d402 - Agriculture w Farm Business Management BSc
Agriculture with Farm Business Management BSc Honours
UCAS Code: D402 (full time: 3 Years)
Course Overview
This degree focuses on the management of each element of an agricultural business: the whole estate; the farm; and individual arable, livestock and diversified enterprises.
At a Glance
UCAS Code
D402
UCAS Institution Name and Code
NEWC, N21
Degree Awarded
BSc Honours
Course Duration
3 Years
Entry Requirements
A Level: ABB-BBB
IB:30-32 points
Opportunities
You study wide-ranging agriculture topics in your first two years, exploring plant biology, soil science, nutrition, management, accounting and law.
In your third year, you specialise in farm business management. You will explore management techniques used for decision-making in agricultural businesses.
Core modules develop your skills in:
- farm planning and organisation
- budgeting and accounting
- land law
You can boost your employability and professional skills with an optional placement year in industry or the commercial sector.
You'll also enjoy practical workshops and demonstrations of the major software used in farm business planning and control, and apply your knowledge to real farm case studies.
Quality and ranking
- 4th in the UK – The Complete University Guide 2020 (Agriculture and Forestry category)
- 7th in the UK – The Guardian University Guide 2019 (Agriculture, Forestry and Food category)
- Joint 3rd in the UK – The Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019 (Agriculture and Forestry category)
- 92nd – Life Sciences category – Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2018
- top 150 – Agriculture and Forestry category – QS World University Rankings by Subject 2019
Flexible degree structure
The first and second years are the same for students on all four of our agriculture degrees.
Our flexible degree structure means it is possible to transfer between any of our agriculture degrees up to the end of Stage 2 if you would like to.
See the Course Details section for more information about what you will study at each stage.
Stage 1
This stage covers scientific and quantitative aspects of the subject such as plant biology, animal science, and economics.
You'll undertake laboratory work and IT applications for applying statistical techniques to agricultural data.
Stage 2
You apply the principles established in Stage 1 to animal and crop production and farm management.
You also take a crop pests field course, focusing on the major insect, fungal and weed pests that affect crop production, engaging with leading industry experts in the field.
Stage 3
Students on our Agriculture BSc degree continue to follow a broad curriculum.
Students on our other degrees follow a more specialist route in Agronomy, Animal Production Science or Farm Business Management.
Boost your employability with a work placement
Apply to spend 9 to 12 months on an optional work placement between Stages 2 and 3. You can apply to spend your placement year with any organisation and will receive University support to do so.
You’ll gain first-hand experience of working in the sector, putting your learning into practice and developing your professional expertise.
It will extend your degree by a year and is subject to availability.
Find out more about Work Placements.
Industry links
The University is highly regarded within the industry and has been a leader in agricultural education since 1891.
We have strong links with the local farming community, which provide experience of a wide range of farming practices including:
- arable
- dairy
- beef
- sheep
- pig
- field-scale vegetable enterprises
In addition, you will have regular visits to the University's commercial farms.
We also provide hands-on experience through a second-year project managing your own crops, and vacation opportunities that include lambing and harvest jobs.
Facilities and support
This degree is run by the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences.
Facilities
Our facilities include:
- The Farms, a mixed farm facility in Northumberland, a short distance from Newcastle
- NU-Farms Research, comprising two main farm units in the Tyne Valley
- well-equipped modern laboratories, for teaching and research
- nu-food, our food and consumer research facility
- computing facilities, including computers running industry-specific software relevant to careers in agriculture
Our two University farms are used for research, teaching and demonstration.
Support
To support you in your studies, all new students entering year 1 or year 2 will receive a tablet. This enables you to download the online learning resources you'll need for your course and helps us to make our campus more sustainable.
You will have an academic member of staff as a personal tutor throughout your degree. They can help with academic and personal issues.
Peer mentors will help you in your first year. They are fellow students who can help you settle in and answer any questions you have.
There's also a staff-student committee, to give you an opportunity to have a say in how your degree works.
Social activities
A student-led Agric Society organises regular social events, and it's a friendly cohort of students.
Henry, Agriculture with Farm Business Management BSc HonoursWe are a close group of people on the course as it’s a small group, and being able to form relationships with staff allows us to get the best out of our degrees.
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Compare this course
See how this course compares with others for topics such as student satisfaction, fees and costs and prospects after graduation using the Unistats Key Information Set.
Modules for 2018 entry
Please note
The module and/or programme information below is for 2018 entry. Our teaching is informed by research and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, student feedback, or insufficient numbers of students interested (in an optional module). To find out more read our terms and conditions.
Module/programme information for 2019 entry will be published here as soon as it is available (end of May 2019).
Our degrees are divided into Stages. Each Stage lasts for an academic year and you need to complete modules totalling 120 credits by the end of each Stage. Further information, including the credit value of the module, is available in each of the module descriptions below.
