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Crop Protection (M.Sc.)

Get the basis for an international career in agricultural sciences: The international Master Programme Crop Protection addresses the for mankind vital issues of crop health within sustainable crop production systems. The study programme is research and practice oriented, international and multidisciplinary. It opens career chances in agricultural sciences and institutions, and in the agro-industries. An internship in a private company or research institution offers the opportunity to link academic training with experience in interdisciplinary team work in a professional environment.


Programme name: Crop Protection (M.Sc.)
Degree: Master of Science (M.Sc.)
Standard period of study: 4 semesters
Starting semester: Winter semester
Admission requirements: Bachelor degree (with score of at least 3.0) and a selection interview
Admission: Application to the Faculty, online application procedure
Application deadline: June 15th; for non-EU citizens March 1st
Language requirements: Knowledge of the English language (verification required)
Course-Language: English


Programme description

The interdisciplinary course of study "Crop Protection " is held in the English language. It unifies the subject areas that deal with the cause, development and spread of damage to crops, the development and application of efficient preventative and curative measures to fight damage as well as their effects on environment and society.

Programme structure
120 credits must be earned in the Master's progamme. These credits comprise subject-specific studies (lectures, internships, seminars), a 6-week internship as well as he Master's thesis including the colloquium.
For divisional studies, there is a comprehensive selection of modules from the fields of plant pathology, entomology, virology, biotechnology, crop cultivation, agricultural technology, toxicology, agricultural economics, etc.
The internship is part of the compulsory area and can be conducted in different areas of crop protection, industry, departmental research, consulting. The aim of the internship is to give students insight into the working life and help them acquire practical and application-oriented knowledge. Students must write an internship report and present it in a seminar.
In the Master's thesis, students will independently work out and depict a subject from the field of „Crop Protection“ according to scientific methods.
The programme is offered and coordinated by the „Division of Plant Pathology and Crop Protection“ in the „Department of Crop Sciences“ (DNPW).

The programme comprises 120 credits (ECTS)
a) Divisional studies (compulsory modules) 30 C
- Scientific Working Methods (9 C)
- 6-8 week internship (9 C)
- Pesticides I : Mode of Action and Application Techniques, Resistance to Pesticides (6 C)
- Pesticides II: Toxicology, Ecotoxicology, Environmental Metabolism, Regulation and Registration (6 C)

b) Area of professionalisation (elective compulsory modules) 60 C, 6 of which are for key competencies
c) Master's thesis 30 C (incl. 6 C for the colloquium)


Forms of teaching and learning:
The Master's programme requires compulsory attendance with lectures, seminars, internships, excursions, exercises and projects.


Occupational fields
• Businesses of the agricultural and food industry
• Special consulting on production technology
• National and international agricultural industries
• Service branches, e.g. as an appraiser or adviser
• Public service, e.g. chambers and ministries of agriculture
• International organisations
• Environmental protection and landscaping
• Institutes of higher education and research institutions
The programme „Crop Protection“ will cooperate with departmental research and businesses of the industry on different levels (internship, courses). Cooperation with businesses serves for early orientation of the contents of study to the current demands in the national and international fields of occupation of crop protection.


Language knowledge
Sufficient English knowledge to be verified through the minimum performance in an acknowledged test (Cambridge Certificate, TOEFL, IELTIS, UNIcert)