Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security MSc
Tackle the most important agricultural challenges with our Master’s in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security.
You are currently viewing course information for entry year:
Start date(s):
- September 2025
Overview
Are you passionate about sustainable agriculture and food security? Do you want to broaden your knowledge and skills for a career in this field? We’ve designed our MSc in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security for you.
The need to increase food production, while protecting our environment, has become critical. This has been fuelled by urgent global challenges, including:
- rapid population growth
- increasing pressure on limited and non-renewable resources
This Master’s degree focuses on the global availability of food, both now and in the future. It covers all aspects of food security. These are outlined in the Global Food Security programme.
Our experienced lecturers, active in both industry and research, will guide your learning. They’ll help develop your skills to advance your career in sustainable agriculture and food security.
Important information
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Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.
View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2024-25.
See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.
Qualifications explained
Find out about the different qualification options for this course.
An MSc is a taught Master’s degree. It usually involves the study of a science-related subject. It typically includes:
- subject-specific taught modules
- a dissertation or research project of approximately 15,000 – 18,000 words
You'll usually study an MSc full-time over 12 months.
A Master of Science is typically awarded for the successful completion of 120 credits of taught modules and a 60-credit dissertation or research project.
Find out about different types of postgraduate qualifications.
What you'll learn
Through your modules, you’ll get a detailed overview of the most important issues in the field. Including the sustainability of agricultural production and food security. These will account for approximately half of your credits.
With your optional modules, you can tailor your programme to your interests in these areas:
- socioeconomics, marketing, and policy development
- environmental and water management
- soil and crop management
- animal production, health, and welfare management
- food securitysustainable development and environmental change
- quantitative techniques
- experimental design
- assessment of land use capability
- soil quality
- research skills
- analysis, interpretation, and presentation of field data
- science, policy and action underlying climate change and land use
Modules
You will study modules on this course. A module is a unit of a course with its own approved aims and outcomes and assessment methods.
Module information is intended to provide an example of what you will study.
Our teaching is informed by research. Course content changes periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.
Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.
To find out more please see our terms and conditions.
Optional modules availability
Some courses have optional modules. Student demand for optional modules may affect availability.
Optional Modules | Credits |
---|---|
Dynamics of Coupled Human-Natural Systems | 20 |
Critical Thinking and Analysis for Evidence-Based Environmental Science | 20 |
How you'll learn
You’ll learn through a range of methods including:
- lectures
- seminars
- practical and field classes
- tutorials
- case studies
- small group discussions
We expect you to undertake independent study outside of these structured sessions.
Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme
We offer flexible learning for those already working in the industry through the Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme. This framework enables us to award postgraduate-level qualifications using credit-bearing stand-alone modules as 'building blocks' towards a qualification. This means that the credits from modules undertaken within five years can be 'banked' towards the award of a qualification.
Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:
- Case study
- Computer assessment
- Dissertation
- Essay
- Oral presentation
- Report
- Written exercise
Research dissertation project
During your studies, you'll complete a major research project.
We'll help you design and deliver a project based on a lab or field investigation. You'll collect, analyse, and interpret data to produce a thesis. You’ll write your thesis in the style of an academic paper. You can complete your project and thesis overseas.
Your teaching and learning is also supported by Canvas. Canvas is a Virtual Learning Environment. You'll use Canvas to submit your assignments and access your:
- module handbooks
- course materials
- groups
- course announcements and notifications
- written feedback
Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to support from:
- peers
- academics
- personal tutors
- our University Student Services Team
- student representatives
You'll also be assigned an academic member of staff. They will be your personal tutor throughout your time with us. They can help with academic and personal issues.
Dr Hannah Davis
Dr Hannah Davis is the Degree Programme Director and an experienced researcher in ruminant nutrition and grazing management. Hannah's research aims to understand how dairy management practices affect milk quality, animal health, and environmental impact to optimise sustainable farming systems.
Our lecturers and research
Our lecturers are industry-experienced and research-active. Our research in integrated agricultural production focuses on:
- regenerative agriculture
- vertical farming
- natural capital
- soil science
- plant science
- ecology and biodiversity
- dairy and beef production
Strategic research embraces work on:
- precision agriculture
- rhizosphere function
- plant-soil feedback
- soil-carbon dynamics
- nutrient cycling
- sustainable livestock
Applied research addresses issues of:
- climate change mitigation (including biofuels)
- regenerative farming systems
- low-input crop systems
- agriculture-environment interactions
- crop health and production
Your future
Further study
This course provides a route into PhD level study. Each year, about half of our students choose to continue studying for their PhD.
Careers
The course will prepare you for a wide range of careers in:
- sustainability
- governmental or non-governmental organisations
- land or water or soil management
- agricultural or environmental management
- policy development
- academia
- education
Our Careers Service
Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.
Quality and ranking
All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body
From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK
Facilities
Our location makes us the perfect place to study postgraduate Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security.
On campus, you'll have access to state-of-the-art labs and modern teaching facilities. With the UK countryside on our doorstep, and access to the University’s two commercially run farms, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get out of the classroom and put research into practice.
NU Farms
You’ll have access to Newcastle University (NU) Farms during your studies.
Our multi-purpose farms are viable farming businesses. We use them as demonstration facilities for teaching purposes. They also provide land-based research facilities, especially in organic production.
You’ll also have access to greenhouses and vertical farming facilities.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees for 2025 entry (per year)
As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.
Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.
EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support.
If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.
Scholarships
We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our searchable postgraduate funding page for more information.
What you're paying for
Tuition fees include the costs of:
- matriculation
- registration
- tuition (or supervision)
- library access
- examination
- re-examination
- graduation
Find out more about:
If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.
You can check this in the How to apply section.
If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.
For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.
Search for funding
Find funding available for your course
Entry requirements
The entrance requirements below apply to 2025 entry.
Qualifications from outside the UK
English Language requirements
Admissions policy
This policy applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate admissions at Newcastle University. It is intended to provide information about our admissions policies and procedures to applicants and potential applicants, to their advisors and family members, and to staff of the University.
University Admissions Policy and related policies and procedures
Credit transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can allow you to convert existing relevant university-level knowledge, skills and experience into credits towards a qualification. Find out more about the RPL policy which may apply to this course
How to apply
Using the application portal
The application portal has instructions to guide you through your application. It will tell you what documents you need and how to upload them.
You can choose to start your application, save your details and come back to complete it later.
If you’re ready, you can select Apply Online and you’ll be taken directly to the application portal.
Alternatively you can find out more about applying on our applications and offers pages.
Apply Online
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Get in touch
Questions about this course?
If you have specific questions about this course you can contact:
Dr Hannah Davis
Degree Programme Director
Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 6900
Email: snes.education@ncl.ac.uk
School of Natural and Environmental Science
ncl.ac.uk/nes
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