Agriculture, Food & Nutrition

Our focus at the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science is to develop the next generation of agriculture, forestry, horticulture, food and human nutrition leaders. Our graduates have an excellent record in obtaining challenging and fulfilling employment in a variety of sectors. These sectors include: food, agriculture, forestry, horticulture, health, business and services. You will develop professional skills for enterprise management, technical service and consultancy, management, research, education, marketing, communications and primary production of quality food, non-food (amenity plants) and fibre products.

Students will be exposed to the latest scientific discoveries and knowledge that underpins each  of our four-year honours degree programmes. The modular and innovative syllabus includes Professional Work Experience (PWE) and international study abroad opportunities. The programmes develop highly sought-after graduates with innovation, entrepreneurship, critical thinking and problem- solving skills.

• Agricultural Science
• Sustainable Food Systems
• Agri-Environmental Sciences
• Agricultural Systems Technology
• Animal & Crop Production
• Animal Science
• Animal Science - Equine
• Crop Science
• Dairy Business
• Food & Agribusiness Management
• Food Business with Chinese Studies
• Food Science
• Forestry
• Horticulture
• Human Nutrition

In your first year, we provide a range of supports to ensure your transition to university life is as smooth as possible. A comprehensive induction and orientation programme, Peer Mentoring, dedicated Student Advisers, committed Programme Directors and Programme Office staff underpin our reputation for being the most friendly and close-knit community in UCD. Supports and initiatives such as the Maths Support Centre, tutorials, laboratories and continuous assessment are designed to assist you along the way.

Each of our 14 entry routes has a similar first year, designed to give you a strong foundation in the core sciences, maths and economics needed for the rest of your studies.

You will also have an opportunity to take one or more introductory modules from any of our courses in first year, providing you with an insight into the subsequent stages of each degree available within UCD Agriculture, Food & Nutrition. This is particularly beneficial for Agricultural Science students, who choose their preferred degree at the end of first year.

Among our accomplished alumni of UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science are: 

• Richard Kennedy, Group CEO, Devenish & EY Entrepreneur of the year & EY International Entrepreneur of the year 2019
• Ciaran Sweeney, General Manager, Fyffes Ireland
• Mairead McGuinness, European Commissioner, European Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and the Capital Markets Union 
• Padraig Brennan, Director of Markets, Bord Bia 
• Bill Callanan, Chief Inspector, Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine
• Anne-Marie Butler, Senior Agricultural Manager, Ulster Bank
• Tendai O’Connor, Brand Manager at Pernod Ricard & GradIreland Employee Of The Year for 2019
• Daniel Davey, Performance Nutritionist, Leinster Rugby Team