MSc Agriculture Syllabus & Subjects 2024

MSc Agriculture syllabus includes advanced farming techniques as well as scientific studies of farming, agribusiness, and husbandry. MSc Agriculture courses syllabus cover topics such as water and nutrient management, seed technology, horticulture, agricultural statistics, plant biochemistry, and others. 

The syllabus for an MSc in Agriculture typically includes the following subjects:

• Agronomy
• Soil science and agricultural chemistry
• Soil fertility and nutrient management
• Plant breeding and genetics
• Modern concepts in crop production
• Principles and practices of weed management
• Plant physiology
• Entomology

Other subjects include: Health management, Human population, Environment dissertation, Seminar, and Survey-based projects. 

The MSc Agriculture subjects and syllabus are divided into four semesters that last two years. Candidates can specialise in agronomy, horticulture, forestry, genetics, and plant breeding through an MSc in Agriculture programme. The MSc Agriculture course subjects offer theoretical and methodological learning that prepares students to conduct research, comprehend product systems, and advance plant sciences. Students contribute to the environmental impact of agriculture by gaining the necessary knowledge and skills through the MSc Agriculture syllabus.

Each of the MSc Agriculture stream subjects has its own course syllabus by following which students will develop particular skills. The MSc Agriculture syllabus fosters the development of generic competencies. Aside from that, students learn to identify problems, develop research-based questions, choose experimental methods, and so on. 

Read on to know more about MSc Agriculture Syllabus & Subjects!

During the course of two years, students study both required and elective subjects. Students need to select a specialisation in their third semester. Students select their specialisations for their MSc in Agriculture according to their interests. During the last two semesters of the MSc Agriculture syllabus, internship programmes are offered. Through these programmes, students are exposed to industry-like platforms where they can grow professionally and acquire practical skills. Despite variations in syllabus structure, the majority of universities adhere to the same syllabus concept.

The MSc Agriculture subjects and syllabus are designed to meet the following course objectives:

• To provide knowledge and help the students gain the ability for analysis, discussion, using tools and techniques, etc
• To help them understand what would be their responsibility in the professional world and how they would achieve success through continuous professional development
• The course imparts knowledge of terms and terminologies implemented in the field
• It gives an overall idea of the agriculture industry of the nation. The students identify the ways to bring development to the field
• The course focuses on agriculture machinery, plant management, and biochemistry, and gives scientific information on agriculture and farming

In the next section, the MSc Agriculture syllabus format is given below:

MSc Agriculture 1^st Year Syllabus

The MSc Agriculture year 1 syllabus has the following semesters and topics:

MSc Agriculture 2nd Year Syllabus

The MSc Agriculture year 2 syllabus includes the following topics:

Various streams in the MSc Agriculture course are Agronomy, Horticulture, Forestry, Genetics, Plant Breeding, etc. Each of them comes with a specific subject-related study. The students can choose the course according to their interests and desired careers. While choosing a career in the Agriculture field, students should check the MSc Agriculture streamwise subjects and syllabus of the related streams. Mentioned below are the MSc Agriculture streamwise syllabuses:

MSc Agronomy Course Syllabus

MSc Agronomy deals with the knowledge of sustainable methods of agriculture. The subjects of the MSc Agronomy syllabus include the following:

MSc Horticulture Course Syllabus

Plant cultivation, Plant Management Techniques, Marketing, etc are the key learning areas of MSc Horticulture. The subjects included in its course curriculum are as follows:

MSc Forestry Course Syllabus

In the MSc Forestry course, the key focus area is Forests And Forest Ecology. Wood Harvesting, Wood Science, and Technology, Wildlife Management is also taught in the course. Some important subjects included in the MSc Forestry syllabus are mentioned below:

MSc Genetics and Plant Breeding Course Syllabus 

As a course, MSc Genetics focuses on the application methods of Genetics, different methods used for the quality improvement of crops, etc. The subjects that are taught in the MSc Genetics are as follows:

MSc Agriculture course subjects include both core and optional subjects. All conceptual learning is provided by MSc Agriculture subjects taught as core or mandatory papers. The elective subjects supplement the learning got from the compulsory subjects. Students learn the fundamentals of various concepts at the start of the course. The critical concepts are gradually introduced. The course concludes with specialisation papers, internships, research projects, and practical training. All of them supplement the knowledge gained through the MSc Agriculture curriculum. In general, the MSc Agriculture course syllabus covers the same topics that universities and colleges teach. However, subject names and order may differ between colleges.

