Plant Nutrition and Protection University of Hohenheim

Cultivated Plants for the Future

The major "Plant Nutrition and Protection" in the Master's programme "Crop Sciences" focuses on understanding crops in their growing systems and developing agricultural systems that are high-yielding as well as ecologically sustainable. Adaptation of agricultural systems to climate change, changing environments, and any kind of stress are key challenges for society. This degree programme is designed to produce experts who will provide solutions to future needs.

The goal of the “Plant Nutrition and Protection” major is to increase the efficiency of culture crops and cultivation systems to convert light and additional resources to increase their use as food, feed and bio-based products.

Objectives

Graduates will be able to develop independent approaches to address the changing issues of modern plant production systems. Their broad understanding stretches from basic biology to physiology and ecology as well as bio-informatics and expert systems. They have acquired the ability to apply analytical and scientific knowledge of plant biology and production at the individual plant level, and they have learned to think in terms of managing an agroecosystem. Through excursions, exercises, and seminars, students have gained experience needed to apply their scientific knowledge to real-world situations.

Graduates will be able to apply scientific methods, communicate their knowledge across disciplinary and cultural boundaries, and lead or coordinate teams in a variety of professional settings.

Occupational fields

Graduates develop skills in critical and solution-oriented thinking and are well-prepared for current research questions in plant physiology, plant nutrition and protection, and biometric evaluation techniques. Employers of graduates are private companies and public institutions, either in Germany or abroad.

Examples of potential fields of employment include:

• Public and private research centres
• Agroindustry
• Crop production
• Chemical-pharmaceutical industry
• Service and consulting companies
• Non-governmental organisations

The major "Plant Nutrition and Protection" in the Master's programme "Crop Sciences" qualifies students for starting a doctoral programme, assuming their final grade is above average.

The four-semester major contains five compulsory modules with a total of 30 ECTS credits, 10 elective modules with a total of 60 ECTS credits and the Master’s thesis with 30 ECTS credits. The second and third semester are designated as a mobility window.

The specialisation is formed through the elective modules, which can be chosen from the entire range of Master's modules offered by the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences. Ten elective modules make it possible for students to design their individual profile according to their career plans and interests.

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 or natural sciences or related fields (including agricultural sciences, bio-based products and bioenergy, or biology)
• 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 English language skills
• Result of the Crop Sciences pre-test. It is compulsory to complete the test before the application deadline, but the test results will not influence the chances of admission.

Content requirements

The degree programme has specific requirements for good prior knowledge of biology, genetics, and physiology of plants (this includes knowledge of molecular biology and ecology). In addition, the understanding and application of statistical methods and the handling of large amounts of data are central. Above-average learning ability and interest in interrelationships of plants with the changing environment are required. Understanding and applying modern bioinformatics methods requires extensive computer skills.

We expect our students to have good knowledge of English and to be computer-literate. We also require the ability and willingness to work in intercultural teams.

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, 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.