Foundation Degree in Sustainable Agriculture with Livestock Management*

Students on this programme will gain a well-grounded understanding of the science and management of sustainable animal and crop production systems, and be able to apply this to real-life situations.

In your first year, you will focus on gaining a sound theoretical and practical understanding of sustainable agricultural production. You will develop your knowledge and skills in the foundations of agricultural science and production, before specialising in either Dairy Herd Management, Crop Management or Livestock Management in your second year.

In your second year, the Livestock Management pathway will explore different management strategies in key areas such as Genetics, Nutrition, Health and Welfare for a range of commercial livestock production systems, including beef, sheep, dairy, pigs and poultry. This will enable you to effectively combine biological science and animal production knowledge to examine and mitigate the impact of production on global issues such as food security and climate change. For example, you will explore the role of autonomous and biological technologies and concepts such as OneHealth to improve livestock health, efficiency and sustainability.

The Applied Livestock Investigation module will provide an opportunity for you to engage in a research project at University Centre Reaseheath, in association with the Institute of Sustainability & Food Innovation, enabling you to develop your skills in research methods by conducting applied research in a specific area of livestock management.

Rural business management is integrated throughout your foundation degree, covering areas such as diversification, marketing, human resources and accounting. These skills are hugely important in the assessment, monitoring and management of successful agricultural businesses and are often looked for by employers in the food industry. You will also explore the field-to-fork concept and methods of adding value to produce and the overall supply chain.

Upon graduation you will be armed with the toolkit required to progress the livestock industry forward in a career in livestock management, as well as progress to the BSc (Hons) in Sustainable Agriculture Top-up degree.

University Centre Reaseheath is an academic partner of the University of Chester. Foundation degrees, Honours degrees, and Cert Ed are awarded by the University of Chester.

*This course is subject to validation.