Environmental Protection and Agricultural Food Production (EnviroFood) University of Hohenheim

Experts for sustainable environmental protection

How can we provide for today’s global population without exhausting the natural resources future generations will need? One of the greatest challenges of the future is how to intensify food production with environmentally friendly and sustainable production systems. That is why this broad Master’s programme was developed with many opportunities for creating an individual profile.

• International programme with a focus on sustainability and environmental protection
• Consideration of ecological, economic, political, and administrative factors
• Many different career possibilities in national and international companies

Objectives

In this degree programme, you will acquire the following knowledge and skills:

• Analyse and understand the economic, political, and administrative interactions within agroecosystems
• Knowledge of physical, biological, and chemical properties of environmental chemicals to determine their persistence and impact on the environment
• Model development for environmental systems, conducting simulations and analysing the results
• Analysis of geodata using geographic information systems
• Development of integrative, global problem-solving approaches

Occupational fields

Graduates will acquire the knowledge to analyse and understand ecosystemical, economic, political, and administrative interdependencies and develop integrative solutions for problems.

They will be well qualified to work in:

• environmental and quality management in companies and organisations
• agricultural and environmental consulting companies
• research and development for international companies and organisations
• research institutions

The Master's programme also qualifies students to begin a doctoral project. Most universities and graduate colleges expect above-average grades in the Master's programme.

In the first year of study, you will complete five compulsory modules that provide in-depth knowledge of environmental modelling, environmental economics, quantitative methods, and GIS software as well as four semi-elective modules from a wide range of Master's modules offered by the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences.

In the second year of studies, students can choose five elective modules out of the broad catalogue of subjects. A personal mentor from among the instructors advises students in selecting their modules and planning their studies in order to make sure everything goes smoothly and progresses as planned.

The Master's thesis is also completed in the second year of studies, according to each student's chosen specialisation.

Curriculum

Internships are not compulsory, but they are recommended. The internship must be organised by the student and has to fit the schedule of the programme. The CareerCenter Hohenheim runs a database for internship offers and assists in finding suitable placements.

Formal requirements

• An above-average Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural, Natural, or Environmental Sciences, Natural Resource Management, or a related discipline with a standard period of study of at least three years or an equivalent degree
• If the final grade or grade point average of your degree is not above average, you must prove your special suitability for the degree programme.
• Proof of proficiency in English

Additional requirements

• Team spirit and willingness to work in intercultural teams
• Interest in interdisciplinarity

Universities in Baden-Württemberg require their students to pay a semester contribution towards the administration costs, for student services and for the Student Parliament. Student services provide many benefits, such as discounted tickets for public transportation. The semester contribution amounts to approx. 175 EUR per semester.

Baden-Württemberg has the highest standard of living in Germany. The downside is that living costs are slightly above the German average. However, the cost of living can vary enormously depending on your personal lifestyle and where you live. It is generally more expensive to live in a bigger city like Stuttgart, where the University of Hohenheim is located. As a rule of thumb, 950 EUR to 1,000 EUR per month should be enough. The largest monthly expense is usually for rent, accounting for a third of the total cost of living for most students. These costs can be cut substantially by sharing a flat or living in a dorm. A typical example of monthly expenses could look like this:

• Rent: 350 EUR to 500 EUR
• Health insurance: approx. 110 EUR
• Public transport: approx. 60 EUR
• Study materials: 100 EUR
• Food and drink: 150 EUR to 250 EUR
• Leisure and hobbies: approx. 100 EUR

The University of Hohenheim provides students with the opportunity to take on assistant jobs within the campus premises. Students are entrusted with the responsibility of scheduling their working hours in a manner that does not interfere with their academic commitments. Additionally, students have the option to seek employment off campus as permitted by the Aliens Act. It is important to note that finding jobs off campus may be challenging without a strong command of the German language.

More information can be found here.

Numerous funding opportunities exist for Master's thesis projects abroad, which are offered by various foundations. Detailed information is available here.

BRICKS. The Qualification Programme for Entering the German Job Market

The BRICKS project at the University of Hohenheim helps international students prepare for their careers in Germany. The programme provides personalised career training, language development, practical experience, and networking opportunities with top companies, empowering students to shape their professional future in Germany.

CareerCenter Hohenheim

CareerCenter Hohenheim offers guidance and support to students and graduates in areas such as professional orientation, building a professional profile, and the application process. The centre actively fosters connections with business and industrial partners, ensuring early engagement with the professional world through information events, seminars on essential skills, internships, and more.

Student residences on campus

At the University of Hohenheim, several student residence halls are located on campus. They are managed by Student Services Tübingen-Hohenheim. There is a high demand for these rooms, which is why usually only a small number of applications will be successful.

International (non-EU) students have a much more difficult time than Germans in finding private accommodation at the start of their studies when they are searching from their home countries. Therefore, the university provides a quota of rooms for international students. This enables a larger number of new international students to have a room in a residence hall. To be able to offer this special assistance at the start of studies, the rental duration for these rooms is limited to two years for Master's students.

Additionally, the house-hunting assistance offers support in finding a room on the private market.