MSc Agriculture is a postgraduate course of 2 years, taught in a number of recognized universities in the country. Some of the top institutes include the University of Calcutta, Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Punjab Agricultural University.
The course mainly revolves around agricultural studies and various scientific processes that are involved in agriculture. In order to be eligible for the course, the students must have a BSc degree in subjects like Agriculture, Horticulture, or Forestry from a recognized university.
MSc Agriculture offers a number of specializations, like Agronomy, Biotechnology, Agricultural Economics & Farm Management, Plant Physiology, and Entomology. In total, there are 12 disciplines available for the course.
MSc Agriculture admission may either be a direct one or on the basis of the marks scored by the candidate in the entrance test. However, most colleges/ universities conduct an entrance test on the basis on which the students are admitted.
| Course level | Postgraduate |
| Full-form | Master of Science in Agriculture |
| Duration | 2 years |
| Eligibility | Completed graduation in Agriculture, Horticulture, or Forestry from a recognized institute with a minimum of 50% marks. |
| Admission Process | Entrance test and marks secured in graduation. |
| Course fees | INR 50,000 – INR 150,000 |
| Average salary | INR 1 LPA – INR 2.5 LPA |
| Job positions | Corporate Sales Manager, Research Scientist, Lecturer/Professor, Field Officer, Breeder, Agronomist, Farm Manager |
| Top Recruiters | Coromandel Fertilizers, Buhler India, Monsanto India, Bayer Crop Science, etc |
MSc Agriculture Admission Process
The admission to MSc Agriculture is done based on the marks acquired by the students in their graduation and entrance test.
The admission forms are released in the month of May/June. So, once the student has decided which college they would like to apply for, they are required to fill up the application form. After that, the date of the entrance test is declared and if the candidate clears the admission test, he/she will be eligible for admission. The entire admission process has three basic steps.
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Step 1: Fill the application form
Filling up the application form is the primary step of the admission process. The admission forms are released in both online as well as offline mode. The students will have to fill up the application form minutely and pay the application fee.
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Step 2: Appear for the entrance test
If the students fulfill all the eligibility criteria, he/she will be called for the admission test. MSc Agriculture admission test is mostly based on the topics covered in graduation. The cut-off for the admission test is decided by the college authorities. If the candidate performs well in the admission test and clears the cut-off, he /she will be called for further admission procedure.
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Step 3: Admission to the MSc Agriculture colleges
The final step is taking admission to the college. The shortlisted candidates will be called for admission. The candidates will have to submit all their required documents and take admission in a college of their choice.
MSc Agriculture Eligibility
In order to be eligible for the MSc Agriculture course, the following eligibility criteria should be fulfilled:
- The students must complete their graduation in courses like Horticulture, Forestry, or Agriculture from a recognized university.
- The student must also have a minimum of 50% marks in their graduation. Relaxation of marks is given to the SC/ ST/ OBC/ PwD candidates.
MSc Agriculture Job Prospects and Career Options
- After completion of the M.Sc. in Agriculture, a student may go on to pursue research in various fields related to education.
- The students may also go for an M.Phil. There are numerous colleges that offer M.Phil and Ph.D. courses to the MSc Agriculture students.
- Some of these colleges include Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal, and many more.
- The students may also look for jobs in various sectors like Agriculture/Dairy Industries, Academic Institutions, Fertilizer industries, Food Processing Units, Agricultural Products Marketing firms, etc.
- Some of the top recruiters are Monsanto India, Bayer Crop Science, Coromandel Fertilizers, Buhler India.
Here, we have listed some of the popular MSc Agriculture job profiles along with their description and average salary.
| Job Profile | Job Description | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate Sales Manager | The main task of the corporate sales manager is to take care of the sale of products like fertilizers, hybrid crop seeds, and other equipment to the farmers. | INR 6.3 LPA |
| Research Scientist | A research scientist is mainly responsible for developing advanced technologies, hybrid crop seeds, and better equipment for the farmers. | INR 5 LPA |
| Lecturer/Professor | A lecturer imparts knowledge to the students about various advancements that have been made in the field of agriculture. This profession is meant for students who wish to pursue a career in education. | INR 4.9 LPA |
| Field Officer | A field officer works with the farmers and takes care of the Backward Integration Programme. | INR 3 LPA |
| Breeder | A breeder carries out breeding programs to develop superior quality seeds. | INR 3 LPA |
| Agronomist | An agronomist takes care of multiple tasks like Soil mapping, Product Training, Fertilizer Consumption Pattern, Cropping schedule, Handling Technical Queries, Farmers Education, etc. | INR 6.5 LPA |
| Farm Manager | A farm manager takes care of the management and maintenance of the farm. He also looks after the cultivating, harvesting and spraying of the crops. | INR 3.5 LPA |