Agricultural, Food and Environmental Policy Analysis (AFEPA) University of Bonn

The European Master’s programme in Agricultural, Food and Environmental Policy Analysis (AFEPA) responds to the increasing need to better understand the socio-economic and environmental effects of agricultural, food and environmental policies. It provides a high-quality education in their design and assessment. Graduates are well qualified to take on responsibilities in international, national and regional agencies, non-governmental organisations, consultancy firms, professional organisations and private companies such as banks, insurances and agricultural, environmental and food business. Because of the research orientation of the AFEPA Master’s curriculum, they are also well prepared for doctoral studies.

AFEPA is a two-year double degree programme where courses are exclusively held in English, involving four renowned European Universities – together with University Bonn are the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala, the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain) in Belgium and the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (UCSC) in Milan. The programme offers specialisation in the fields of agri-food and policy, environmental and natural resource policy, agribusiness and market analysis, market and consumer research, and development policy.

At University Bonn, AFEPA is closely related to the international Master’s programme in Agricultural and Food Economics (MSc AFECO). The AFEPA students studying in Bonn for one year of the programme will participate in the AFECO courses. Overall, students will study one year of the two-year Master's programme at two out of the four AFEPA partner universities.

The 120 ECTS credits required to obtain the Master’s degree of the AFEPA programme are structured into three blocks:

• a minimum of two semesters of studies (60 ECTS credits) at a first partner university
• two semesters of studies (54 ECTS credits) at a second partner university (including the Master’s thesis)
• two joint summer schools (6 ECTS) during the summer break, organised by and taking place at one of the partner universities

There are core courses that provide the students with a shared background in microeconomics (including consumer theory, producer theory, general equilibrium theory and welfare economics) and quantitative methods (including statistics and econometrics). There are also optional courses that broaden and deepen the students’ empirical and theoretical knowledge directly relevant for the economic analysis of agricultural, food and environmental policy issues. Supplementary courses may be taken in any other discipline recognised by the AFEPA Management Board to deepen or broaden the academic curriculum. Examples of such courses are ethics, environmental law, trade law, finance, public policy, sociology, statistics and geographic information system courses. Language courses are recognised with a maximum of 5 ECTS credits.

The Master’s thesis shall draw on and deepen subjects covered in the courses of the AFEPA programme. It has to be submitted and presented orally by the student at the end of the second year of studies. Students may adopt a theoretical or empirical approach but are encouraged to address a concrete policy issue. Students can spend a shorter exchange study period (one quarter) for writing their thesis as part of their second academic year.

At the end of the first year as well as at the end of the second year, all Master’s students will gather at one of the partner universities for a summer school, consisting of a programme of presentations, workshops, lectures and field trips. At the first summer school (at the end of the first academic year), students will get to discuss a tentative research idea for their Master's theses and will have the opportunity to receive comments and suggestions from at least two faculty members from different partner universities. At the second summer school, students will present their draft theses.

• Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
• Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
• Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (UCSC), Milan, Italy

Internships are not required in any of the compulsory parts of the study programme. As to the support for students in their profiling activities, the programme adviser will assist students in finding an appropriate internship.

The period for the submission of applications for the AFEPA programme for the 2027 cohort is from mid-October 2026 to mid-February 2027. For exact dates, consult our website in due time (Application & Admission — AFEPA). Applicants from European countries can apply until 30 June 2027.

A Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent academic degree of minimum three years of undergraduate study corresponding to 180 ECTS credits with a grade of at least an overall average “B” or equivalent grade

A minimum of 24 ECTS credits in economics gained in the Bachelor’s degree is also required–including one course each in microeconomics and statistics. An additional introduction to agricultural, environmental or food sciences is recommended.

The University of Bonn is a public university, meaning that it does not charge tuition fees. However, all students must pay the semester fee of about 350 EUR per semester, which covers a Deutschlandsemesterticket (student transit pass for public transport) and statutory accident insurance, among other things.

Students in Bonn can expect to pay around 1,000 EUR a month, with rent accounting for the largest share of their living costs.

It is possible for students to get a job teaching or working as research assistants. In German, these positions are called "Studentische Hilfskraft". However, there are no guarantees of securing such employment, as it can only be arranged once the student is in Bonn.

The University of Bonn has a central Career Service (www.uni-bonn.de/careerservice), which provides a range of advice and support about choosing a career and applying for jobs. International students can also join the iStart career programme (www.uni-bonn.de/istart), which teaches participants tangible knowledge and valuable skills that will enable them to write successful applications for jobs in Germany. The programme is geared toward giving students a successful career path both during and after their studies and thus making it easier for them to enter the job market.

Students at the University of Bonn can apply for a room in a dormitory owned by the Studierendenwerk Bonn (see www.studierendenwerk-bonn.de/en/accommodation for more details).

For further information on housing in Bonn, please visit our website at www.uni-bonn.de/living-in-bonn.