Agriculture with Farm Business Management BSc Honours

Program Overview

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Course overview

You study wide-ranging agriculture topics in your first two years, exploring plant biology, soil science, nutrition, management, accounting and law. In your third year, you specialise in farm business management. You will explore management techniques used for decision-making in agricultural businesses. Core modules develop your skills in:

farm planning and organisation

budgeting and accounting

land law

You can boost your employability and professional skills with an optional placement year in industry or the commercial sector.

You'll also enjoy practical workshops and demonstrations of the major software used in farm business planning and control, and apply your knowledge to real farm case studies.

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Your course and study experience - disclaimers and terms and conditions

Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2022-23.

See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

Program Outline

Modules and learning

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Modules

The information below is intended to provide an example of what you will study.

Most degrees are divided into stages. Each stage lasts for one academic year, and you'll complete modules totalling 120 credits by the end of each stage.

Our teaching is informed by research. Course content may change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.

Optional module availability

Student demand for optional modules may affect availability.

Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.

To find out more please see our terms and conditions.

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

You study topics including plant biology, animal science and agri-business economics. We also introduce you to laboratory work and IT applications for applying statistical techniques to agricultural data.

Visits to the University farms provide first-hand insight into agriculture.

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Modules

Compulsory Modules	Credits
Introductory Business Economics	10
Environment and Land Resources	10
Crop Pests	10
Introduction to Business Management	10
Academic and Professional Skills	20
Agri-Food Supply Chains	20
Animal Health	10
Introduction to Animal Physiology	10
Plants, Environment, Agriculture	10
Introduction to Agricultural Mechanisation	10

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How you'll learn

Teaching Time

Independent Study

22 78 Learning methods used over the year (estimated % of time)

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How you'll be assessed

Written Exams

Coursework

42 58 Assessment methods used over the year (estimated % of time)

You apply your knowledge to animal and crop husbandry and farm management, covering topics such as animal breeding, arable crop production and agricultural marketing.

Visits to farms continue, reinforcing your learning with practical experience. You have the opportunity to take a crop pests field course, focusing on pests that affect crops.

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Modules

Compulsory Modules	Credits
Agricultural Economics and Policy	10
Current Trends in Agricultural Markets	10
Arable Crops	10
Farm Business Management	10
Principles of Agronomy and Crop Improvement	10
Animal Feed Science and Technology	10
Managing Soils in the Agri-Environment	10
Domestic Animal Reproduction and Genetic Improvement	10
Dissertation and Research Preparation	10
Sustainable animal production systems	20
Sustainable Solutions	10

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How you'll learn

Teaching Time

Independent Study

34 66 Learning methods used over the year (estimated % of time)

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How you'll be assessed

Written Exams

Practical Exams

Coursework

21 8 71 Assessment methods used over the year (estimated % of time)

You explore management techniques used for decision making in agricultural businesses. Core modules develop your skills in farm planning, budgeting and accounting and land law.

You also write a dissertation on a farm business management topic of your choice. Projects and case studies form a major component of management modules. There are workshops and demonstrations of software used in planning and control.

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Modules

Compulsory Modules	Credits
Farm Business Consultancy	20
Applied Farm Business Management	20
Dissertation	30
Law and Land Use	10

Optional Modules	Credits
Combinable Crops	20
Applied Crop Protection	10
Animal Product Quality and Marketing	10
Forage Utilization	10
Reproduction in Farm and Companion Animals	10
Your Future - occupational awareness	10
Precision technologies and global challenges in managed animal behaviour and welfare	20
Precision Agriculture incorporating Non-Combinable Crops	20
Career Development for final year students	20
Science Communication for Sustainable Development	10

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How you'll learn

Teaching Time

Independent Study

21 79 Learning methods used over the year (estimated % of time)

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How you'll be assessed

Written Exams

Coursework

24 76 Assessment methods used over the year (estimated % of time)

Information about these graphs

We base these figures and graphs on the most up-to-date information available to us. They combine data on the planned delivery and assessments of our courses in 2021-22 with data on the modules chosen by our students in 2020-21.

Teaching time is made up of:

scheduled learning and teaching activities. These are timetabled activities with a member of staff present

structured guided learning. These are activities developed by staff to support engagement with module learning. Students or groups of students undertake these activities without direct staff participation or supervision

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Teaching and assessment

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Teaching methods

Lectures and laboratory practicals will teach you the scientific principles that underpin agriculture.

Visits to the University farms and other local farming businesses will help you to understand the practical application of the theory you learn.

You'll also complete project work and reports, working as an individual and in groups.

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Assessment methods

You'll be assessed through a combination of:

Assessments

Assignments – written or fieldwork

Dissertation or research project

Essays

Examinations – practical or online

Group work

Practical sessions

Projects

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Skills and experience

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Practical skills

As a leader in agricultural education since 1891, we have well-founded links with the local farming community, allowing our students access to a range of farming practices.

In your second year, you'll also gain hands-on experience managing your own crops and opportunities to take on lambing or harvest jobs.

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Research skills

To address the problems facing agriculture globally, we conduct research on themes such as:

ethical and nutritious food

resource-efficient and resilient production systems

sustainable landscapes and production systems

vibrant rural communities and enterprises

You'll also have the opportunity to explore an area of interest in your final year dissertation.