PgDip Agricultural Professional Practice

This postgraduate course is aimed at anyone interested in leadership and management, policy making, planning and project management in the land-based industries. The programme is studied by part time distance learning, over the course of two years. Learning material is presented using SRUC’s online learning environment, which allows students to undertake the course from their home or workplace. **This course is being updated for the 2024/25 academic year and will be reopened to applications soon**

Location: Aberdeen
Study mode:
Subject area: Agriculture, Business
Start date: September 2023
Agency code: Z802

Course overview

This course is being updated for the 2024/25 academic year and will be reopened to applications soon

This postgraduate course teaches professional skills related to land-based industries. It's ideal if you're considering a career in consultancy, agronomy, animal nutrition and farm management or ownership. It's also relevant for anyone interested in working for government departments that deal with technical and regulatory issues.

Core modules focus on professional leadership and management, food and agricultural policy, business planning and project management. Elective modules cover agricultural or nutrient management, animal health, arable or grassland and fodder crop protection and animal feed technology.

There's also potential to study for professional qualifications like FACTS, BASIS or AMTRA, and the Institute of Agricultural Management accepts this course as evidence of CPD if you're seeking ‘Professional Agriculturalist’ status.

Upon completion of the PgDip, the taught element of the course, you can choose to continue and undertake a Research Project to complete the MSc.

Watch our Agricultural Professional Practice video to find out more.

Please note: This course may require you to attend two study weekends at our Aberdeen campus (depending on current Covid-19 guidelines).

Virtual Experience

Take a look around the SRUC Virtual Experience for lots of great student videos and examples of what it’s like to study our courses, along with campus and facility tours.

SRUC holds open days regularly. Visit our listings page for details of our up-coming events.

Got a question? Get in touch

Email: app@sruc.ac.uk

Entry requirements

A degree in a science or technology relevant to the sector and/or assessment of the candidate’s ability to benefit from the course. No absolute academic prerequisites - work experience is considered.

What you'll learn

In order to develop your own area of expertise, there are a number of elective modules in business, crop or livestock production.

Many positions in the land-based industries require professional qualifications, so there is also potential within the course to study FACTS, BASIS or AMTRA (additional fee and assessment required).

The Institute of Agricultural Management (IAgrM) considers this course as suitable evidence of CPD if you're pursuing ‘Professional Agriculturalist’ status.

The programme combines eight modules covering technical production, management, and skills development.

The five core modules are:

Professional Leadership and Management
Food and Agricultural Policy
Business Planning and Decision Making
Project Management for Agricultural Professionals
Topical Issues in Modern Agriculture

You'll also choose three elective modules from a range including:

Integrated Agricultural Management
Sustainable Nutrient Management
Animal Health and Veterinary Medicine
Arable Crop Protection
Grassland and Fodder Crop Protection
Animal Feed Technology

Student experience

Having been brought up on a farm, agriculture had always been part of Joanna Fousbister's life, but never featured on her CV until she started this course.

“I applied to for the course after deciding I wanted to pursue a career in agriculture," she said. “When I applied I didn’t necessarily know what my chosen career would be, but I knew I had a passion for the industry.

"It has certainly opened doors for me and I've been able to marry my career with my passion, which gives me an enthusiasm to learn and progress within the field.”

Career Progression

Networking

Broad-ranging

“SRUC has certainly opened doors for me and I've been able to marry my career with my passion.”

Joanna Foubister

Meet the lecturer

Dr Robin Walker

PhD, Imperial College, University of London

Robin is the leader of the Agricultural Professional Practice (APP) postgraduate distance learning programme with over 20 years of research and lecturing experience, mostly within the Agriculture and Countryside Management programmes based at Craibstone, and has supervised numerous student projects from undergraduate through to PhD. Robin has played a key part in delivering PgDip / MSc distance learning programmes since 2005.

Robin’s work is primarily linked to the development of low input system approaches to improve the yield and quality (e.g. protein content) of crops as well as soil health. These strategies include optimising diversity through improved rotations and the use of crop mixtures, often utilising a forage or grain legume component. Alternative nutrient sources and improving nutrient cycling within a system are also of interest. A number of these research and KT projects have included elements of participatory collaboration and co-design with farmers.

For more information about the course please contact Robin at: robin.walker@sruc.ac.uk

View Robin's Pure Profile

Dr Alex Hilton

Alex has been at SRUC for over 17 years and worked as both a researcher and teacher.

When teaching, his main interest is crop-related subjects. However, Alex also makes use of his research background by teaching research skills and supervising a number of honours and MSc projects.

One of Alex’s favourite roles is coordinating the BSc Honours projects at Aberdeen. The students look at so many different things and he enjoys seeing them develop their interest in a specific topic, as well as finding answers to problems facing the industry.