MSc in Biosystems Engineering

1. Name of the master’s programme: Biosystems Engineering

2. The level of qualification that can be obtained in the programme and the designation of the qualification in the diploma:

• level of qualification: master (magister, master; abbreviated: MSc-) degree
• qualification: Biosystems Engineer

3. Field of study: Agriculture

4. Degree accepted as prerequisites for entry into the master's programme

4.1. The following programmes can be considered with full credit value: undergraduate programmes in crop engineering, conservation engineering, economic and rural development agricultural engineering, rural development agricultural engineering, animal husbandry engineering, agricultural engineering, and wildlife management engineering from the agricultural field of study.

4.2. The following undergraduate programmes can be taken into account by completing the credits specified in point 9.4: agricultural and business digitalization, surveying and land surveying, horticultural engineering, environmental management agricultural engineering, food engineering, agricultural and food industry mechanical engineering, horse breeding and equestrian sports organization agricultural engineering, agricultural and water management engineering ,environmental engineering, viticulture and oenology engineering, landscape and horticultural engineering.

4.3. The credits specified in point 9.4 may also be taken into account for those bachelor's and master's degree programmes, as well as those programmes pursuant to Act LXXX of 1993 on Higher Education, which are accepted by the Study and Credit Transfer Committee of the higher education institution based on a comparison of the knowledge serving as the basis for determining the credit.

5. Training period in semesters: 3 semesters

6. The number of credits to be collected to obtain a master's degree: 90 credits

• orientation of the major: balanced (the proportion of theoretical knowledge transfer is 40–60 percent)
• credit value assigned to the thesis: 15-20 credits
• minimum credit value assigned to optional subjects: 6 credits

7. The field of study classification of the vocational qualification according to the unified classification system for training areas: 0811

8. Training objectives and professional competencies of master's degree programme

The aim of the training is to train professionals who have interdisciplinary knowledge in the fields of technical and agricultural sciences. By supplementing the knowledge acquired during the agricultural bachelor’s programmes with technical, technological, data science, management and economic knowledge, students who graduate from the Biosystems Engineering become qualified to manage agricultural farms, to develop and operate the management of technical and/or economic system processes and corporate projects, and to carry out professional management, planning, synthesizing research and innovation activities. They are prepared to continue their studies in doctoral training. The programme concludes with a 15-credit diploma thesis preparation programme, which students can complete in the fields of agricultural technology and agricultural digitalization.

8.1. The professional competencies to be acquired

The Biosystems Engineer

a) according to his/her knowledge:

• knows the basic concepts, facts, main characteristics and relationships related to the entire agricultural activity (production, processing, sales).
• knows the modern technologies used in the agricultural sector and their practical application.
• knows the production tools of the agricultural technical field and the conditions and rules of their operation.
• knows and understands the organizational and operational procedures of the technical processes of the agricultural field.
• knows the real, human, economic and social relationships of the production and service processes.
• knows the rules for the management of enterprises and economic organizations and the planning and management of projects.
• knows the logistics processes, the methods of their implementation and technical possibilities.

b) according to his/her competencies

• able to manage agricultural enterprises and their organizational units, to plan and manage management processes and projects in the business organization, and to manage resources efficiently.
• able to create basic models of agricultural technical systems and processes, to create new models.
• able to apply technical specifications related to the operation of agricultural mechanical systems, the principles of setting up and operating machines and mechanical equipment, and their economic relationships.
• able to apply the related calculation, modeling principles and methods of mechanical product, process and technological design.
• able to apply the acquired agrarian-informatics knowledge in solving tasks arising in his/her field of expertise, and in supporting the introduction of development processes in the company.
• able to actively contribute to the sale of products and services produced in the relevant field of expertise.
• able to interpret and apply the effective Community and national support regulations.
• interprets and systemizes professional tasks with the help of the acquired high-level professional knowledge.

c) according to his/her attitudes

• is open to basic, general and specific knowledge of the agricultural engineering field.
• in the course of his work, he/she examines the possibility of setting economic and technical development and innovation goals and strives to achieve them.
•  strives to monitor the continuous technological development of the agricultural engineering field and to acquire new knowledge.
• strives to make his decisions with full consideration of the laws and ethical standards.
• assesses and adapts his communication to his engineering and management tasks.
• expects cooperation and, after gaining sufficient practice, he also displays it in his management tasks.

d) according to his/her autonomy and responsibility

• able to make decisions independently and with a sense of professional responsibility in professional matters concerning his/her field of expertise and assumes the consequences of his/her decisions.
• realistically evaluates the results of his/her own work.
• makes independent decisions with a sense of professional responsibility in work organization and task assignment cases.
• takes responsibility for the safe and effective operation of the organizational units, persons, tools, and equipment entrusted to him/her.
• represents his/her opinion autonomously in research and development work processes.

9. Characteristics of the master programme

9.1. Professional characteristics

9.1.1 The disciplines and scientific areas of expertise leading to professional qualifications, on which the major is built:

• Natural science knowledge: 5-15 credits:
• Economic and management knowledge (project and innovation management, economics, competitiveness analysis, business economics, organizational development, human resource management): 5–15 credits;
• Agrarian-technical professional knowledge (agricultural informatics and systems engineering knowledge, agricultural technology knowledge, agricultural energy and logistics knowledge, data science knowledge): 35–50 credits;
• Freely chosen field of knowledge: 6 credits.

9.2. Requirements for the internship:

• Mandatory participation in the professional study trip organized in the first and second semesters (visiting market-leading technical technology service companies, agricultural technical exhibitions).
• 80 hours of diploma thesis preparation practice.

9.3. Special features distinguishing the training (if any): - 

9.4. Minimum requirements for entry into the master's degree training cycle for holders of the diploma specified in points 4.2. and 4.3.

The minimum number of credits required for entry into a master's degree programme other than a full-credit undergraduate degree programme, per field/branch, per discipline:

The minimum number of credits required for entry into a master's degree programme other than a full-credit undergraduate degree programme is 80 credits from the following areas:

• at least 30 credits in the field of natural science knowledge (mathematics, computer science, physics, chemistry, biology, microbiology and biochemistry);
• at least 10 credits in the field of economics and social science;
• at least 40 credits in the field of professional knowledge (biochemistry, food chemistry, physical chemistry, analytics, quality and safety, technical knowledge, food technology knowledge, knowledge of raw materials, agricultural product processing knowledge, animal husbandry, crop production, plant protection, wildlife management).

The condition for admission to the master's programme is that the student has at least 60 credits in the listed areas of knowledge. The missing credits must be obtained in parallel with the training aimed at obtaining the master's degree, within two semesters after admission, as specified in the Study and Examination Regulations of the higher education institution.