Politécnico de Portalegre

Master in Sustainable Agriculture

The study cycle is divided into a specialization course comprising a set of six compulsory curricular units (60 ECTS / 1 academic year) and an internship/project/dissertation (60 ECTS / 1 academic year).

The specialization course offers a greater component of curricular units in the scientific area of agricultural sciences and the environment (46 ECTS) as a result of the objective of the study cycle (Agroecology, Soil and Water Conservation, Integrated Production and Environmental Audit and Control), being 7 ECTS in the scientific area of economic and business sciences (Economics and Management of Natural Resources) and 7 ECTS in the scientific area of engineering (Technological Innovation).*

The internship/project/dissertation is regulated by the regulations of the master's course and is guided and/or supervised by one or more specialists in the area of dedication. In the case of the dissertation, the supervisor(s) must be PhDs or specialists of merit recognized as such by the Scientific Council. In either case, the final document (internship report, project work or dissertation) must be publicly defended by a jury appointed for this purpose by the Scientific Council.

*All curricular units have a teaching plan approved by the Technical-Scientific Council which contains, at least, the following information: general description; objectives; specific and general skills to be developed; syllabus and interrelationships with other curricular units that make up the study plan; programming and chronological sequence of teaching/learning activities – student work plan – with information on ECTS time distribution; criteria, activities, assessment tools, formula for calculating the final classification and respective weights; bibliography and documentation for recommended reading and deepening of knowledge.

Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Certificate and professional recognition

The training provided by the master's degree in sustainable agriculture is more current than ever, being perfectly aligned with the strategic guidelines outlined by various international organizations for the next decade, such as AGENDA2030 for sustainable development, defined by the United Nations, or GREEN DEAL, the EU Biodiversity strategy for 2030 and the new CAP defined in 2020 by the European Union. It also reflects well the guidelines of TERRA NATURA-Innovation Agenda for Agriculture 2030, defined by the Portuguese Ministry of Agriculture.

In professional terms, the successful attendance of the master's curricular part allows obtaining a certificate of "Specialist in sustainable agriculture" and automatic professional recognition, by the Ministry of Agriculture, of training in organic agriculture and integrated production, being conferred, Upon request, 5 professional certificates (Integrated protection technician, Organic production technician – vegetable component, Organic production technician – animal component, Integrated production technician – vegetable component, Integrated production technician – vegetable component animal), with their holders appearing on the national base of technicians with these trainings. It is certainly because of these advantages and the excellent training that, more and more, professionals with several years of activity in the sector have been attending the master's degree, with a view to updating their knowledge and skills.

Syllabus

1st year

• Agroecology
• Economics and Management of Natural Resources
• Tecnologic innovation
• Environmental Control
• Environmental Audit
• Soil Use and Conservation
• Irrigation and Water Management
• Integrated Protection
• Organic Production Mode
• Integrated Production - Vegetal Component
• Integrated Production - Animal Component
• Sustainable Forest Management

2nd year

• Research Methods and Techniques
• Internship/Project/Dissertation

These studies enable students to acquire solid and varied knowledge, reinforcing their capacity for critical and integrated reflection on the issue of sustainability of Mediterranean agricultural systems and recommended solutions, stimulating creativity for the formulation and analysis of new solutions. The scope of study offered is intended to be quite broad, covering both the areas of study in the field of integrated production sensu lato, as well as the aspect more directed towards economic and environmental sustainability, and also in the scope of technological innovation essential to the whole process.

This training ensures, as a whole, the acquisition of a predominantly professional specialization, carried out with the preparation and presentation of an internship report, or a project work, without, however, preventing that, if the student so wishes, he can embark on the activity of technology transfer and experimental development, ending their study cycle with the presentation of a dissertation of a more academic nature but always oriented towards the resolution of new problems and concrete needs.

The choice of the type of activity (internship/project/dissertation) to be developed in the second year of the master's course, resulting from the specific objectives and profile of each student, allows training professionals with differentiated specific skills. In this sense, the general objective of the internship is to develop skills for the daily management of agricultural activity. On the other hand, the project is intended to train professionals with specific skills in the strategic planning of agricultural activity. Finally, the dissertation aims to train competent professionals in technology transfer and experimental development.

You can apply for the Master in Sustainable Agriculture:

• Holders of a bachelor's degree or legal equivalent;
• Holders of a foreign higher academic degree awarded following a 1st cycle of studies organized in accordance with the principles of the Bologna Process by a State adhering to this process;
• Holders of a higher foreign academic degree that is recognized as meeting the objectives of the licentiate degree by the School's Technical-Scientific Council;
• Holders of an academic, scientific or professional curriculum, which is recognized as attesting the ability to carry out this cycle of studies by the School's Technical-Scientific Council.

Technicians and entrepreneurs on farms or in goods and services companies, upstream and downstream of production; technicians in Farmers' organizations, Official services, Research institutes, Financial institutions, Development associations, Consultants.