
Stage 1 Core Modules
PHYC10180 Physics for Ag. Science Autumn  5
Stage 1 Core Modules
RDEV10020 Information Skills Autumn  5
Stage 1 Core Modules
BIOL10010 Animal Biology and Evolution Spring  5
Stage 1 Core Modules
BIOL10030 Cell and Plant Biology Spring  5
Stage 1 Core Modules
CHEM10010 Introduction to the Chemistry of Biomolecules Spring  5
Stage 1 Core Modules
RDEV10040 Introduction to Food and Agribusiness Management Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 1 of:
Please choose ONE of the below modules to make up the additional 5 credits required for the Autumn Trimester.
FOR10020 Trees and Forests in Ireland Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 1 of:
Please choose ONE of the below modules to make up the additional 5 credits required for the Autumn Trimester.
RDEV10030 Introduction to Agricultural Economics and Business Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 1 of:
Please choose ONE of the below modules to make up the additional 5 credits required for the Autumn Trimester.
FDSC10030 Our Food, Our Planet: Introduction to Sustainable Food Systems Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Choose TWO 5 credit electives from any available modules across UCD or consider the following modules that are closely related to your programme and may be taken in place of electives.
CPSC10010 Introduction to Crop Science Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Choose TWO 5 credit electives from any available modules across UCD or consider the following modules that are closely related to your programme and may be taken in place of electives.
HORT10020 Plants and People Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Choose TWO 5 credit electives from any available modules across UCD or consider the following modules that are closely related to your programme and may be taken in place of electives.
PHYC10190 Aspects of Physics for Ag. Sci Spring  5
Stage 2 Core Modules
AESC20060 Soil Science Basics Autumn  5
Stage 2 Core Modules
AESC30110 Diversity in the Rural Landscape Autumn  5
Stage 2 Core Modules
FOR20100 Applied Biostatistics Autumn  5
Stage 2 Core Modules
HORT20070 Agricultural Botany Autumn  5
Stage 2 Core Modules
MICR20010 Agricultural Microbiology Autumn  5
Stage 2 Core Modules
AESC20050 Applied Zoology Spring  5
Stage 2 Core Modules
ANSC10010 Introduction to Animal Science Spring  5
Stage 2 Core Modules
ANSC20010 Genetics and Biotechnology Spring  5
Stage 2 Core Modules
CPSC20030 Principles of Crop Science Spring  5
Stage 2 Core Modules
ENVB20050 Principles of Environmental Biology & Ecology Spring  5
Stage 2 Core Modules
RDEV20140 Health, Welfare & Safety in Agriculture Spring  5
Stage 2 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Students must take an elective credit or an option module listed - worth five (5) credits.
AERD20030 Business Management Autumn  5
Stage 2 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Students must take an elective credit or an option module listed - worth five (5) credits.
FOR20120 Apiculture - bees, pollination and people Autumn  5
Stage 3 Core Modules
AESC30170 Professional Work Experience 2 Trimester duration (Spr-Sum)  10
Stage 3 Core Modules
AESC30080 Agri-Environmental Issues and Policy Autumn  5
Stage 3 Core Modules
AESC30100 Pests, Parasites and Beneficials Autumn  5
Stage 3 Core Modules
AESC30220 Soil Science Applications Autumn  5
Stage 3 Core Modules
BIOL30010 Plant Diseases: Biology and Control Autumn  5
Stage 3 Core Modules
ENVB30010 Systems Ecology Autumn  5
Stage 3 Core Modules
AESC30010 Scientific Writing and Review Spring  5
Stage 3 Core Modules
AESC30160 Agrichemicals and the Environment Spring  5
Stage 3 Core Modules
AESC30230 Climate, Carbon and Soil Spring  5
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Students must take elective credits or the option modules listed amounting to ten (10) credits.
AERD20030 Business Management Autumn  5
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Students must take elective credits or the option modules listed amounting to ten (10) credits.
CPSC30100 Emerging Crop Pathogens Autumn  5
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 0 of:
Students must take elective credits or the option modules listed amounting to ten (10) credits.
HORT30040 Landscape Management Spring  5
Stage 4 Core Modules
AESC30250 Environmental Data and Modelling Autumn  5
Stage 4 Core Modules
BIOL40370 Plant Pathology and Biotechnology Autumn  5
Stage 4 Core Modules
CPSC30040 Grass and Forage Production Autumn  5
Stage 4 Core Modules
AESC40140 Agri-Environmental Nutrient Management Spring  5
Stage 4 Core Modules
AESC40160 Research Project (AESC) Spring  15
Stage 4 Core Modules
AESC40340 Environmental Management Spring  5
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of:
Please select at least 2 of the following 3 option modules.
AESC40150 Wildlife Conservation Autumn  5
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of:
Please select at least 2 of the following 3 option modules.
AESC40360 One Health Autumn  5
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of:
Please select at least 2 of the following 3 option modules.
AESC40660 Plants, Roots and Productivity Autumn  5
Stage 4 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Spring: Students can take one of these option modules or any other elective module worth 5 credits for Stage 4 Spring Trimester
AESC40690 Ecosystem Monitoring Spring  5
Stage 4 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Spring: Students can take one of these option modules or any other elective module worth 5 credits for Stage 4 Spring Trimester
ZOOL40280 Biological Invasions Spring  5

