Programme Overview:
- Duration:
- 1 Years
- Attendance:
- Full Time
- Mode of Delivery:
- Blended
- Next Intake:
- 2024/2025 September
- Contact Name:
- Katie O'Neill
- Contact Number:
- 01 716 1781
- Fees:
- Fee Information
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. 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 technologies could address these value chains more efficiently, equitably, and environmentally sustainably - before, during, and after on-farm production. The programme is aimed at students 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, and hardware software technology, our students will be deeply engaged agricultural with production, and specifically, technology to enhance efficiency, sustainability, resilience and reliability.
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. The Programme Director, Dr Dimitrios Argyropoulos has won numerous prestigious research and innovation awards from the European Commission on sustainable and digitized agri-food value chains. The programme also 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.
DELIVERY MODE & THEMES
This programme is primarily delivered face to face, but will also include some fully online modules and blended delivery models. All modules are optional and 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.
Curricular information is subject to change
Full Time option suitable for:
Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. Yes
Graduates of the MSc Digital Agriculture may find employment opportunities in the following areas:
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.
This above section links to general module information, for a more detailed description including module selection rules click here.
MSc Digital Technology for Sustainable Agriculture (T385) Full Time
EU fee per year - € 8830
nonEU fee per year - € 27720
***Fees are subject to change
Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see www.ucd.ie/global/scholarships/
A 2.2 or higher in an Honours degree (NFQ Level 8 or international equivalent ) in Agriculture, Biological science, Physical science, Environmental related, Engineering or Computer Science is 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.
Where an applicant has no formal qualification experential experience will be taken into consideration on a case by case basis.
"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
Dr Dimitrios Argyropoulos, Programme Director of MSc Digital Technology on Sustainable Agriculture, has a strong track record in research and innovation. He is currently leading the €11 million Horizon Europe Watson project, an interdisciplinary consortium of 44 partners across 19 countries addressing the application of digital technology on food authenticity and traceability across the supply chain. He is also Principal Investigator in 10 ongoing European projects on sustainable and digitised agri-food value chains with industry and academic partners.
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