Sustainable Crop Production: Agronomy for the 21st Century (Taught)

Sustainable Crop Production: Agronomy for the 21st Century MSc provides the knowledge and practical skills in crop management and improvement. You will learn about the latest advances in plant pathology, pest management and soil health.

Crop agriculture provides mankind’s increasing population with foods, fibres and fuel and this course provides you with knowledge and practical skills in crop management and crop improvement.

In this master's course you will gain a combination of practical expertise and academic understanding to develop key skills. You will learn the principles of crop production, including the latest advances in plant pathology, integrated pest management and soil health.

Skills from this degree
You will gain:

• An understanding of how crops are grown and the factors affecting crop production

• The knowledge to identify and understand the causes of crop disorders and make decisions on appropriate management/control measures

• The skills to critically evaluate how constraints on crop production can change due to biotic and societal pressures

• Transferable skills including team working, communicating with peers and sector specialists, organising, planning and oral presentation

• Research skills including scientific report writing, conducting surveys, problem solving, data analysis and project work

  This information is applicable for 2025 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply.

Core modules

• Crop Physiology and Production
• Advances in Crop Protection
• Soil, Sustainability and the Environment
• Project/Work Placement/Dissertation
• Climate Change
• Organic and Low Input Systems
• Cereal, Oilseed and Root Crop Agronomy
• Introduction to BASIS
• Plant Breeding and Trial Design for Registration

Read more about our core modules on our Life Sciences website.

Optional modules
Optional modules can vary from year to year. Example optional modules may include:

• Biodiversity, Conservation and Ecosystem Services
• Biological Invasions in Changing Environments
• Challenges in Global Food Security
• Marketing Management
• Business Strategy
• Climate Change and Development (Law)

Our optional module lists are subject to change each year to keep the student learning experience current and up-to-date. You can find the most up to date list on the Life Sciences website

Assessment is continuous and varies between modules. It typically includes essays, seminar presentations, practical reports, oral evaluation and assessed group work. You will undertake an individual project during the third term and there is an option for you to undertake a work-based placement as part of your project. Your project will be assessed by a seminar presentation, a 6,000 word dissertation and a Research Performance piece.