Listed below are the different MSc Agriculture course subjects taught to the students:

The MSc Agriculture compulsory subjects provide a comprehensive understanding of Agriculture and Plant Science. Usually, the MSc Agriculture course subjects are introduced through classroom teaching. A wide range of subjects is taught as compulsory papers. Listed below are some of the core subjects for MSc Agriculture:

• Agronomy
• Soil Science
• Plant Breeding
• Genetics
• Agricultural Chemistry
• Forestry
• Plant Physiology
• Entomology

Agronomy is the common subject for all semesters included in the MSc Agriculture course syllabus. It is all about science and technology used in the production of plants. It also deals with soil management. In all the semesters of the MSc Agriculture syllabus, agronomy-related subjects are taught to the students. The purpose is to provide a broad overview of the field and to make the students able to use different practices implemented in the field. 

The MSc Agriculture course subjects are helpful for developing an aptitude for research, and adequate knowledge of AgriculturalScience. The students come to know about the science of farming and various ways to improve the overall production of plants and food. As Agronomy includes Water Science, different principles of Water Management are also taught to the students. Apart from that, students also study Soil and Fertility Management. This way, all-inclusive knowledge is imparted through common subjects of MSc Agriculture.

MSc Agriculture optional subjects allow students to gain a deeper understanding of the field. The optional papers are typically studied near the end of the course, after students have a solid understanding of the fundamental concepts. Optional MSc Agriculture course subjects are critical for developing a solid understanding of the course. Agriculture is linked to economics and statistics. Without an understanding of these subjects, students will not have a clear picture of how the agricultural field operates. As a result, these two subjects are listed as optional on the MSc Agriculture course syllabus. Similarly, there are additional elective/optional subjects. These subjects may differ between universities. 

We have provided a general overview of the MSc Agriculture optional subjects.

• Economics
• Plant Pathology
• Biochemistry and Plant Physiology
• Statistics
• Plant Breeding and Genetics
• Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry

MSc Agriculture course subjects taught as lab papers are those subjects that are taught to the students to give practical learning on MSc Agriculture. These subjects help the students to gain practical knowledge and learn lab-based activities on different MSc Agriculture subjects taught in lab classes. A few of them are mentioned below:

• Statistics of Soil Science
• Fertilizer and Biofertilizer Technology
• Soil Fertility and Fertilizer Use

MSc Agriculture course through distance education is offered in a few universities in India. It is a two-year degree course for which students must have a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture or Horticulture from a recognized board. The course is suitable for those who do not have the scope of pursuing the same from regular classroom teaching. 

Theoretical training, seminar, and research-based training all are included in the distance education program of MSc Agriculture. The MSc Agriculture syllabus of distance education is formulated so that the learners become knowledgeable about Farming, Cultivation, and its present scenarios. Like the regular course, it encompasses MSc Agriculture specializations as well.

The following table shows the MSc Agriculture syllabus included in the MSc Agriculture distance programs:

The MSc Agriculture entrance exam is conducted at both the national and institute levels. Colleges and universities offer admission to the MSc Agriculture course depending on the candidates’ scores obtained in the entrance exams. Some of the popular entrance exams for MSc Agriculture are MCAER PG CET, CUET, ICAR AIEEA, etc.

Explained below is the MSc Agriculture syllabus for some of the popular entrance exams:

MSc Agriculture books play a pivotal role in getting good scores in all the semesters of the course. Therefore, students are suggested to choose only the most recommended books for the MSc Agriculture course. There is a plethora of options available in the market. However, one should refer to only those books that contain only helpful and subject-oriented content. The books can vary for different institutions. To help the students, a list of important books for MSc Agriculture is mentioned below:

• Biotechnological Applications of Biodiversity written by Joydeep Mukherjee
• Cropping System: Research Approach written by Benukar Biswas
• Crop Production In Stress Environments: Genetic And Management Options by DP Singh
• Decision Support Systems in Potato Production: Bringing Models to Practice by A J Haverkort and D K L Mackerron
• Principles of Crop Production by SR Reddy

Various subjects of Agriculture and Plant Sciences is discussed in the MSc Agriculture course. To provide course learning in an effective way, a constructive course structure is often followed in most universities. Classroom teaching, seminars, workshops, internship everything help the learners to build up their expertise in them so that they can bring the best solutions for everyday work challenges. A course-oriented and age-appropriate teaching methodology is used to offer the teaching which includes assignments, case studies, course books, etc. The course structure of MSc Agriculture is as following:

• Four Semesters
• Core Subjects
• Optional Subjects
• Practical Learning or Lab Sessions
• Internship
• Workshops
• Projects

In most institutes, the course knowledge is shared through the above-mentioned course components. Though there may be slight differences in the structure. By learning through this structure, a student develops the required competency and become professionally capable of Agriculture and its allied sectors.