Digital Technology for Sustainable Agriculture

Graduate Taught (level 9 nfq, credits 90)

The world’s population is expected to grow to approx. 10 billion by 2050. This growth will result in increased demand for resources, raw materials and food. Furthermore, the world faces intersecting challenges like climate change, exploitation of natural capital and an aging and declining rural population.



To produce a “sustainable food future,” the world must increase food production while cutting GHG emissions and maintaining (or reducing) the land used in agriculture.



Digital agriculture could address these challenges by making the agri-food value chain more efficient, equitable, and environmentally sustainable - before, during, and after on-farm production.



The programme is aimed at students who wish to build their knowledge and skills-base to address the complexities of developing, deploying and managing digital technology in the agriculture sector. With a focus on design, numeracy, and hardware software technology, our students will be deeply engaged agricultural with production, and specifically technology to enhance efficiency, sustainability, resilience and reliability.



The programme is delivered by a highly research-intensive and multi-disciplinary school – Ireland’s premier agri-food related research entity with excellent networks into the agri-food industry and with a particular focus on working with industry to provide sustainable technical solutions. The school’s academic staff have a major global research impact, with three professors who are among the top 1% of the most cited researchers in the world according to the latest Highly Cited Researchers list published by Clarivate.



Delivery Mode & Themes

​This programme is primarily delivered face to face, but will also include some fully online modules and blended delivery models. All modules are optional and students will be able to take themed clusters of modules (e.g. three modules of precision farming, three modules of sensing technology, three modules of computers and electronics, three modules of data science) to reflect specific technical interests or needs for upskilling.



Who should apply?

Full Time option suitable for:



Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes

International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. Yes

Stage 1 - Core

Thesis



Stage 1 Option



MSc Digital Technology for Sustainable Agriculture

Graduate Taught

Please click below to view modules.



Stage 1 - Option

Land Use and the EnvironmentAESC10010

Soil Science BasicsAESC20060

Climate, Carbon and SoilAESC30230

Soil ResourcesAESC40250

Introduction to Animal ScienceANSC10010

Precision AgricultureBSEN30210

Sensors and Sensing SystemsBSEN30520

Numerical Methods for AgricultBSEN30530

Hyperspectral imagingBSEN40500

Precision Livestock ManagementBSEN40510

Optical Sensing TechnologyBSEN40520

Soil TechnologyBSEN40740

IoT enabled AgriFood ProdBSEN40750

Computers & Electronics in AgBSEN40760

Advances in Crop MechanisationBSEN40770

Remote Sensing and GISBSEN40780

Introduction to Crop ScienceCPSC10010

Fundamentals of Arable Crop ProductionCPSC20020

Principles of Crop ScienceCPSC20030

Root and Alternative Crop ProductionCPSC30030

Organic AgricultureCPSC30050

Cereal ProductionCPSC40010

Agricultural BotanyHORT20070

Inference for Data Analytics (online)STAT30280

Introduction to Data Analytics (Online)STAT40720

Data Programming with R (Online)STAT40730

Statistical Machine Learning (online)STAT40750

Data Prog with Python (online)STAT40800

A 2.2 or higher in an Honours degree (NFQ Level 8 or international equivalent ) in Agriculture, Biological science, Physical science, Environmental related, Engineering or Computer Science is required.



Other disciplines and holders of Certificate and Diploma qualifications will be considered subject to an application detailing suitable mathematical, technological, and analytical skills, particularly if these can be demonstrated by experience in a relevant industrial/work environment.



Where an applicant has no formal qualification experential experience will be taken into consideration on a case by case basis.

How to apply?

The following entry routes are available:



MSc Digital Technology for Sustainable Agriculture (Sept) FT (T385)

Duration 1 Years

Attend Full Time

Deadline Rolling*

* Courses will remain open until such time as all places have been filled, therefore early application is advised

1 year full-time Blended

NEXT INTAKE: 2024/2025 September.

Graduates of the MSc Digital Agriculture may find employment opportunities in the following areas:



Agricultural machinery (e.g. Agco, CNH Industrial, Claas, John Deere)

Precision farming (e.g. Amazone, Lemken, Rauch, Dairymaster)

Decision support in agriculture (e.g. Corteva Digital Ag, Syngenta Global)

IoT, data and predictive analytics (e.g. BASF, Bosch, IBM, Microsoft)