With around 75 per cent of land in the UK devoted to primary food production, agriculture continues to be the mainstay of the rural economy. However, in addition to the science and technology associated with animal and crop production, the modern farm manager must manage an increasingly diversified business and embrace a range of responsibilities for enhancing the environment, integrating production within the food chain and maintaining rural communities. The agriculture courses at Harper Adams give students a thorough understanding of modern agricultural production systems and the underlying scientific and technological principles. They will equip you to manage a sustainable agricultural business in the complex and dynamic rural economy. This is a very broad and challenging remit, and consequently the course is designed to develop a breadth of expertise across a range of sectors. All agriculture students share a common first year, studying the same modules, before continuing with agriculture or focusing on a specialism.

There are many diverse career opportunities for agriculture graduates in all sectors of the food chain. The applied nature of our courses, teaching methods and close links with industry give you the academic, vocational and employment skills which are highly sought after by employers. As an agriculture graduate you may go on to manage farms either at home or elsewhere (e.g. Co-operative Farms, Velcourt, Sentry Farming, G’s Marketing, Intercrop). Alternatively, you may opt for a career in the support industries (e.g. Syngenta, NFU) or advisory services (e.g. Defra, DARDNI, ADAS). Studying agriculture also develops the skills needed for other graduate careers such as accountancy, teaching, journalism and the civil service.