Programme Overview:
- Duration:
- 1 Years / 2 Years
- Attendance:
- Full Time / Part Time
- Mode of Delivery:
- Blended
- Next Intake:
- 2023/2024 September
- Contact Name:
- Laura Egan-O'Brien
- Contact Number:
- 01 716 1916
- Fees:
- Fee Information
This Masters focusses on digital technology for a sustainable agriculture.
The world’s population is expected to grow to approx. 10 billion by 2050. This growth will result in increased demand for resources, raw materials and food. In particular, demand for food is estimated to increase by over 50% by 2050 compared to 2013. Furthermore, the world faces intersecting challenges like climate change, exploitation of natural capital and an aging and declining rural population. To produce a “sustainable food future,” the world must increase food production while cutting GHG emissions and maintaining (or reducing) the land used in agriculture. Digital agriculture could address these challenges by making the agri-food value chain more efficient, equitable, and environmentally sustainable - before, during, and after on-farm production.
The programme is aimed at students and industry professionals who wish to build their knowledge and skills-base to address the complexities of developing, deploying and managing digital technology in the agriculture sector. With a focus on design, numeracy, hardware and software technology, our students will be deeply engaged with agricultural production, and specifically technology to enhance efficiency, sustainability, resilience and reliability. The modules will be part of existing final year full-time bachelor’s and master’s degrees and are appropriate for professionals seeking to deepen existing skills or learn brand new skill sets.
The programme is delivered by a highly research-intensive and multi-disciplinary school – Ireland’s premier agri-food related research entity with excellent networks into the agri-food industry and with a particular focus on working with industry to provide sustainable technical solutions. The school’s academic staff have a major global research impact, with three professors who are among the top 1% of the most cited researchers in the world according to the latest Highly Cited Researchers list published by Clarivate.
DELIVERY MODE & THEMES
This programme is primarily delivered face to face, also including fully online modules and blended delivery models. Students will be able to take themed clusters of modules (e.g. three modules of precision farming, three modules of sensing technology, three modules of computers and electronics, three modules of data science) to reflect specific technical interests or needs for upskilling.
Module Information:
Under the "What modules can I take?" section below you will see general module information, for a more detailed description including module selection rules click here.
Curricular information is subject to change
Graduates of the MSc Digital Agriculture may find employment opportunities in the following areas:
No Modules to display for this Course
Credit structure: 90 total credits, 60 credits of taught modules and 30 credits for a research project
All autumn and spring modules are optional and must be selected in consultation with the Programme Director.
Students will be able to take themed clusters of modules (e.g. three modules of precision farming, three modules of sensing technology, three modules of computers and electronics, three modules of data science) to reflect specific technical interests or needs for upskilling.
MSc Digital Agriculture (T374) Full Time
EU fee per year - € 8830
nonEU fee per year - € 27720
MSc Digital Agriculture (T375) Part Time
EU fee per year - € 4520
nonEU fee per year - € 13860
***Fees are subject to change
Fee information is available at www.ucd.ie/fees/
A 2.2 or higher honours degree in agriculture, biological science, physical science, environmental related,
engineering or computer science is required.
Where an applicant has no formal qualification encompassing agriculture/biology a personal experience of informal experience with agriculture will be required.
Other disciplines and holders of Certificate and Diploma qualifications will be considered subject to an application
detailing suitable mathematical, technological, and analytical skills, particularly if these can be demonstrated by
experience in a relevant industrial/work environment.
"Rapid advances in computing technologies are leading to radical transformations across a multitude of industry sectors. Data analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence offer new solutions to challenges in sectors including agriculture. Although this degree is new within UCD, Digital Agriculture is recognised as one of the most critically important technical disciplines supporting the use of new and advanced technologies integrated into one system. The MSc programme provides students with an understanding of the tools that digitise data capture relating to the environment and activity (sensor technologies and systems), move the data (accumulation networks), store the data (databases), analyse data to gain insights (models and AI), share the resulting information along the agricultural value chain (distribution networks) and provide actors and stakeholders access to the digital chain (interfaces). The mix of full-time and part-time students sharing modules opens a promising dynamic in which learners can complement and help one another in the broader context. The modules will employ technology-enabled flexible teaching approaches suitable for both full-time students and upskilling professional learners."
Dr Dimitrios Argyropoulos, Programme Director
This programme offers hands on experience, on a range of novel digital technology, training in state-of-the-art labs and applied research in a real life environment at the Lyons Research Farm.
The following entry routes are available:
* Courses will remain open until such time as all places have been filled, therefore early application is advised