BSc (Hons) Agriculture with Animal Science

The course

With a long history in applied livestock research, close links with industry, and highly qualified and experienced staff, Harper Adams is well placed to develop your understanding of sustainable livestock production.

The temperate climate of the UK is ideally suited to pastoral farming and livestock production is essential to the rural economy, with around 57 per cent of UK agricultural output derived from the livestock sector (DEFRA 2020).

In addition to the science and technology associated with modern livestock production, livestock specialists need to understand the animal welfare, food quality and environmental issues facing the industry. They must also be able to evaluate and apply advances in biotechnology to ensure a sustainable future for livestock farmers and a competitive market for animal products.

After a common first year, in your second year you will start to specialise in the area of animal science, studying areas such as farm animal production science, farm animal nutrition, farm animal health and welfare and biotechnology, whilst continuing to study more general aspects of agriculture, such as grass and forage production, waste management and farm business management and economics.

In the final part of the course, your specialisation becomes complete and the focus is on animal science, studying areas such as sustainable animal production systems, advances in animal production science, animal breeding and bioethics, animal product processing and a research project focused on animal science tailored to your interests and ambitions.

The Harper Advantage

• In choosing Harper Adams, you are choosing a trusted name with an outstanding reputation in the agricultural sector, a large agricultural student cohort that allows you to build your network from day one, plus extensive industry connections to support your career development.
• A full placement year in industry as part of your degree, enabling you to put knowledge into practice, develop your network and discover your future ambitions.
• More than 20 placement-scholarships open to students on Agriculture routes – offering guaranteed placement year job and additional financial support, plus a range of non-placement scholarships.
• Our far-reaching academic and industry experience and active involvement in applied livestock research and delivery of professional training to industry, ensures the course is vocationally relevant and up to date.
• 494-hectare farm on the campus – so you will have direct access to a commercial farm.
• Access to subsidised practical skills training and industry recognised certification through the Land-Based Skills Programme.
• Study at the forefront of agri-tech. Harper Adams is home to the School of Sustainable Food and Farming, Hands Free Farm and the Agri-EPI Centre Midlands Innovation Hub where industry and practitioner are working together on the latest precision arable and livestock systems. Scope for student projects related to agri-tech grows every year.
• Common first year means you can change direction in year 1 if you wish.
• Access to Agriculture Programme to enable new entrants to the agricultural sector to qualify alongside those from more rural/agricultural backgrounds without disadvantage.
• Harper Adams students have been named RABDF Dairy Student of the Year six times in the last eight years.

Work experience

Work experience forms an essential part of our entry requirements for this course. Details of the experience we need you to have can be found within the entry requirements listed below.

Find out more about work experience

Access to Agriculture Programme

Applicants to Agriculture courses who are likely to meet the academic entry requirements, but who are identified as having minimal/no practical experience, and/or who are unlikely to meet the minimum practical experience requirements due to non-farm/non-rural background, and/or lack of appropriate contacts, can benefit from the Access to Agriculture Programme to gain the necessary practical experience in their first year of study.

Duration

4 years (full-time) including a one-year work placement. A three year programme is available for applicants with at least two years, full-time relevant work experience, or all who have completed a 12 month placement as part of another approved course. Please contact Admissions for further information on this option.

Careers

The applied nature of this course helps you to develop skills that are in demand within the livestock sector and ancillary industries. Career opportunities are excellent, with students finding employment both on farms as livestock enterprise and farm managers and in the ancillary sector in commercial and technical positions, or you could go on to postgraduate study.

Entry requirements for 2023

Use the drop-down tool to select the qualifications you have or are working towards to see what grades would be required for access to this programme. If you can’t see your qualification or would like any assistance with entry requirements, please contact the Admissions team: admissions@harper-adams.ac.uk

Course fees

The latest fees for this course can be found in our fees and funding section. You will also find course related costs, specific to this course in this area.

Teaching and learning

What you study

All agriculture students share a common first year, studying the same modules, before focusing on their specialism; this allows students to change course during the first year.

The first year of the course provides a general introduction to agriculture in terms of animal and crop production, underpinning biological and environmental science, an introduction to farm business management and marketing, and agricultural mechanisation. In the second year of the course you start to specialise in the area of animal science, studying areas such as animal production science, farm animal nutrition, farm animal health and welfare, and biotechnology, whilst continuing to study more general aspects of agriculture such as grass and forage production, waste management and farm business management and economics. In the final part of the course your specialisation becomes complete and the focus is on animal science, studying areas such as sustainable animal production systems, advances in animal science, animal breeding and bioethics, animal product processing and a research project focused on animal science.

Teaching and learning

The Agriculture courses at Harper Adams involve a combination of lectures, tutorials and laboratory sessions, together with practical classes on the University farm designed to demonstrate principles in practice and the application of scientific, technological and business principles to commercial agricultural and food production.  In addition, the University has extensive links with other agricultural and food related businesses, and external visits and outside speakers are integrated into the programme where appropriate. Throughout the course students are expected to apply the skills acquired to solve real-life problems, such that on completion they are able to demonstrate both academic ability and commercial application, which is a combination highly valued by employers. The proportion of independent study increases as the course progresses, particularly in the final year where students have the opportunity to undertake a dissertation in a subject area of their choice.

Assessment methods

Assessment is via a balance of course work and examination. Weighting varies depending on course and year of study, but weighting is typically around 65 per cent on course work and 35 per cent on examination; this allows individuals to play to their strengths if they are better at course work than examinations or vice versa.  Types of assignment include appraising production systems on the University farm, whole farm case studies, laboratory based analyses and literature based reviews. Format of assignments varies and includes written reports, essays, technical notes, presentations and oral examinations.  Students receive written feedback on all course work to help them improve.  In addition, first year students undertake examinations in two subjects at the end of the first term to enable them to gauge how they are progressing and feedback is provided on these exams.  Staff are able to provide advice and guidance on revision, and many modules include revision sessions. 

Work placement

The year-long placement period, in your third year, may be undertaken on either a progressive livestock farm in the UK or abroad or within the animal health and welfare, breeding, nutrition or farm assurance industries in the UK. Examples of employers include BQP, Premier Nutrition, For Farmers, Cogent and Daylesford Organics.

You will have a dedicated Placement Manager, support officer, and tutor to visit you whilst on placement.  You will usually undertake paid employment for at least 12 months on modern progressive farms or in the agricultural support industries. Agriculture students wishing to undertake a farm placement are required to work at least 50 miles away from home and are not normally permitted to return to previous employers. 

Several commercial scholarship opportunities, linked to placement, are available to apply for, with sponsoring companies paying a significant amount towards the tuition fees of successful applicants.