Agriculture is a huge part of the UK economy and is becoming increasingly popular as more young people get into it. According to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), agriculture contributed £9,435 million to the UK economy. In addition to there being a high demand for agricultural workers, the jobs are lucrative and varied.
More people are realising that agriculture goes beyond farming and are interested in the many different career paths it offers. This includes opportunities on farms, in labs and even in offices. From finance and business to engineering and robotics, agriculture is a varied and expanding sector in the UK. Additionally, as more people become interested in the field, agricultural universities revise their courses and offer more degree programs. Therefore, whether you want to take a hands-on approach to learning and engage in practical work or if you want to study theoretical ideas, there’s something available for everyone. The following are some of the top agricultural degrees offered in the UK and what they entail.
Agriculture
Students who are unsure about which part of the agriculture industry they want to work in can pursue their bachelor’s degrees in general agriculture and learn about several different areas including crop production, agriculture and the environment, animal rearing, dairy and food science, and more. Because they get exposure to so many different parts of agriculture, they can pursue a variety of careers such as work in research and consultancy, farm management or crop production. They can also pursue further education in more specialised subjects. The benefit of doing a general agriculture degree degree is that it can give you a knowledge on the whole of the industry and also allow you to decide what you would want to specialise in, based on the information that you have learnt.
Agriculture and Farm Management
Agriculture and farm management degrees give students an understanding of the agricultural industry and focus on the skills needed to manage agricultural enterprises. Whether you intend to go into finance, business or even land management, this is a great degree for learning about the management and leadership skills that play a role in running farming businesses. Agricultural and Farm Management degrees can help students get jobs as agricultural insurers, traders, suppliers, farm managers and agriculture consultants.
Agri-Business
Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in agribusiness combine both agriculture and business to give students a strong background in both industries and their intersection. As a result, they’re able to pursue careers in farm inputs and outputs, trading, marketing, research, finance and sales. They can work directly with agricultural workers or establish or work in businesses supporting the agricultural industry as a whole.
Agricultural Technology and Innovation
Agriculture has gone through a technological revolution in recent years and farm mechanisation and data analysis are becoming increasingly larger parts of agriculture every single day. Whether it’s managing crops and animals or production as a whole, agritech has a part to play in all aspects of farming and agricultural businesses. This degree can help you secure jobs in software, information technology, agronomy, resource appraisal, farm management, and agricultural and horticultural engineering. This is a great degree, as agritech is likely to become huge in the future.
Agriculture and Animal Science
Degrees focusing on agriculture and animal science prepare students in animal biology, land use, agribusiness, agritech, biochemistry, soil management and more. Because of the focus on different modules and the variety present in the degree, students can secure many different jobs, including farm managers, soil scientists, agricultural consultants, animal welfare specialists, and animal nutritionists.
Horticulture
From plant studies and sustainability to marketing and supply chain development, degrees in horticulture can consist of many different modules. Both bachelor’s and master’s level degrees are available and they train students for work in landscaping, retail, environmental and social horticulture, production, and sportsturf.
Agricultural Economics
Agricultural economics degrees include natural resource economics, public policy, finance, risk management, game theory and environmental resource management. Students learn about the production and consumption of food throughout the world and the resulting crises, price booms and environmental concerns that come along with this. Agricultural economics degrees can help students find work in the government or private companies in agriculture, finance, agricultural consultancy and public policy.
Plant Pathology
In addition to more general courses like Agriculture, UK agricultural degrees also include more specialised degrees like Plant Pathology. This essential subject concerns global food security and protecting plants from the harmful effects of climate change. Those who study plant pathology can make a massive difference in the world by studying and reducing crop losses and strengthening harvests. In addition to learning how to identify pathogens, plant pathology courses focus on sustainable crop production and plant disease control to ensure food security as the global population rises.
Agricultural Law
Agricultural law is an important postgraduate degree that trains lawyers to be specialists in agricultural law, including commercial and residential tenancies and land law. It also includes modules on rural estate planning, taxation, land tenure systems and estate management.
What Can You Do With a UK Agricultural Degree?
One of the reasons agriculture is such a great field of study is the number of fulfilling jobs you can get. In addition to having excellent prospects and lucrative pay, you have the opportunity to make a difference and contribute to the world. Because of this, many young people are opting for agricultural degrees. The high employability means that of the people who study agriculture, the majority go directly into employment. In fact, 69.3% of students who studied agriculture went directly into employment in 2014/2015.
Are you interested in a career that’s both lucrative and allows you to impact the world? Agricultural Recruitment Specialists can help you find the perfect agricultural job. We’re known for recruiting the best talent in agriculture and helping them find positions where they can excel. Our comprehensive candidate and client services have made us the premier agricultural recruitment agency in the UK.
If you’re interested in a job in agriculture, check out this job board or submit your CV here so our experts can step in and help. Alternatively, if you’re looking for farming talent and have a vacancy that needs to be filled, our client services may be right for you. Contact us here to learn more.
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