Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Agricultural Sciences

Degree

Mono-bachelor (Bachelor of Science, B. Sc.)

Please also note the ‘Bachelor’s and Master’s courses’ FAQ.

Length of study

Standard time for completing course 6 semesters

Start of study

Cf. course catalogue

Prerequisites for study

Course structure

In total 180 credit points (CP*) are required

Mandatory Modules: 126 CP (including bachelor’s thesis)
Mandatory Elective Modules: 36 CP
General Elective Modules: 18 CP

*One credit point (CP) equals a workload of 25 - 30 hours for preparation, follow-up and attendance at classes.

Course objective

Upon successful completion of the course, students will possess a basic working knowledge, have gained practice-oriented expertise from the fields of crop sciences, animal sciences and agricultural economics and social sciences, have an interdisciplinary perspective on the connections and cycles of agricultural production, have the methodological and social skills to make flexible use of their knowledge in professional practice, and have laid the foundations for gaining a second professional qualification.

Why study Agricultural Sciences at HU?

A little theory on agriculture and animal husbandry, then back to the family farm - this has nothing to do with modern agricultural sciences. Students of agricultural studies must be flexible and versatile. HU introduced the two-stage programme ending with the Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees introduced in 2000. It has been accredited and re-accredited. This is a modular course of study, offering students a high level of flexibility and mobility. The way the subject areas are equipped and the many opportunities to work at institutes within Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and at experimental and research facilities supports the successful combination of theory and practice. We have agreements with more than 40 partner universities abroad. The master’s course is primarily offered in English. This is the only German institute that in which you can study Fish Biology, Fisheries and Aquaculture. Several international courses with other universities represent new forms of education and partnership. The close connection with other specialised disciplines in the capital is also unique. The 1,600-student institute is a member of Agrosnet, the Eastern German agricultural sciences association, as well as of the European and global agriculture faculty federations (ICA and GCHERA).

The course accommodates the constantly changing professional fields in this area. Few other courses of study lead to so many different applications in practical work, science, services and consulting, both upstream and downstream, in Germany and abroad. Extreme drought, torrential rain and dramatic changes to flora and fauna are all causing problems across the globe - agricultural scientists can help to overcome them. The institute has always focussed on natural processes. Long before any thought was given to ecology, we were dealing with the questions of how to farm land, handle nature and create products from nature. Grain, vegetables, eggs, milk, meat and fish: these are the basis of human life, around which all of agricultural science revolves.

The educational objective of the bachelor’s degree is to acquire professional capability and lay the foundations for the subsequent master’s course. This in turn will open up further fields of application, such as science and development aid, and forms the basis for a doctoral degree.

The institute is currently working together with agricultural faculties in Rostock and Halle to implement the ‘AgrosNet’ collaborative project (www.agrosnet.de). The aim of this association is to combine the strengths of individual locations for the benefit of students. Students can gain from this pooling of research and teaching resources, since the master’s and doctoral teaching modules at all three locations have been combined into one module pool. Students matriculate at the home university, but the timetable is compiled from the programs of all three universities. This is made possible by a ‘virtual campus’ and modern means of communication: distance-learning courses and video conferences, lectures on DVD, supplemented by two-week block modules, which form part of the final grade together with the examination and points awarded. The professors also offer regular chats.

Course content

The best way to find information about course content is using the annotated lecture catalogue. Find it online at u.hu-berlin.de/vorlesungsverzeichnis. You’ll find module descriptions, the course curriculum and other details in the course and examination regulations, available online at www.amb.hu-berlin.de, no. 83/2014, 1st revision no. 15/2023. For the Agricultural Sciences bachelor’s course curriculum, see the appendix. The timing of the module shown here is the currently proposed course structure. This may change - please contact the faculty! Students are free to individually design their own courses.

Mono-bachelor's course with 180 CP

Mandatory modules (126 CP)
Module Description Size
PM 1 Fundamentals of Biochemistry 5 CP
PM 2 Fundamentals of Physics and Meteorology 5 CP
PM 3 Plant Biology 5 CP
PM 4 Animal Biology 5 CP
PM 5 Introduction to Economics 5 CP
PM 6 Agroecology 5 CP
PM 7 Soil Science 6 CP
PM 8 Agricultural and Horticultural Technology 6 CP
PM 9 Genetics and Plant Breeding 6 CP
PM 10 Analyses and Planning of Agricultural Business 6 CP
PM 11 Mathematics and Statistics 6 CP
PM 12 Phytomedicine I: Fundamentals of Phytomedicine 6 CP
PM 13 Plant Nutrition and Fertilization 6 CP
PM 14 Agricultural Policy 6 CP
PM 15 Agriculture and Plant Cultivation 6 CP
PM 16 Animal Feed and Animal Feed Science 6 CP
PM 17 Livestock Farming 6 CP
PM 18 Fundamentals of Agricultural Marketing 6 CP
PM 19 Environmental and Resource Economics 6 CP
PM 20 Animal Breeding and Animal Genetics 6 CP
  Bachelor's Thesis 12 CP
Mandatory elective modules (36 CP)

The mandatory elective modules are divided into a priority area  (18 CP) and a complementary area (18 CP).

Priority Area (18 CP)

Students must select one course with 6 CP out of each module pool.

