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FdSc Agriculture (Precision Crop Technology)

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Subject

Agriculture

Level

Foundation Degree (Level 5)

Study Mode

Full-Time

Duration

2 years full-time/3 years part-time

Start Date

September 2025

The course

Precision Crop Technology is widely accepted as the future of UK and global farming, helping farmers optimise inputs to feed a growing global population. This course will future proof your learning, preparing you for a career in the ever-changing agricultural sector.

You will learn about a wide variety of components, such as data sensors, connected devices and remote-control tools to ensure you are ready for employment. The course aims to optimise field-level management with regard to crop science (by matching farming practices more closely to crop needs e.g. fertilizer inputs) and environmental protection (by reducing environmental risks and footprint of farming e.g. limiting leaching of nitrogen). You will make use of satellite technology allowing real-time management of crops and fields, to monitor and reduce the environmental impact of farming.

IOT Localised Yorkshire and Humber

Yorkshire and Humber Institute of Technology

Learn future tech for today’s workplace. Whether advancing your skills, or retraining, elevate your career opportunities with the Yorkshire and Humber Institute of Technology.

As an IoT programme, the course will provide you with access to the latest technologies, ensuring that you are work-ready and have a clear career progression pathway into employment.

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Course Information

  • Provide you with a sound academic understanding of the broad range of areas relating to global and regional crop and livestock production and the underpinning scientific, economic and business principles.
  • Develop you into a proactive and independent students who are able to apply and develop your own perspectives and explore alternative solutions within the dynamic agriculture sector.
  • Develop your skills and knowledge to become an effective manager within agricultural and environmental businesses.
  • Equip you with vocational skills essential for entering a diverse range of employment opportunities within the global agriculture sector.
  • Facilitate you into and through high level employment in agriculture and related sectors, including technological advances.
  • Allow you to apply your knowledge and skills to the social and environmental context of agricultural management.
  • Provide you with the skill to use, evaluate and implement new technologies with in the agricultural sector.
  • Ensure you are empowered to make advancement in sustainably managing the environment through technological advances.

Year 1

  • Academic, Employment and Professional Skills
  • Fundamentals of Business
  • Industry Skills for Agriculture
  • Precision Crop Technology
  • Mechanisation
  • Plant and Soil Science
  • Crop Production

Year 2

  • Robotics and Automated Technology
  • Agronomy
  • Agriculture and the Environment
  • Financial Management and Planning
  • Precision Technology in the Wider Sector
  • Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
  • Introductory Research Analysis

You will be required to have:

- A minimum of 72 UCAS points

OR

- A relevant BTEC Level 3 and significant industry experience

AND

- GCSE English at grade 4 or above, or an equivalent qualification

- A suitable reference

UCAS points may be from qualifications such as A Levels, T Levels, BTEC Level 3 Extended Diplomas, Access to Higher Education Diplomas, and City and Guilds Advanced Technical Diplomas amongst others. Please use the UCAS Tariff points calculator to determine the UCAS points value of your qualifications.

Life and/or experience of non-traditional students will be taken into account when considering applications. The successful completion of an entry task may be required when considering applications without the required formal entry qualifications.

If your first language is not English, or a Tier 4 student visa to study is required and GCSE grade C/4 English or equivalent is not held, English language proficiency level such as International English Language Testing System (IELTS) 6.0 overall (with a minimum 5.5 in each skill) will need evidencing.

Advanced entry may be possible due to prior experience or certificated learning; applicants are invited to complete the accreditation of prior learning approval process.

The programme is delivered with a variety of learning and teaching approaches. For all modules, there are theory lectures delivered, aimed to deliver the core content, provide the underpinning knowledge and facilitate further expansion of such concepts by the students, through independent study.

To complement the theory lectures, students have group seminars that are used to reinforce those concepts delivered theoretically. The seminars focus on delivering using a student-centred approach to enhance the independent learning that takes place outside of the classroom.

Practical sessions at the Bishop Burton Farm are incorporated into a range of modules making the programme extremely applied and preparing you effectively for the workplace.

You will learn from experienced, supportive and motivated staff with both academic and industrial experience. Your learning will be enhanced by guest lectures and demonstrations, as well as access to our online learning environment.

Contact time includes approximately 16 hours a week to include lectures, seminars, practicals and tutorials.

Students are also expected to carry out a significant amount of independent study in addition to contact time (approximately 25-30 hours a week). Independent study includes reading around the subject, preparing for tutorials and seminars, preparing for, and completing, module assessments and revision for examinations; forming an essential part of a students learning journey.

Relevant extra-curricular activity and/or work experience is encouraged of all students in order to enhance your learning.
Assessment methods include written assignments, case studies, practical assessments, presentations, project based assessment, time constrained assessments and invigilated exams. Opportunities for feedback on assessments are available prior to the final submission to support student development and achievement. Staff aim to return assessed work within a 20 working day timeframe (not including holidays) so that you can most benefit from the feedback.
  • A tablet, laptop or stationery to take notes in lectures and seminars.
  • Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) including high-visibility jacket/bib, overalls, steel toe capped boots, wellingtons, waterproof coat and trousers and a lab coat.
  • The college has a strict policy of not allowing work boots inside college buildings you will need to have alternative footwear (shoes or trainers) to attend lectures and tutorials.
  • A wide range of resources are available for use both on and offsite for projects but it may not be possible to purchase/service all requests therefore students need to be aware that they may need to self-fund some elements.
  • Any educational visits/trips and enrichment activities will be additional to the course fees, you will be made aware of these optional visits and associated costs as required.
  • On successful completion of the programme, you will have the opportunity to graduate at a ceremony wearing formal dress. The hire of the formal dress is an additional cost.
The programme is also designed to enable students to progress to Level 6 study, such as the BSc Precision Agriculture (Top Up) at UCBB. You can find further details on all of our programmes on our website.
Students graduating from this programme could follow careers in machinery dealerships, machinery operators, as technology programmers and trainee agronomists.

Validated by University of Lincoln

We are proud to collaborate with University of Lincoln on the validation of this course.

View the policies and procedures you would be agreeing to comply with by registering for this programme.

Financial Information

Find the full details of the fees associated with this programme and the financial support available.

Careers this course could lead into

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