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Study abroad : Subject Guides

Why study agriculture and veterinary science abroad?

What does Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine cover exactly? Find out now as well as what particular courses you can study and the career paths you can pursue...

studying agriculture abroad

What is Agriculture or Veterinary Medicine?

Agriculture looks at the production of food and crops to meet the needs of civilisation as well as a number of other issues which affect this production such as environmental sustainability and disease epidemics. Agriculture also looks at the earth, animals and nutrition.

Veterinary Medicine focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of disease and injury in animals.

 

Why study Agriculture or Veterinary Medicine?

Think about the food that you eat. It all has to come from somewhere; but have you considered where (as well as how it reaches your plate)? It might seem simple enough to go to the corner shop to buy a loaf of bread; but that one loaf had a long journey to reach that shop shelf so you could buy it. The production of crops and produce like meat, fish, fruit and vegetables is vital to civilisation as without them we’d die. Just imagine the panic in a developed city if food supplies ran low – we sometimes see a hint of this when a natural disaster occurs and food supplies are depleted. Plus with populations living for longer thanks to the advances in medicine, we need more to produce more food for this exploding population.

While it might seem a little archaic to think of farming in an increasingly-digital world (especially if you live in a large city and many of your meals are quick, microwave meals), these methods are still our main source of food production.

Plus fun fact: Prince William studied Agriculture at university. So if it’s good enough for a future King, it’s definitely worth considering for yourself!

 

The importance of Veterinary Medicine is somewhat related. Without healthy livestock, where would our meat and fish produce come from? Plus we love animals for other reasons beyond how they can sustain us, such as for sport and to enjoy as pets. Ensuring they are healthy and have long lives is essential for a variety of reasons, including the role they play in the earth's various food chains.

 

Who would be good at studying Agriculture or Veterinary Medicine?

Both fields bring to mind working outdoors which is somewhat correct, particularly when it comes to the practical work you may have to complete as part of your academic course. So students who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty (literally) and come into close contact with nature would flourish in this area. If you’d prefer to sit in an office all day (or you consider yourself more of an “indoors” person), this might not be the area for you. Agriculture can also provide you the opportunity to travel around the world to work in different climates – one of the perks of working in this field.

Veterinary Medicine involves handling a range of animals so you would need to be comfortable around these. This is in addition to being able to retain and apply the vast medical knowledge to diagnose and treat them.

 

What is the criteria for studying an Agriculture or Veterinary Medicine qualification?

Students applying to study an Agriculture or Veterinary Medicine qualification should have one or a combination of local qualifications in biology, chemistry, environmental sciences, economics and business. Practical experience in these areas through various voluntary positions would also strengthen your application.

You should always check the entry requirements for a course with the university themselves.

 

What specific courses can you study?

 

What can you do with an Agriculture or Veterinary Medicine qualification?

An Agriculture degree can lead to one of the following career paths:

  • Farmer
  • Farm or farming enterprise manager
  • Agricultural consultant
  • Rural practice surveyor
  • Soil scientist/conservationist
  • Animal nutritionist
  • Crop production technician
  • Health and regulatory inspector
  • Agricultural sales & marketing

 

Most Veterinary Medicine graduates become veterinarians and lead long, rewarding careers in this role. However there is the opportunity to move into roles involving biomedical research as well as jobs within government agencies.

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