Agriculture (Including Foundation Year) Foundation Degree in Science - FdSc

This introductory year will get you ready for level 4 study within the agricultural industry and is ideal for career changers, applicants who are just getting started in the agricultural sector or if applicants do not meet the entry requirements for the FdSc programme.

The course will provide learners with underpinning knowledge of livestock husbandry, environmental conservation, and business. There will be an emphasis on the development of communication, academic writing and teamworking skills, and practical skills such nutrition formulation and welfare assessment. Work placement forms an essential part of the course allowing on the job training and development of further skills to make students more employable. University Centre Askham Bryan has access to the 238-hectare Home Farm, which houses a milking herd of 200 cows, which are milked through a rapid exit parlour and a DeLaval Robot, a state-of-the-art high welfare precision beef facility in which students will actively participate in the use of the latest precision-livestock equipment, research, and industry engagement and a commercial flock of 200 breeding ewes.

Crops grown on the grade 2 arable land, include wheat, sugar beet and maize, using the latest precision field technology and variable rate application techniques and software to maximise arable returns and the production of high-quality forage to improve the performance and returns of the dairy and livestock enterprises. The Farm also features a new £2.4 million Agri-Tech Innovation Centre dedicated to advanced agricultural and engineering training, the DeLaval Digital Farm and robotic milker which provides live data for analysis and interpretation of dairy cow performance. On-farm data from the different enterprises is also drawn together using the latest Map of Agriculture software to provide live updates on what is occurring on the farm, the level of inputs and physical performance of the different enterprises' adding to the learning experience and knowledge of the students on the EFdSc Agriculture Course.

This course is 3-years full time (part-time study may also be available – contact he@askham-bryan.ac.uk for more information about part-time study).

This programme is awarded by Askham Bryan College.

Subject to revalidation for September 2027 entry.