Sustainable International Agriculture (SIA)

The two-year MSc programme in Sustainable International Agriculture (SIA) is a joint study programme of the agricultural faculties of the Universities of Göttingen and Kassel-Witzenhausen. The programme leads to a Master of Science in Sustainable International Agriculture degree, which is internationally accepted and qualifies students to progress to a PhD. The study programme is internationally oriented and offers three possibilities for specialisation (profiles): Specialisation in International Agribusiness and Rural Development Economics This profile trains students to analyse socio-economic interactions between individuals, resources and markets in agriculture using up-to-date quantitative and qualitative methods. Students acquire the tools they need to contribute to the provision of answers to vital questions ranging from the macro-level (e.g. global hunger, the world trade system) to the meso-level (e.g. the structure and performance of national and international food chains; food safety and quality issues) and the micro-level (e.g. the efficiency of agricultural production, participation and poverty at the household level) in agricultural systems. This prepares students for exciting careers in research, business, national and regional governments and administration, and international organisations. Specialisation in International Organic Agriculture This profile offers students the unique possibility to focus entirely on Organic Agriculture. It includes the broad range of thematic fields from soil, crop and animal science, but also environmental, social and economic science. Students will be asked to examine and assess the validity of literature from the natural and social sciences, statistics and other documents; use state-of-the art statistical techniques to analyse "hard" and "soft" data; apply laboratory methods, technical procedures and qualitative/quantitative approaches of data collection; interpret and display research data; apply your skills in the context of international and organic agriculture and assessment of agroecosystems. Practical facilities, i.e. research greenhouse, research farm of 340 ha, various laboratories and adequate IT equipment, support individual study profiles. Our aim is to educate young people who will be leaders in science, policy and development, contributing to a more resource-efficient and sustainable development of agriculture worldwide. Specialisation in Tropical Agricultural and Agroecosystems Sciences This profile aims to qualify students to become open-minded, well-trained professionals in sustainable agricultural land use of integrated tropical and subtropical agroecosystems. A wide range of modules in soil, plant, animal and socio-economic sciences as well as method-oriented classes confer skills for in-depth analysis, understanding and possible modification of existing farming systems in the wake of a need for a resource-efficient production of agricultural goods that responds to the challenges of population growth, globalisation and climate change in a site-specific way. A biannual, two-week excursion to a tropical country and participation in ongoing, long-term field research projects of different faculty members allow students to test their skills and apply them under real conditions while collecting credits.