Agricultural, Climate Change & Transitions (MSc)

Course Overview

Climate change poses many threats to agriculture, including reduction of agricultural productivity, production stability and incomes in areas of the world that already have high levels of food insecurity and limited means of coping with adverse weather. The new MSc ACT is a two-year international programme which equips students with tools to transform agriculture to feed a growing population in the face of a changing climate without hindering the natural resource base

The Masters in Agriculture, Climate change, Transitions (ACT) is offered by a consortium of six European universities, in close partnership with a network of international groups, third country universities, research institutes and civil society organisations that share in common the aim to develop capacities on the long term to reduce impact of climate change on food security and, in return, to mitigate the change by sustainable agricultural practices.

The course develops the following Graduate Attributes: 

• the capacity to identify agricultural and rural development issues;
• ability to support processes of technical and organisational change in rural areas;
• critically assess development actions.  

Ag development capacities

• Assess agricultural development and food security options in a given environment : alternative technologies or genetic resources, land use options, cropping and animal rearing/pastoral systems, market based and non market oriented modes of organisation, value chains, financial options (including insurance);
• Identify the critical aspects of professional situations within natural resource management in relation to agricultural activities;
• Have a clear understanding of the relationships in the natural resources-plant-environment continuum (the climate, crop, livestock, and natural risk management);

• Describe the patterns characterising these situations and analyse the social and economic challenges linked to them;
• Support processes of technical and organisational change in rural areas and provide development support;
• Evaluate development projects and programmes

Climate change capacities

• Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of climate change and its linkage to the global environmental changes ;
• Evaluate opportunities that may arise from environmental and climate changes, as well as assess risks of climatic changes and climate variability ;
• Assess environmental impact (LCA, C sequestration…) for agricultural and development proposals or existing value chains.
• Master the use of modelisation tools for a prospective vision of climate change modalities and impact and or the mitigation effect of diverse development scenarios.

Ethics, soft skills and communication

• Work in multidisciplinary teams and communicate effectively using a wide range of materials.
• Think, communicate, cooperate and solve problems from an interdisciplinary perspective;
• Demonstrate capacity to innovate efficiently, manage change and work among communities;
• Express and communicate scientific knowledge and concepts across a range of professions.

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Key Facts

Entry Requirements

Additional Requirements

Course Outline

Carried by a multidisciplinary team of researchers, specialised trainers and professionals involved in agricultural development in developing countries, the MSc.ACT is a joint degree based on a robust and simple system of mobilities between EU partners.

Students study for their first year (two semesters) in NUI Galway, and for their second year in one of our partner organisations (a further two semesters): BOKU Vienna, Austria (in English); the University of Catania, Italy (in Italian); or SupAgro Montpellier, France (in French).

At NUI Galway, students will study 55 ECTS of taught material, including topics such as Climate Change, Agriculture & Global Food Security; Gender, Agriculture and Climate Change; Natural Resources & Livelihoods; AgriBiology; Soil Sciences; Plant & Agri-Biotechnologies; and Understanding AgriBusiness & AgriFood Market Trends.

Once based at the partner organisation in their second year, students will also perform a 30 ECTS research project.

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Course Fees

Fees: EU

Fees: Tuition

Fees: Student levy

Fees: Non EU

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