Module pool I: Basics of empirical research

Module Description Size
FWM S 1

Biometry

6 CP
FWM S 2 Econometrics 6 CP

Module pool II: Politics and markets

Module Description Size
FWM S 3 Fundamentals of Market and Policy Analysis 6 CP
FWM S 4 Structural Transformation and Rural Areas 6 CP
FWM S 5 World Markets of the Agricultural and Food Sector 6 CP

Module pool III: Natural resources and quality

Module Description Size
FWM S 6 Supply and Exploitation of Biogenic Resources 6 CP
FWM S 7 Grassland and Forage Farming 6 CP
FWM S 8 Quality Dynamics and Quality Assurance for Fruits and Vegetables 6 CP
FWM S 9 Plant Protection 6 CP
Complementary area (18 CP)

Within the complementary area students must choose modules with a total of 18 CP. The courses can be chosen from the modules FWM E1 - FWM E 45 listed below or from the module catalogues of other Natural and Life Science Faculty's subjects. Alternatively students can choose courses from the faculty's mandatory elective modules (priority area).

Module Description Size
FWM E 1 Problem-orientated work (Bridge module) 6 CP
FWM E 2 Agricultural Meteorology 6 CP
FWM E 3 Agricultural Project Workshop 6 CP
FWM E 4 Applied Phytomedicine 6 CP
FWM E 5 Selected Systems of Forest Management 6 CP
FWM E 6 Apiculture 6 CP
FWM E 7 Soil Utilisation Systems 6 CP
FWM E 8 Soil Protection I 6 CP
FWM E 9 Soil Protection II 6 CP
FWM E 10 Botanical Identification Courses 6 CP
FWM E 11 Fertilizer and Fertilization 6 CP
FWM E 12 Introduction to Plant Biotechnology 6 CP
FWM E 13 Nutrition, Health and Consumer Protection 6 CP
FWM E 14 Fishing Business Operations 6 CP
FWM E 15 Open Land Floriculture 6 CP
FWM E 16 Forage Farming and Exploitation Systems 6 CP
FWM E 17 Forage Conservation 6 LP
FWM E 18 Forage Plant Botany 6 CP
FWM E 19 Horticultural Plant Production and Agriculture 6 CP
FWM E 20 Greenhouse Technology 6 CP
FWM E 21 Basics of Controlling 6 CP
FWM E 22 Trade and Service Business Administration 6 CP
COM 23 Introduction to Aquaculture 6 CP
FWM E 24 Methods and Methodology of scientific work 6 CP
FWM E 25 Molecular and Population Genetics 6 CP
FWM E 26 Natural Environment and Agricultural Site Structuring 6 CP
FWM E 27 Farm Animal Biology 6 CP
FWM E 28 Organic Farming 6 CP
FWM E 29 Organic Fruit Growing 6 CP
FWM E 30 Horse Breeding and Feeding 6 CP
FWM E 31 Phytomedicine Report: Basics 6 CP
FWM E 32 Quality Assurance of Tropical/ Subtropical Fruits and Vegetables 6 CP
FWM E 33 Horticultural and Agricultural Accounting 6 CP
FWM E 34 Reproductive Biology of Agricultural Farm Animals 6 CP
FWM E 35 Special Horticultural Plant Cultivation 6 CP
FWM E 36 Habitat Ecology I 6 CP
FWM E 37 Habitat Ecology II 6 CP
FWM E 38 Student Project 6 CP
FWM E 39 Horticultural and Agricultural Open Land Production Technology  6 CP
FWM E 40 Animal Product Processing Technology 6 CP
FWM E 41 Animal Feed and Ration Balancing 6 CP
FWM E 42 Process Engineering and Agronomical Problems with Timber Cultivation 6 CP
FWM E 43 Process Engineering Exercises (Animal Farming) 6 CP
FWM E 44 Agricultural Water Management 6 CP
FWM E 45 Protected Cultivation of Ornamental Plants 6 CP
General elective modules (18 CP)

In addition to specialised study, Students acquire subject-specific, non-specialist and interdisciplinary key qualifications of 18 CP. The general elective modules can be chosen from the module catalogues of other subjects or central institutions (see: http://agnes.hu-berlin.de/). Alternatively students can choose courses from the faculty's mandatory elective modules.

General elective course offerings for students coming from other courses of studies

Module Description Size
PM 14 ÜF Agricultural Policy 10 CP
PM 15 ÜF Agriculture and Plant Cultivation 10 CP
FWM E 4 Applied Phytomedicine for Biologists 10 CP
FWM E 7 Soil Utilisation Systems 10 CP
FWM E 28 Organic Farming 10 CP

Master

The faculty offers a wide range of internationally-oriented master’s courses:

Agricultural Economics
Fish Biology, Fisheries and Aquaculture
Horticultural Science
Integrated Natural Resource Management
Process and Quality Management.

You will find more information in the ‘Course catalogue’.

Important addresses

Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute for Horticultural and Agricultural Sciences: Invalidenstr. 42, 10115 Berlin, www.agrar.hu-berlin.de, Tel. +49 30 2093-46300
Course Advisory Service (also contact for approval and classification in higher semester): Dr. Krocker, phone +49 030 2093-6326, manfred.krocker@agrar.hu-berlin.de
Applications: www.hu-berlin.de/de/interessierte
Links to job market: Federal Employment Office Berufenet (http://berufenet.arbeitsagentur.de/berufe/ - tip: type ‘Agricultural Sciences’ into the search screen, select a profession), careers information centre (http://www.arbeitsagentur.de/web/content/DE/BuergerinnenUndBuerger/ArbeitundBeruf/Berufswahl/Berufsinformationszentren/index.htm), employment market reports (http://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de/Navigation/Statistik/Arbeitsmarktberichte/Akademiker/Akademiker-Nav.html),Hochschulteam calendar of events (http://www.arbeitsagentur.de/web/content/DE/dienststellen/rdbb/berlinmitte/Agentur/BuergerinnenundBuerger/Akademiker/index.htm)

Version: April 2023
Back to course catalogue


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