Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences

The interdisciplinary Bachelor’s program in Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences is devoted to processes of plant and animal production, and associated fundamentals relating to the natural sciences, economics, and ecology. These play a role in both agrarian and horticultural value-added chains. Of central importance here is the production of high-quality food and feed products, ornamental plants, and biogenic raw materials. The purpose is to exploit the substance and energy that these products contain, in the context of a sustainable and multi-functional agricultural and horticultural sector. The preservation of natural resources is also an important factor in this context.

The program offers students content that gives equal coverage to basic knowledge of the natural sciences, engineering, production technology, and economics, as well as of discipline-specific matters. In accordance with their individual interests, students can choose whether to specialize in agricultural sciences or in horticultural sciences. Depending on their choices, the discipline-specific modules incorporate content from

• soil science and site feasibility,
• causal relations in agricultural ecosystems as regards material and energy flows,
• methods of plant cultivation and precision agriculture,
• fundamentals of phytopathology and plant protection,
• modern methods of plant breeding and genetic engineering,
• fundamentals of systems engineering in arable farming, horticulture, livestock farming,
• principles of plant nutrition and agricultural chemistry,
• corporate leadership, production theory, accounting systems,
• as well as marketing and research.

Which further expertise and skills will I acquire?

As a graduate, you understand systems in the agrarian and horticultural sectors. You are able to handle problems relating to quality production and marketing, whether with regard to food of plant or animal origin, or to non-food products. In addition, you can draw on discipline-specific knowledge as well as interdisciplinary knowledge of methodologies. In the process, you always act responsibly and are also conscious of how climate and environment, but also social and political aspects, determine basic conditions.

In terms of thinking and of working practices, you have a joined-up, analytical approach and you purposefully apply your knowledge of methods. Further, your experience of project modules enables you to translate your knowledge of theory into practice in a system-oriented manner. Deeper knowledge of chemical and biochemical analysis, of molecular genetics and biotechnology, of the analysis of material and energy flows in arable and horticultural ecosystems, as well as of business and market analysis, also serves as a foundation. Depending on your choice of specialization, you have at your disposal additional specialist knowledge of the area of agricultural sciences or horticultural sciences.

Which professional opportunities can I take up with this qualification?

This Bachelor’s degree provides you with various career options: Students have chosen jobs as diverse as agricultural consulting, research in for example phytopathology or plantbreeding and economics, just to name a few. Nevertheless, TUM strongly encourages its students to continue education at graduate level – therefore every successful student is offered consecutive graduate studies. Possible Master’s programs are offered in Agricultural Biosciences, Agrosystem Sciences, and AgriFood Economics, Policy and Regulation. Since you will have completed the common basic curriculum in Weihenstephan, you may even opt to apply for graduate education in different disciplines, for example Biology or Consumer Economics.