The launch of a new agricultural science degree breaks new ground in the provision of agricultural education at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) and for Northern Ireland as a whole.
The course will be delivered by QUB’s School for Biological Science, with the first student intake scheduled for the start of the 2026/2027 academic year.
At one level, the new course re-establishes a clear commitment to the values of pure science underpinning a degree course in agriculture.
However, its launch also marks the end of the ‘ag-tech’ degree, jointly delivered by QUB in association with the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE).
Prof. Nigel Scollan is head of the School for Biological Sciences at QUB.
He said: “The new degree course represents a direct response to agri-food stakeholder bodies for a course of this type.
“However, Queen’s University is not cutting links with CAFRE.
“The very opposite is the case, as the provision of post-graduate opportunities involving both institutions will be maintained.”
Meanwhile, 2025/2026 will be the final year of student enrolment for the ag-tech degree.
New degree course
Prof. Scollan believes the launch of the new agricultural science degree course at QUB is perfectly timed given the many changes impacting on the farming and food sectors at the present time.
He said: “It is 20 years since the last new programmes were introduced into the School for Biological Sciences.
“And these are a direct result of discussions that have taken place involving representatives from QUB and stakeholders operating across the farming and food industry.
“It is the responsibility of a university to respond to need. Agricuture, food and veterinary are very big parts of our society.”
According to Prof. Scollan, there is a need for people “who are trained and skilled in very advanced education”.
“The new programmes will allow our students enter into new research, government and communication pathways for the future,” he said.
“There are many different career pathways now opening up for our student graduates into the future.
He also highlighted that the School for Biological Sciences hosts the Institute for Global Food Security.
“In turn, the institute spreads out to other schools within Queen’s Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences and beyond.
“The end result is the provision of education, underpinned by cutting-edge research,” Prof. Scollan said.
