Programme Specifications

With Integrated Year in Industry

Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry, Food and Consumer Sciences

August 2024

An Agriculture degree is an application-orientated, broadly based programme requiring study across a broad spectrum of disciplines from natural sciences to social science, policy, economics and management. The degree is interdisciplinary, drawing on diverse disciplines but each with a clear and integrated set of learning outcomes. The study programme includes many elements that are subject-specific. Graduates with agricultural degrees will have a thorough understanding of crop and animal production methods and of the underpinning scientific, economic and business principles. In particular they will be able to:

Identify technological and economic problems encountered in current production systems;

Evaluate new techniques and, where appropriate, apply them to commercial practice;

Identify, evaluate and apply relevant scientific principles to production systems;

Know how to organise and manage a business for profit;

Identify and evaluate public concerns over food production practices and

Evaluate the wider consequences of agricultural activities.

This degree will have built into its modular structure a number of options that allow for Welsh Medium teaching that meets the need of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.

Subject specific skills

Graduates will have a well-grounded understanding of the science and management of sustainable production systems which comprise the agricultural industry within the socio-economic and environmental contexts required by society. They will be able to:

Demonstrate understanding of the scientific factors limiting production

Demonstrate an understanding of how production systems can be improved by manipulation and management

Recognise and address the ethical implications of production systems

Appreciate the needs and requirements of society

Apply knowledge to a wide range of real-life situations

Describe and evaluate a wide range of economic and business management theory and techniques

Demonstrate familiarity with relevant policy and understand its aims

Apply and evaluate a range of specific scientific and technological processes

Appraise and evaluate the roles and responsibility of regulatory and advisory bodies

Identify and evaluate appropriate knowledge bases and a range of theoretical perspectives

Apply a range of methods to problem evaluation and amelioration

Communicate effectively on a wide range of agricultural issues

Describe, apply and evaluate professional standards and responsibilities in relation to the agricultural industry

Generic and graduate skills

The following transferable skills will be developed and assessed as part of the course:-

Intellectual skills

Practical skills

Numeracy

Communication skills

Information and communication technology

Interpersonal / teamwork skills

Self-management and professional development skills

The alternative schemes have specific learning outcomes, and therefore subject knowledge, remain unchanged. However, students will be able to demonstrate additional outcomes as a result of undertaking the year in industry. These additional outcomes provide an enhanced student experience and allow students to develop knowledge of their subject areas in applied contexts and to develop work experience and thus enhance their employability. Specifically, the proposed degree aims to advantage students in the following additional ways:

To apply approaches, concepts, skills, methods and/or theories in a work-based context relevant to their scheme.

To develop highly valued transferable and professional skills during a work placement, providing a competitive edge in the graduate job market.

To enable students to learn about an organization and its area of work, providing an excellent opportunity to evaluate future career paths.

Subject specific skills (with Integrated Year in Industry)

The Subject specific skills of the schemes will not change. Nevertheless, on the completion of their degree, students on these four year versions of the schemes will have gained a valuable insight in to a field of employment relating to their subject area in the biological sciences, developing the associated skills and enhancing their employability / networking / establishing industry links.

Generic and graduate skills (with Integrated Year in Industry)

The generic and graduate skills of the schemes will not change. However, the four year version of the schemes ‘with a year in Industry’ will likely develop the skills listed below, though the nature and emphasis will depend on the exact employment; not all of these will be assessed, though most are likely to form part of the employer’s assessment of the student:

Working independently

Working as part of a team

Respecting the views, beliefs, opinions and values of others

Listening to, and engaging with, other speakers

Effective verbal communication in a range of settings, including group discussions and debates and formal presentations

Effective written communication in a variety of forms

Use of information technologies to process, store, present and communicate information, including spreadsheets, databases, word processing, e-mail and the world-wide web

Identifying, retrieving, sorting and handling information from conventional and electronic sources, including libraries, CD-ROMs, on-line computer resources and the world-wide web

Time management and self-regulation of work regimes

Researchissues and solve problems

Adapting to change

Reading comprehension and interpretation of a range of written material

Observational skills

Collating, processing, interpreting and presenting numerical data

Identifying appropriate career pathways and developing the capacity to compete

Overall aim of the scheme

To develop the knowledge and skills required by those who may go on to pursue careers as managers of agricultural enterprises and businesses or become involved in the support industries, advisory work and research and development. Additionally, the four year version of the scheme will aim to develop graduate level skills, as described in the Generic and Graduate level skills section above.

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to:

demonstrate an understanding of the scientific factors influencing crop and livestock production

recognise how production systems can be improved by manipulation and management and identify and address the ethical and environmental implications of production systems

appraise and evaluate the policy and socioeconomic factors which form and influence systems

describe and evaluate a wide range of economic and business management theory and techniques relevant to agriculture

apply and evaluate a range of specific scientific and technological processes

apply the principles of a safe working environment and underline importance of health and safety as well as the protection and enhancement of the environment in a wide range of real-life situations

Learning and Teaching

Lectures; tutorials and seminars; student-led seminars; specialist external lectures; field and laboratory practical classes; problem-based learning scenarios and case studies; role play; literature based research; computer-assisted learning; working in groups on live projects with external organisations; visits to commercial businesses and organisations.

Assessment Strategies and Methods

Written examinations and coursework to include: report writing, oral and poster presentations; the submission of a research proposal; assessment based on real life problems.

