Specialization in „International Organic Agriculture“

The profile “International Organic Agriculture” within the MSc program “Sustainable International Agriculture” offers students the unique possibility to focus entirely on Organic Agriculture. It includes the broad range of topics from soil, crop and animal sciences, as well as environmental, social and economic sciences. You will be asked to: Examine and assess the validity of literature from the natural and social sciences, statistics and other documents. Use state-of-the art statistical techniques to analyse ‘hard‘ and ‘soft‘ data. Apply laboratory methods, technical procedures and qualitative / quantitative approaches of data collection. Interpret and display research data. Apply your skills in the context of international and organic agriculture and agroecosystems‘ assessment.
The faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences at Witzenhausen provides a team of professors and lectures, well-experienced in Organic Agriculture since more than 30 years. Facilities like research greenhouse, research farm of 340 ha, various laboratories and adequate IT-equipment support students within their individual study profile.
Our aim is educating young people who are going to be leaders in science, policy and development, contributing to a more ressource efficient and sustainable development of agriculture worldwide.

Compulsory modules

The following bridging module and four compulsory modules must be taken.
For a detailed module description, please refer to the current module catalogue.

    Winter Term (WiSe)

  • M.SIA.I12 Sustainable International Agriculture: basic principles and approaches
    (Witzenhausen, Prof. Dr. Eva Schlecht )
  • M.SIA.P05 Organic cropping systems under temperate and (sub)tropical conditions
    (Witzenhausen, Prof. Dr. Andreas Bürkert)
  • M.SIA.P07 Soil and plant science (Brückenmodul)
    (Witzenhausen, Dr. H. Saucke)

  • Summer Term (SoSe)

  • M.SIA.A14 Organic livestock farming under temperate conditions
    (Witzenhausen, Dr. M. Krieger )
  • M.SIA.I10M Applied statistical modelling
    (Witzenhausen, Prof. Bernard Ludwig)


  • Elective compulsory modules

    Four elective compulsory modules must be chosen (among these, at least one methodological module coded with M and one economics module with code E). Click here for a list of the elective compulsory modules.

    Elective modules

    Six elective modules are to be chosen. You can also chose elective modules from the list of so far not attended elective compulsory modules. Language courses at level B1 or B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) or comparable totaling 6 C may be considered once as electives, provided that the course is not English or the student's native language.
    Click here for the list of elective modules.


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