The Faculty of Agricultural Sciences

The core skills of the faculty are analyses of national and international agricultural and nutritional sciences. These base on natural and social sciences, questioning rural issues, economy, quality and environmental management, and food security.
Research is conducted in the area of food, resource, and energy production on farms and in the upstream and downstream domains of the value chain.

The research allows an appropriate balance between several functions of the rural area: production, nature, and recreation.
The faculty cooperates with interdisciplinary research networks in the field of tropical and international agricultural sciences. It is one of the strongest third-party funded institutes of the University of Göttingen.

The tropical and international agricultural orientation determine the range of courses and the structure of the faculty.


Departments

The faculty of agricultural sciences is structured in three departments.

The Department of Crop Sciences contains the institutes of Agricultural Entomology, Agroecology, Soil Science, Agricultural Engineering, Plant Pathology and Plant Protection, Grassland Science, Molecular Phytopathology and Mycotoxin Research, Plant Nutrition, Agronomy, Plant Breeding, Quality of Plant Products, and Crop Production Systems in the Tropics. The institutes work with molecular, physiological, and ecological methods in the topics of breeding, crop production, and processing in agroecosystems under temperate as well as tropical and subtropical conditions.

The Department of Animal Sciences includes the institutes of Aquaculture and Aquatic Ecology, Microbiology and Animal Hygiene, Molecular Biology of Livestock and Molecular Diagnostics, Livestock Ecology, Livestock Production Systems, Product Knowledge - Quality of Animal Products, Reproduction and Biotechnology of Livestock, Animal Nutrition, Animal Husbandry in the Tropics and Subtropics, Animal Breeding and Genetics, and Process Technology in the Finishing Industry. An additional institute is the institute of Veterinary Medicine. Research in the field of animal sciences deals with livestock keeping, nutrition, and breeding (including aquaculture) as well as the biological, genetic, and physiological basics of relevant properties and usage. Beside the output, animal health and welfare, economics of metabolism and environmental impact, product quality and resource efficiency are in the focus of the research.

The Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development unites the institutes of Agricultural Policy, Economics of Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Business Operations, Agricultural Market Analysis, Marketing Research, Sociology in Agriculture, Environmental Economics and Resource Economics, Food Security and Rural Development. These study fields include all important aspects of research and education in the economic sciences of agriculture, nutritional economics, and rural development. The department cooperates with several external departments and research institutes as well as business practice in third-party funded projects.

Link to the institutes


Research Centres

Biodiversity has many functions for men and nature such as regulation processes and providing food and fibre. Understanding these functions and services large scientific activities have to be undertaken. Therefore, at the University of Goettingen the Centre of Biodiversity and sustainable Land Use was founded covering five well-known former departments of different faculties.

The Institute of Sugar Beet Research (IfZ) deals with processes of sustainable sugar beet production, ecological production systems, cost-effectiveness of sugar beet production as well as processing quality. Additionally, it coordinates field trials of regional cooperatives in whole Germany. The institute is funded by the sugar beet industry.

The Off-site location Vechta deals with the protection of the balance between nature and systems of livestock keeping at locations with a high stocking density. Furthermore, it works on the development of existing systems concerning sustainability, processing, and product quality.

The research and demonstration farms of the university have an area of more than 1,000 ha at different locations and management systems. Cattle, sheep, pigs, llamas, and rainbow trouts are kept for further research.

Link to the institutes


Study programs

The study programs of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences in Göttingen are structured modularly. The university career in Göttingen offers three consecutive degrees, which are internationally accredited.

Bachelor of Science

The Bachelor study program of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences includes the natural scientific, technical, ecological, and socio-economic basis of modern agriculture. At the end of the studies it is possible to focus on one of the several fields of Agriculture: Agribusiness, Crop Science, Animal Science, Resource Management, or Economics and Social Science.

Master of Science

The Faculty of Agricultural Science offers four Master study programs with different orientations:

Master in Agricultural Sciences:
The Master study program Agricultural Science is research oriented. The focus can be directed on Agribusiness, Crop Science, Animal Science, Resource Management or Business and Social Science of Agriculture. Beside the specialization, training on scientific methods is an important part of the program.

Master in Horse Science:
The Master study program Horse Sciences is highly specialized. It transfers knowledge about the natural scientific basis, physiology, breeding, keeping, feeding, usage and hygiene of horses, as well as the business management of horse keeping.

Mater in Sustainable International Agriculture:
The Master study program Sustainable International Agriculture is a cooperation with the Faculty of Organic Agricultural Science at the University of Kassel. Teaching language is English. The students choose their main focus in the fields Agribusiness and Rural Development Economics, International Organic Agriculture, or Tropical Agriculture.

Master in Crop Protection:
In the interdisciplinary Master study program English as teaching language. It offers an exercise and research oriented program, which deals with the reasons and negative impacts of pests on crops, development and usage of efficient preventive and curative controlling measures, and ecological and socio-economic aspects of plant protection. Students will be trained for professional positions and research concerning plant protection in an international environment.


PhD programs

The faculty offers the conferral of a doctorate with the accredited Phd study programs in the Agricultural Sciences (PAG). These programs have a modular structure with an intensive curricular and external support and training of additional qualifications such as team and management skills, soft skills, and language skills.

Several programs are offered within the PAG study program. The research is conducted within a distinct time span in selected parts of the Agricultural Sciences in cooperation of other faculties and appropriate courses.

The PhD study programs of the faculty (degrees: Dr. sc. agr. Or Ph.D.) are very attractive for graduates /postgraduates worldwide. Each year foreign doctoral students get almost half of the degrees o the faculty.

Link to the study programs



Alumni
In 1987 the Association of Friends of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences e.V. (GFL) was founded to support the cooperation between science, business, administration, and agricultural practice. It deals with the consciousness about the solidarity between ancient and present members of the faculty. Nowadays the association has more than 300 members.

Alumni-Society Göttingen