The scheme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the additional following areas:

Demonstrate a range of transferable skills including initiative, independence and commercial awareness.

Learning and Teaching (with Integrated Year in Industry)

During their integrated year in industry students will embed themselves within a working environment, allowing for the development of a range of transferable and life skills commensurate with the above. Furthermore, students on this scheme will have the potential to utilise the knowledge and skills associated with other outcomes developed in years 1 and 2. This will be in part dependent on the nature of the organization their position is based with.

Assessment Strategies and Methods (with Integrated Year in Industry)

Students on the integrated industrial year will be required to register for the modules BRS0000, BRS0060, BRS0100, and BRS0160. During the integrated Year in Industry, students will be required to submit an Introductory Report (worth 30% of the Industrial Year mark) on the organization that they are working for, its structure, aims and operation; and a Workplace investigation, to investigate a technical aspect of the work that they are doing (worth 40% of the Industrial Year mark). Finally, there will be an AU staff assessment of the final student self-evaluation and employer’s report. These will be marked in order to assess the student’s achievement of learning outcome 10.1 above as well as the other learning outcomes of their scheme.

10.2.1: Intellectual Skills

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to:

Apply the skills needed to contextualise academic study and enquiry.

Select and use appropriate relevant information from a wide range of sources in order to gain an understanding of theory and practice.

Undertake investigations to evaluate issues and changing situations.

Apply knowledge and understanding to address and solve familiar and novel problems.

Learning and Teaching

Lectures; tutorials and seminars; student-led seminars; specialist external lectures; field and laboratory practical classes; problem-based learning scenarios and case studies; role play; literature based research; computer-assisted learning; working in groups on live projects with external organisations; visits to commercial businesses and organisations.

Assessment Strategies and Methods

Written examinations and coursework to include: report writing, oral and poster presentations; the submission of an undergraduate dissertation; assessment based on real-life problems.

10.2.2: Professional practical skills (where applicable)

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to:

Recognise and use appropriate theories, concepts and principles from a range of disciplines.

Plan, conduct, and report on investigations (including secondary data).

Collect, record, summarise and interpret diverse data and information using appropriate techniques.

Plan and manage practical work in the field and laboratory with due regard to health and safety.

Apply appropriate scientific, technical and business solutions to a range of agricultural situations.

Learning and Teaching

Professional skills are acquired and developed during practical work, field visits, class activities with additional (optional/extra-curricular) opportunities to acquire standard industry certification body qualifications.

Assessment Strategies and Methods

Coursework to include the submission of technical reports, business and management plans, feed analysis, crop management reports, practical precision farming exercises in media including posters, leaflets and technical or consultancy reports. Students will be provided with real life scenarios including crop plots where critical management decisions are taken as a pedagogic tool. Students are expected to make critical reference to the application of practical skills in their written examinations. The research proposal and dissertation should develop skills in conceiving and planning laboratory/field investigations or case studies, in the collection and recording of library, laboratory or field data and develop skills tosummarise and synthesise using appropriate qualitative and/or quantitative techniques.

10.2.1 Intellectual Skills (with Integrated Year in Industry)

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to demonstrate the following additional learning outcome:

Demonstrate experience of working in a professional environment

Learning and Teaching

Outcome 10.2.1 will be achieved through completing an extended integrated Year in Industry position at a suitable workplace.

Assessment Strategies and Methods

Evidence of outcome 10.2.1 will be secured through the completion of the assessment strategy described in 10.1 above.

10.2.2 Professional practical skills (where applicable) (with Integrated Year in Industry)

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to demonstrate the following additional learning outcome:

Applying principles, methods, approaches, concepts, skills and/or theories appropriate to the relevant biological sciences scheme in a professional context, as well as understanding the challenges of working in a professional environment.

Learning and Teaching

The professional skills identified in 10.2.2 will be primarily developed through spending a year in industry

Assessment Strategies and Methods

10.2.2 will be evidenced by the completion of the assessment strategy described in 10.1 above, detailing experiences of a year in industry, as well as reports on associated technical information.

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to:

Communicate accurately, clearly, confidently and appropriately to a range of different audiences, including academics, practitioners, special interest groups and the wider public using a range of communication techniques.

Undertake practical work and show an awareness of the health and safety issues related to working in the agricultural industry.

Apply information technology, numeric techniques and analysis of data to a variety of tasks.

Analyse problems and develop appropriate solutions.

Improve their own performance and plan their personal development.

Learning and Teaching

Transferable/key skills are incorporated within modules and related to relevant assessments as appropriate. Students learn and develop skills through tutorials; student and tutor-led seminars; problem-based learning scenarios; practical workshops; self-directed learning; oral presentations and work experience. Employment and employability related skills and team work are developed through classes and visits.

Assessment Strategies and Methods

Transferable/key skills are incorporated within modules and related to relevant assessments as appropriate. Students further learn and develop skills through tutorials / seminars; problem-based learning scenarios; practical workshops; self-directed learning; oral presentations; assessment of practical and applied skills in the field.

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to demonstrate the following additional learning outcome:

Professionalism and an understanding of commercial pressures

Learning and Teaching

Skill 10.3 will be developed through undertaking the year in industry component. In addition, and dependent upon the nature of the position undertaken, the year in industry has the potential to further enhance the other generic skills detailed in Section 9 above.

Assessment Strategies and Methods

10.3 will be evidenced by the completion of the assessment strategy described in 10.1 above, but primarily through the AU staff assessment of the final student self-evaluation and employer’s report