Sustainable Agriculture with Livestock Management

Our society depends on farming and food production. Climate change, Covid-19 and skills shortages only reinforce the need for graduates with the passion and skills to make a difference.

Gain a solid understanding of the science and management of sustainable animal production systems and be able to apply this to real-life situations with our Livestock Management pathway. You will explore different management strategies in key areas, such as genetics, nutrition, health and welfare for a range of commercial livestock production systems, including beef, sheep, dairy, pigs and poultry.

No other institution champions sustainability and student self-sufficiency in the way that we do. Our agricultural courses equip you with the knowledge, insights, and ideas for an exciting career in the farming and food industries, helping to create a better future for us all.

With our passion for sustainability and innovation, combined with our commitment to high quality teaching and inclusive support, we will make sure you develop the understanding and industry-focused skills to achieve your ambitions and thrive in the sustainable agriculture sector.

Course Features:

• Training on our commercial farm — a regional centre for agricultural education

• Developing research skills using new state-of-the-art technologies, including our Lely Astronaut A5 automated robotic milking systems and Data Hub

• Industry work placement and visits from guest speakers

• Field trips and study for additional industry-recognised qualifications.

Career Options:

• Farm/Unit Management

• Farm and Environmental Consultancy

• Animal Health Advisory & Sales

• Animal Genetics Advisory & Sales

• Farm Business Analyst

• Vet Technician

• Research and Development

This course can be followed by the one year BSc (Hons) Sustainable Agriculture Top-up to gain a full honours degree.

Level 4
At level 4 all Sustainable Agriculture students will study a suite of core modules which will provide the foundations in agricultural science and production to aid specialisation at level 5. Modules will include:

Animal, Plant and Soil Science
Sustainable Livestock Production Systems
Farm Animal Welfare and Nutrition
Farm Business Diversification and Marketing
Sustainable Crop and Forage Production Systems
Agricultural Machinery & Technology

Level 5
At level 5 students studying the Sustainable Agriculture with Livestock Management pathway will study:

Environmental Land Management
Business Management and Finance
Work Based Learning for Land-Based Industries
Farm Animal Health and Behaviour
Sustainable Livestock Management
Applied Livestock Investigation

Module assessments ae designed to encourage both academic and workplace skill development. They include a wide range of coursework-based assessments in both independent and collaborative formats including reports, data processing, presentations, academic posters, lab-reports, seminar discussions, literature reviews and portfolios. Assessments will range in size and will be spread throughout the year to give you the greatest level of support and feedback whilst maintaining an even, manageable workload.

Examples include a short report in Sustainable Livestock Management, in which you will develop analytical skills to report on progression of livestock enterprise case-studies, whilst your digital communication skills will be challenged in a series of blog posts on farm animal behaviour as part of the Farm Animal Health and Behaviour module. To investigate the livestock industry further, you will conduct an Applied Livestock Investigation, in which you will examine the latest research in an area of livestock management, develop a research methodology, conduct statistical analysis and later produce a scientific poster to share the results of your group investigation.