Danube AgriFood master - DAFM (joint master)

1. Name of the master's programme to be launched as a joint programme with foreign higher education institutions: Fenntartható mezőgazdaság, élelmiszertermelés és -technológia a Duna régióban / Sustainability in Agriculture, Food Production and Food Technology in the Danube Region

2. Level of qualification that can be obtained in the master's programme and the specification of the professional qualification in the diploma

• level of qualification: master's degree (magister, master; abbreviated: MSc);
• professional qualification in Hungarian language: okleveles fenntarthatósági agrármérnök
• professional qualification in English language: Agricultural Engineer in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Production

3. Field of study: Agriculture

4. Degrees accepted as prerequisites for admission to master's programmes

4.1. Full credit value can be considered:

• from technical field of study: Bioengineering undergraduate study programme,
• from agricultural field of study: Agricultural engineering, Food engineering undergraduate programme
• and the undergraduate programmes at partner universities as follows:
  • BOKU: BSc in Agricultural Sciences, BSc in Food Science and Biotechnology
  • MATE BSc in Agriculture Engineering, BSc in Wildlife Conservation and Management, BSc in Food Engineering, BSc Bioengineering, BSc in Horticulture
  • UNS: BSc in Agriculture, BSc in Crop Science, BSc in Animal Science, BSc in Fruit Science and Viticulture, BSc in Phytomedicine, BSc in Agricultural Engineering, BSc in Horticulture, BSc in Agricultural Ecology and Environmental Protection, BSc in Organic Agriculture,
  • UniZG: BSc in Agricultural Engineering, BSc in Agroecology, BSc in Animal Sciences, BSc in Horticulture, BSc in Organic Agriculture, BSc in Plant Protection, BSc in Plant Sciences, BSc in Mediterranean Agriculture, BSc in Food technology, BSc in Forestry, Nature Conservation and Environmental Protection, BSc in Plant Production, BSc in Horticulture
• And also the following undergraduate programmes at partner universities:
  • CULS: BSc in Agriculture and Food, BSc in Sustainable use of Natural Resources
  • Nitra University: BSc in Food quality and control, BSc in Agro food sciences, BSc in Agro biotechnology, BSc in Viticulture
  • WULS: BSc in Agriculture, BSc in Food Technology and Human Nutrition, BSc in Human Nutrition and Food Evaluation, BSc in Food Safety, BSc in Commodity Science

4.2. The credits specified in section 9.4 may primarily be considered:

• in agricultural field of study: Agricultural Engineering in Environmental Management
• in technical field of study: Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering undergraduate study programmes
• in nature sciences field of study: Biology, Chemistry undergraduate study programmes

4.3. In addition, the credits specified in Section 9.3 may be considered for bachelor's and master's degree programmes, as well as programmes specified in Act LXXX of 1993 on Higher Education, which are accepted by the Credit Transfer Committee of the higher education institution based on a comparison of the knowledge serving as the basis for determining the credits.

5. The length of the programme: 4 semesters

6. Number of credits required to obtain a master's degree: 120 credits

• Orientation of the programme: balanced (highly theory-intensive [~70-80%]; theory-oriented [~60-70%], balanced [~40-60%]; highly practice-intensive [~70-80%]; practice-oriented [~60-70%])
• Credit value assigned to the thesis: 30 credits;
• Minimum credit value for continuous professional practice/Internship outside the institution: 4 credits;
• Minimum credit value for optional subjects: 6 kredit;
• in the case of a specialization, the minimum credit value assigned to it: credit (if relevant).

7. Classification of fields of study according to the uniform classification system for vocational training areas: 621/0810

8. The aim of the training and general and professional competences of the master’s degree:

The aim of the programme is to train agricultural engineers who can apply and synthesize the agricultural, food science, natural science, and technical knowledge and skills acquired in the master's programme in the field of agricultural sciences with a sustainable and comprehensive approach. Graduates can perform tasks in international cooperation and are suitable for involvement in scientific work in their field. Based on their training, they are eligible to continue their studies in a doctoral programme.

