Minors and electives

The agricultural and food producing sector is an important part of the global economy and is also coordinated and regulated through local and global value chains and policies. This Minor offers students a deeper insight into the economic principles and drivers in the agricultural sector and the decision making process of involved actors, ranging from farmers, consumer, up- and downstream industries and policy makers, focusing on both the Swiss and the international context. The content of the minor is designed for agricultural students with a major in animal or plant science to complement their study program. Depending on their interests, students can focus on different areas, including agricultural policies, decision making and management. The selection of lectures provides students with knowledge and methods to understand the challenges in agricultural economics as well as local and global policy-making and to learn and apply methods and tools to address economic and environmental challenges

Farm animals are of high importance in agricultural systems. They make a significant contribution to food security in Switzerland and around the world and secure the livelihood of the population, especially in rural areas. A broad understanding of the role of livestock is relevant to solve the multitude challenges around the globe. This minor is designed for students majoring in agricultural economics and plant sciences, with interest in systems of farm animals, their genetics, biology, reproduction, nutrition and related ecological issues.

Crops and grassland form the foundation of our nutrition. Cultivation and breeding of those plants as well as assessing the interaction of crops and grassland with the environment is crucial to develop sustainable solutions tackling the grand societal challenges that are in the focus of the teaching program in agricultural sciences. This minor is designed for students majoring in agricultural economics or animal science, who want to broaden their knowledge in crop and grassland science. Students can choose from a wide range of lectures that allow focussing on various topics.

The handling of data is becoming increasingly important in agricultural sciences and agriculture in general. This minor offers the opportunity to acquire skills and knowledge in collecting, processing and analyzing data, and provides insights into their use in precision farming, robotics and autonomous systems in agriculture. The content of this minor is specifically tailored to students with a background in agricultural sciences, enabling different specialization options based on their prior knowledge. The lectures equip students with the basic theoretical knowledge and computational skills to identify and evaluate potential uses of data science methods and technologies with regard to their application in agricultural research and practice.

Soil is one of the most important resources for agricultural production. Preserving high quality soils in agroecosystems and restoring degraded soils requires a broad understanding of soils and their interaction with agricultural management, society, and the environment. This minor is designed for students of all agricultural science master’s programs with a particular interest in soils. Students can choose from a broad selection of courses on soils, including lectures on fundamental concepts and more applied lectures focusing on soil properties and their impacts on agricultural production.

The Agri-Food Chain consists of many stakeholders and topic areas, which are relevant for the global food supply chain. Maintaining high standards of safety and quality is of great importance across all steps of the value chains, from food production to processing. This Minor is designed for students, who are interested in both spectra of the food supply chain, several of the courses are offered for both Agriculture and Food Science. The selection of courses enable students to understand the whole food value chain with a mix of agricultural oriented and food and processing oriented lectures.

Sustainable development and agriculture concerns the environmental, economic and social aspects of sustainable food systems, analyzing the potential interlinkages of these aspects to ensure food security for present and future generations. This minor is designed for students interested in global and local issues related to sustainable development agricultural and food systems, as well as inter- and transdisciplinary research, in working in diverse teams and applying a wide range of skills and knowledge in research for development