Stage 1
Compulsory modules
- ACE1006 Introductory Business Economics
- ACE1008 Environment and Land Resources
- ACE1055 Introduction to Agricultural Mechanisation
- ACE1022 Crop Pests
- ACE1033 Introduction to Business Management
- ACE1040 Academic and Professional Skills
- ACE1041 Investigating Agri-food Systems From Farm to Folk
- ACE1042 Animal Health
- ACE1044 Introduction to Animal Physiology
- ACE1046 Plants, Environment, Agriculture
Stage 2
Compulsory modules
- ACE2006 Agricultural Economics
- ACE2010 Agricultural Markets
- ACE2018 Arable Crops
- ACE2020 Introduction to Farm Management
- ACE2024 Principles of Agronomy and Crop Improvement
- ACE2028 Animal Feed Science and Technology
- ACE2063 Managing Soils in Agricultural Systems
- ACE2076 Sustainable Animal Production Systems
- ACE2066 Academic and Professional Skills 2
- ACE2068 Domestic Animal Reproduction and Genetic Improvement
The first two years are the same for all of our agriculture degrees so you have the flexibility to change between them up to the end of Stage 2 should you find your interests change.
If you wish to take ACE3037 Crop Pests Field Course at Stage 3, please note that this module will take place at the end of the Semester 2 assessment period of Stage 2.
Work Placement (optional)
You can apply to spend 9 to 12 months on an optional work placement between Stages 2 and 3. You can apply to spend your placement year with any organisation and will receive University support to do so. It will extend your degree by a year and is subject to availability. Find out more on about Work Placements.
If you choose this option, you will take the following module:
Stage 3
Compulsory modules
- ACE3024 Farm Business Planning and Control
- ACE3036 Farm Management
- ACE3098 Agriculture Dissertation
- LAW2053 Law and Land Use
Optional modules
You take 40 credits of the following optional modules:
- ACE3022 Animal Welfare and Environment
- ACE3023 Combinable Crops
- ACE3034 Applied Crop Protection
- ACE3037 Crop Pests Field Course
- ACE3040 Animal Product Quality and Marketing
- ACE3043 Livestock Reproduction
- ACE3048 Livestock Behaviour
- ACE3085 Non-Combinable Crops
- ACE3087 Site Specific Crop Management in Arable UK Production Systems
- ACE3088 Forage Utilization
- ACE3204 Applied Animal Nutrition
Other optional modules may also be available.
All candidates are considered on an individual basis.
If your qualifications are not listed here, please see our additional entry requirements web pages to find out which other qualifications are considered.
The entrance requirements below apply to 2020 entry.
Careers
Farm Business Management careers
Newcastle agriculture graduates are highly regarded in the world of agriculture and related industries and as a result have a wide choice of careers open to them.
Whilst many graduates are employed in farm management or go on to manage their own farms, others use the breadth of skills and experience that they develop during their degree to follow a range of opportunities in the service and supply industries. These include research, and advisory and consultancy work with public and private organisations.
Graduates also find employment in commercial companies supplying fresh and processed produce, seeds, fertilisers, agrochemicals, animal feedstuffs, veterinary products and equipment.
Building on their background in economics, business studies and farm and estate management, some of our students enter careers in finance where they are particularly well equipped to work as agricultural specialists. We are confident that Newcastle agriculture graduates have the breadth of knowledge and skills needed to succeed in whatever they choose to do.
Some of our recent graduates have gone on to a variety of positions such as: agronomist, Agrovista UK Ltd; farm management consultant, Brown and Co; reserves officer, Durham Wildlife Trust; Director of Rural Research, Bidwells Property Consultants; higher executive officer, DEFRA; farm manager, Co-operative Farms; and animal nutritionist, Harbro Ltd.
Find out more about the career options for Agriculture from Prospects: The UK's Official Careers Website.
What our graduates go on to do: employment and further study choices
See what our recent graduates went on to do and view graduate destinations statistics. These statistics are based on what graduates were doing on a specific date, approximately six months after graduation. Take a look at the most recent data available for our graduates.
The destination data is available in varying levels, beginning with the University and moving through Faculty and School down to individual course reports. This final level may give you some useful ideas about possible options after your course or a course you are considering.
Careers and employability at Newcastle
Newcastle University consistently has one of the best records for graduate employment in the UK.
96% of our 2017 UK-domiciled UG/PG graduates progressed to employment or further study within six months of graduating.
85.5% of our graduates are in graduate level employment or further study within six months of graduating.
We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through an initiative called ncl+. This enables you to develop personal, employability and enterprise skills and to give you the edge in the employment market after you graduate.
Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers.
Applying to Newcastle University through UCAS
To apply for undergraduate study at Newcastle you must use the online application system managed by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
UCAS codes for Newcastle University
- institution name - NEWC
- institution code - N21
UCAS buzzword
Ask your teacher or adviser from your school or college for the UCAS buzzword. You need the buzzword when you register on the Apply system. This makes it clear which school or college you are applying from.
All UK schools and colleges and a small number of EU and international establishments are registered with UCAS.
If you are applying independently, or are applying from a school or college which is not registered to manage applications, you will still use the Apply system. You will not need a buzzword.
Making your application
On the UCAS website you can also find out more about:
- application deadlines and other important dates
- offers and tracking your application
Application decisions and enquiries
Find out more about our admissions process and who to contact if you need help with your application.
Study abroad
You may choose to study abroad for a year between Stages 2 and 3 of your degree. Alternatively you can study at an international university for one or two semesters.