SDG4 SDG6 SDG 12 SDG 13 SDG 15

 

Sustainability is the foundation on which the BAgrSc Agri-Environmental Science (AES) has been designed and developed. We offer a unique educational experience for students who want to develop their scientific understanding of the relationship between  agricultural production systems and the wider environment. Our leading experts will empower you to better understand the challenges and opportunities associated with sustainable agricultural systems. We're solution driven; we don’t just identify the challenges, but also identify and discuss various solutions with our students. Key areas of agri-environmental sustainability that we address include - the use of low input, high output multispecies swards, enhancing soil health, nutrient cycling and water quality and the conservation of farmland biodiversity. In doing this, we instil in our students a strong understanding that truly sustainable solutions need to address environmental, economic and social concerns. Ultimately, “solutions” that put farmers out of business are not sustainable solutions.

Specific Sustainable Development Goals addressed within our programme include:

  • SDG4 – Quality Education
  • SDG6 – Clean water and sanitation
  • SDG12 – Responsible consumption and production
  • SDG13 – Climate action
  • SDG15 – Life on land

Pursuing a degree in Agri-Environmental Sciences was a decision deeply rooted in my passion for both agriculture and the environment and this field of study is more relevant today than ever before. In a generation increasingly defined by the challenges of climate change, depletion of natural resources and escalating global population, the imperative for sustainable agricultural practices, capable of ensuring food security and protecting the environment, became starkly evident to me. Agri-Environmental Science offers the perfect blend of disciplines, which allowed me to explore the complexities of soil science, crop production, environmental and wildlife conservation, climate change and water resource management, to name a few.

Ciara Bolger, Student

Non-EU Undergraduate Fee information can be found here.

UCD offers a number of competitive undergraduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD undergraduate degree programme. For information on Undergraduate Scholarships, please see the UCD International Scholarships webpage.

General application route(s) for Irish/UK/EU applicants* for International (non-EU) applicants* to Agri-Environmental Sciences:

ROWCLASS Apply to
showAudience-audienceInt
UAS1
Agricultural Science
Bachelor of Agricultural Science

Full-Time
Commencing September 2025
Undergraduate Degree (Non EU)
Non EU Undergraduates
showAudience-audienceEU
DN250
Agricultural Science
Bachelor of Agricultural Science

Full-Time
Commencing September 2025
Application through CAO
* you can change options at the top of the page

Additional special entry route(s) to Agri-Environmental Sciences:

These options have additional eligibility requirements to cater for specific applicant cohorts. You should not apply via these routes before consulting the requirements or contacting the responsible UCD office.

ROWCLASS Apply to
showAudience-audienceInt
UAS1
Agricultural Science
Bachelor of Agricultural Science

Full-Time
Commencing September 2025
Access Progression Pathway
Access Progression Pathway
Application to this Non-EU Access Progression Pathway is by invitation only. If you are not currently enrolled on an Access programme at UCD, your application will be marked as invalid.
If you are not a current Access student, but you are a non-EU applicant seeking admission to an undergraduate degree, please submit an application via the "Undergraduate Degree (Non-EU)" course type.