Plant Breeding and Seed Science University of Hohenheim

Growing the Future: Plant Breeding & Seed Science

Plant breeding is an industry upstream of agricultural production that has had and will continue to have a significant role in increasing agricultural production and productivity. The interface between plant breeding and agricultural production is the seed sector with seed multiplication, processing, and marketing.

The "Plant Breeding and Seed Science" major qualifies students for the professional field of plant breeding and seed production, building on an agriculturally oriented Bachelor's degree programme. It is integrated as a major in the Master's degree programme "Crop Sciences".

Objectives

Students completing the programme successfully will be trained to accomplish the following:

• scientific competence
  • apply broad knowledge in biology, genetics, genomics, bioinformatics and data science to solve problems in modern plant breeding
  • process and analyse complex sets of analytical and phenotyping data with advanced statistical and bioinformatic methods
  • design, carry out and evaluate research projects on seed quality in a plant breeding environment
• towards qualified employment
  • develop plant breeding approaches to address the challenges of e.g. climate change or bioeconomy
  • assess impacts of plant breeding under societal, scientific, and ethical aspects
  • determine and assess seed quality with standard methods and modern technologies
• towards personality development
  • communicate complex issues in an understandable manner across disciplines and cultures

Occupational Fields

Typical employers of graduates of "Plant Breeding and Seed Science" are private companies and public institutions engaged in practical plant breeding or breeding research, as well as seed production or seed research in Germany or abroad. A doctorate is advisable if a student wants to be the director of a breeding programme or a breeding laboratory in a breeding company or a public plant breeding institution, for which graduates in this discipline are very well qualified.

The four-semester major contains seven compulsory modules with a total of 42 ECTS credits, eight elective modules with a total of 48 ECTS credits, and the Master’s thesis with 30 ECTS credits. The third semester is designated as a mobility window. An internship, e.g. in a breeding company, can be integrated into the degree programme as an elective module via the portfolio module.

The specialisation is formed through the elective modules, which can be chosen from the range of Master's modules offered by the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences.

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. Upon request, the Career Center may assist in finding an internship.

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 and above-average learning in the areas of statistics and biometrics, data science, genetics, genomics, molecular techniques, and experimental science.

We expect our students 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.