Professional competencies to be acquired 

a) knowledge

• Graduates are aware of the relevance of the principle of sustainability in general and in relation to riparian regions.
• Graduates are familiar with the Danube region from an ecological and cultural-historical perspective.
• Graduates acquire knowledge of sustainability-oriented agriculture and food production, particularly in the following four areas:
  • Food safety and consumer science: food microbiology, food chemistry, food safety and quality, knowledge and practical application of state-of-the-art molecular methods, product quality assessment, knowledge of food production processes and practical issues, food and animal feed safety, toxicology, ecotoxicology.
  • Sustainable agriculture: ecological and integrated crop production and plant protection.
  • Soil, water, and climate knowledge: climate change and agrometeorology, soil science, hydrology, and their agricultural implications, GIS application in natural resource management, water management in agriculture.
  • Intercultural knowledge: basic knowledge of the European Union (knowledge of regulations relevant to a given field, knowledge of scientific communication methods, local languages (Hungarian, German, Croatian, Serbian).

b) competencies

• Graduates can analyse and understand the problems of the agricultural economy and related areas, as well as developing sustainable solutions, innovation, planning, development, and research plans.
• Graduates can practice their field of expertise, recognizing, utilizing, and further developing cause-and-effect relationships.
• Graduates can transfer and acquire the latest knowledge in the fields of sustainability-oriented agriculture, food production, and food technology.
• Graduates can select and apply agricultural, food production, and food technology methods that meet sustainability criteria.
• Graduates can apply their knowledge and critical thinking skills and approach problems from multiple perspectives.
• Graduates can analyse social interactions in an intercultural environment.
• Graduates can lead international project teams.
• Graduates speak English fluently and can acquire basic language skills in the languages of the partner countries participating in the master's programme.
• Graduates can prepare research plans, reports, and scientific papers and present them to a wider audience.

c) attitudes

• Effective problem identification, analysis, and solution skills
• critical thinking
• openness
• flexibility
• environmental awareness
• good organizational skills
• motivation to continuously expand knowledge, acquire new knowledge, and apply it
• sustainable approach

d) autonomy and responsibility

• professional responsibilityű
• ability to cooperate, perform managerial tasks after acquiring sufficient experience
• high degree of independence
• systematic way of thinking

9. Characteristics of master training:

9.1. Professional characteristics

Disciplines, scientific fields, and areas of expertise that are decisive in terms of professional qualifications and that make up the programme (including the credit ratio between the major areas of expertise)

• Basic knowledge: Food safety and consumer science: food microbiology, food chemistry (8-10 credits)
• Soil, water, and climate: climate change and agrometeorology, soil science, hydrology. (7-12 credits)
• Professional knowledge areas: Food safety and consumer science: food safety, food and animal feed safety, toxicology, ecotoxicology. (10-12 credits)
• Sustainable agriculture: ecological and integrated crop production and plant protection (20 credits)
• Soil, water, and climate: soil science, hydrology, and their agricultural implications; application of GIS in natural resource management; water management in agriculture. (13-18 credits)
• Intercultural knowledge: 2 winter/summer universities, conference participation, basic knowledge of the European Union, knowledge of scientific communication methods (12 credits)
• Elective professional knowledge: sustainable rural and regional development; biodiversity, sustainable use of natural resources; biotechnology; regional characteristics; sustainable energy systems (5-14 credits)
• Thesis (30 credits)
• Professional internship (4 credits)

9.2. Foreign language requirements

The master's programme requires at least B2 level English language proficiency (Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR)) or an equivalent high school diploma or certificate.

9.3. Requirements for professional practice/internship

The internship is credited with 4 credits and lasts 4 weeks, which the student completes at non-higher education partner institutions, supporting organizations/institutions/companies, or at a location chosen by the student and approved by the current partner university.

9.4. Regarding points 4.2 and 4.3, minimum conditions for admission to the master's degree programme:

The minimum number of credits required for admission to a master's programme from a programme other than a full-credit undergraduate programme, by field of study/branch/discipline:

• Natural sciences: min. 20 ECTS
• Agricultural sciences: min. 20 ECTS
• Engineering, technical administration, and economics: min. 16 ECTS

Admission to the master's programme requires that the student have at least 60 credits in the listed areas of knowledge. Any missing credits must be earned in parallel with the master's programme, within two semesters of admission, in accordance with the study and examination regulations of the higher education institution.