Sustainable Agriculture, MSc

University of Padua, Italy

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Study options for this course

The award	How you will study	Study duration	Course start	Domestic course fees	International course fees
MSc	Full-time	2 years	October	find out	EUR 2622 per year

About Sustainable Agriculture, MSc - at University of Padua

According to FAO, sustainable agriculture is an integrated system that aims to nurture healthy ecosystems and support the sustainable management of land, water and natural resources, while ensuring world food security.
The M.S. degree in Sustainable Agriculture aims to provide advanced knowledge in the field of agricultural systems as well as skills to develop and manage sustainable production systems. The context of the topics covered is international, having as its main area of investigation warm-temperate environments at a global level. The graduate in Sustainable agriculture must work to achieve food security objectives associated with improving the quality and wholesomeness of food products. The graduate must know the issues related to biodiversity, global change and ecosystem services, which are analyzed according to a systemic and adaptive approach, considering also the traceability of processes.
To address the global challenges, students are equipped with a wide learning platform, and are able to make comparisons between different production systems at the international level in terms of environmental, socio-economics, and regulatory environments. With the aim of strengthening this global approach to sustainability and food security, the degree program has been included in an internationalization project in collaboration with the University of Georgia, USA, which enables students to achieve a dual degree in 'Sustainable Agriculture' (Italy) and 'Crop and Soil Science' (USA) and partecipate at the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees for the double degree in Plant Health in Sustainable Cropping Systems, Erasmus+ Programme Key Action 1.

The training course in Sustainable Agriculture, lasting two years, includes two main areas of study:
1) Production: training in the areas of agronomy, crop and animal productions, soil science, plant breeding, and integrated management of pests and diseases, all aimed at the sustainability of the production process and its social implications;
2) Technology: training in the areas of management and protection of air-soil-water, use of biomass of agricultural plants and animals, land management, and management of the production process (at different geographic scales) considering both innovative technologies and socio-economic aspects.
Learning is based on active studies covering activities in the classroom, in the laboratory and in the field as well as the possibility of using the contribution of Italian and foreign teachers, and industry experts that can provide specific case studies. The program offers intensive individual tutoring of students, as well as the opportunity to intern for six months, in companies in the public and private sectors, possibly abroad, for the study of cases of excellence in preparation of the thesis.

Learn more about Sustainable Agriculture, MSc - at University of Padua

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Notes about fees for this course

Our tuition fees will not exceed 2700 euros per year. Scholarship and fee waivers are available for international students, for more information visit our website: Scholarships | Università di Padova (unipd.it)

Entry requirements

Bachelor diploma (or equivalent)

A minimum three-year undergraduate degree (or equivalent) is required, with proven skills in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; in investigating research techniques as well as the ability to apply research findings to real problems

The entry qualification documents are accepted in the following languages: English / Italian.

You can often get a suitable transcript from your school. If this is not the case, you will need official translations along with verified copies of the original.

You must take the original entry qualification documents with you when you finally go to the university.

If you are admitted to the degree course, you will have to submit other documents including original and translated/legalised copies of your previous qualifications, etc. No legalised documents are required at application stage.

English B2 Level (CEFR) or equivalent certificate

Additional English language proficiency requirements for students applying to the double-degree programme:

Students whose primary language is not English must submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores that are not more than two years old. If submitting the TOEFL: a minimum score of 550 (paper-based) or overall score of 80 on the Internet Based Test (IBT) with at least 20 on speaking and 20 on writing. If submitting the IELTS: a minimum overall band-width of 6.5, with no single band (score) below 6.0. Students who have received degrees from institutions in countries where English is the primary language usually are not required to submit the TOEFL (or IELTS) scores unless the degree was received more than two years prior to application to the Graduate School.

Student reviews of University of Padua

Find out what students say about University of Padua

Prachi

from India
Master’s degree in Biotechnologies for food science

I was positive to join UniPD because it had a curriculum that did fit my subject. Furthermore, there is a history of UniPD that instantly depicts the strong foundation of education... and to me that university, where I would get that foundation would always be preferred. And looking back at those years, I can clearly see that it was the right choice.

The educational structure was somewhat to quite different from my home country.
1) There is an inclination towards comprehensiveness of the course; professors like to teach in depth which make you get immersed into the topic and fully understand it.
2) Exam period is especially interesting. You have so much time to focus and prepare (even though it never feels enough to any student.. haha). Also, there is a good direction by the professor if someone doesn't do well in the exam, so he/she can prepare better next time and retake the exam.
3) It has a strong research focus for the science-based courses and that makes it a good learning.

I enjoyed going to classes, and then walking around in the city, breathing the nature and refreshing in the company of my class-mates. There were phases of fun, study, extreme-fun and intense-study, which we managed to balance well somehow. The bestest part was having some professors who were like friends to us, which made study much more engaging.. and I for sure miss those professors. Can you imagine how good it was, that someone miss going to classes, and by the way, it is not only about UniPD, but there was also a lot because of the country, Italy, that made my time memorable.

Carolina

from Brasil
Master’s degree in Forest Science

The master's programme in Forest Science balances equally between the theoretical and practical parts of the courses, which frequently involves field trips in the North region of Italy, where Padova is located. This is a privileged region to have a forest science course, since it is close to a variety of ecosystems, such as the mountains (Alps), plain area (Po river), and the coast (Venice) and where it is possible to see the interaction of people-nature and climate change aspects.

After the first year of the master experience, I got the chance to do a summer internship in FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), whose headquarter is in Rome. That was a dream coming true, since from the beginning of my career I used FAO’s reports as supporting material for my job and studies.

Padua has the charm of a small city but everything you need from a big city. The thing I appreciate the most is just walking around the city centre and admiring the architecture of the historical buildings and squares, with an occasional stop for a coffee or spritz! The fact that it is bike friendly was another big plus.

Padova is also logistically interesting, since you can easily reach many beautiful cities by train or bus, such as Venice (in just 30 minutes!), Verona, Vicenza, Treviso, or if you feel like going a little bit further (2 hours) you can get to Milano, or to the Alps (Belluno, Asiago), where you can find natural areas to hike or ski or just escape the hot summer days.

Coming to Padova not only changed my professional career, but deeply changed my personal life: Here I found friends that I know I can count on for the rest of my life, and I also found love! I met my boyfriend over a year ago in the University.

Lauren

from Scotland
Master’s degree in Human Rights and Multilevel Governance

I would recommend the Unipd experience to anyone who wants to challenge themselves and be immersed in the Italian style of learning at university. At times it’s very intense but it’s also flexible and can suit anyone’s schedule, as I managed to work part time and even for 6 months, full time, on top of studying and volunteering. One thing I think is really important is making a real effort to learn Italian: it was very important for me to speak to local people and have the independence to go through bureaucratic procedures independently. In saying that, Padua is a very open-minded city with lots of people who speak English and a lot of international students! I sat my Italian exam and I was very happy that my efforts to immerse myself in the language have paid off, having never properly studied Italian before arriving in Padua!

An important part of my university experience came from joining the CUS Padova triathlon team. Having not come from a sporty background but however enjoying running and cycling, I decided to challenge myself to complete a triathlon. I didn’t realise I would find such a great team of people who encouraged me to keep going and after 6 months in the team I saw such great improvements in my fitness. I managed to participate in 4 races, even completing one in Scotland whilst visiting home! The training sessions helped to de-stress after long days of studying but it also required a lot of commitment and taught me how to balance my studies alongside preparation for the race season!