This program examines food production techniques compatible with agroecology, in addition to how agroecological production benefits the environment, biodiversity, and animal welfare. Agroecology, along with agro-tourism and rural tourism, is a means to foster rural development since it enhances assets existing in rural areas. This program's curriculum keeps European regulations mind as well as how these activities need to be economically viable, because establishing people in rural settings is a part of their development, and to accomplish this, creating economic opportunities in them is essential.
This program is presented in a blended format, with both practical classroom sessions and online theory. Students may carry out extracurricular internships if they so desire, however they are not required. Voluntary mobility stays are permitted from among the agreements maintained by the UMH (Erasmus, Destino, SICUE).
Regulated profession: No
Doctorates providing access:
Students are trained to diagnose agro-tourism resources available in a particular rural area, to understand the procedures for preparing a conversion project or improving productive practices, and to implement viable transformation projects that seek involvement by public administrations and the surrounding private sector. Starting from their educational background (engineering, licenciatura, bachelor's degree), the student specializes in the aforementioned topics. Related research methodologies are also introduced, which due to this Master's research orientation, entitles its graduates to pursue doctoral education.
ECTS credits: 60
| Core | Required | Electives | External internships | Final Master's Project |
|---|
| 0 | 54 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
Design
This master's program contains 60 credits and lasts one academic year. It is comprised of fifteen required courses without any electives. Eight of the courses are offered in Fall semester (30 credits) and the remaining seven are so in Spring (30 credits), one of which is the Final Master's Project.
The teaching structure of this program is blended: its lecture portion (theory) is given via the online teaching platform of the Orihuela School of Engineering of the UMH (EPSO virtual), and there are two classroom sessions each lasting 2.5 days that take place throughout the year (one each semester). Examinations are taken in the classroom during the official examination dates for each semester (January/February and June/July), along with the extraordinary examination dates (September and December), grouped into 3-4 days of each semester.
Students may enroll either full- or part-time (18-30 credits per year), so this program may be taken by active persons seeking further training to complement their occupational activity.
No internships are required. Nevertheless, if the student is interested, he/she can carry out optional internships by following the procedures listed in "Prácticas Externas" (in the Spanish-language version of this program).
Courses
Competencies
General competencies
- Analyze and synthesize information available about agroecology, rural development, and agro-tourism.
- Organize and plan various projects related to agroecology, rural development, and agro-tourism.
- Manage the information available for use in day-to-day work related to agroecology, rural development, and agro-tourism.
- Resolve problems in the field of agroecology, rural development, and agro-tourism.
- Make decisions based on prior knowledge and given circumstances in the field of agroecology, rural development, and agro-tourism.
- Plan and design research experiments related to the field of agroecology, rural development, and agro-tourism.
- Value the diversity and multiculturalism in the field of agroecology, rural development, and agro-tourism.
- Have a critical and self-critical capacity to assess work in the field of agroecology, rural development, and agro-tourism.
- Be capable of adapting to new situations that may arise in the day-to-day work related to the field of agroecology, rural development, and agro-tourism.
- Be able to work independently in the field of agroecology, rural development, and agro-tourism.
- Possess entrepreneurial initiative and spirit in the field of agroecology, rural development, and agro-tourism.
- Be concerned with quality in order to achieve the best results in work related to agroecology, rural development, and agro-tourism.
- Be capable of generating new ideas related to the field of agroecology, rural development, and agro-tourism.
- Design and manage original projects related to the field of agroecology, rural development, and agro-tourism.
Specific competencies
- Understand the operations of agroecological systems and recognize the keys for agricultural system sustainability.
- Identify the environmental risks and impact deriving from agricultural activities.
- Understand legislation and regulatory framework related to ecological production systems, rural development, and agro-tourism.
- Understand strategic plans for rural development based on the production and industrialization of agroecological products in agro-tourism, and in the architectural, social, and cultural heritage of agricultural areas.
- Ability to diagnose the available resources in new rural settings (architectural, social, and cultural heritage; local products, biodiversity of flora and fauna, agricultural practices, and conversion options) to promote sustainability and rural development.
- Ability to appropriately prepare, plan, and manage, with certain originality, conversion projects of conventional exploitations to ecological systems.
- Ability to assess, plan and manage rural development projects for public presentation in local, regional, and national calls for public and private financing.
- Appreciation for biodiversity: knowledge of the importance of genetic resources and knowledge of conservation methods.
- Promote the recovery of native species and products in sustainable agricultural development, recovering traditional prevention and control techniques of pests and diseases.
- Capability of making judgments based on scientific and technical information, acquired knowledge, and personal reflections in order to prepare reports and communicate with multidisciplinary teams.
- Prepare marketing plans for agroecological businesses and/or those involved in rural tourism.
- Design original research projects applied to agroecology, rural development, and agro-tourism.
- Disseminate research results and their applications related to the field of agroecology, rural development, and agro-tourism.
- Direct research groups in the field of agroecology, rural development, and agro-tourism.
Access and Admissions
Access
The access requirements correspond to those referred to in Article 16 of Royal Decree 1393/2007 and Royal Decree 861/2010:
For access to official master's education, applicants must hold either an official Spanish university degree or one conferred by a higher education institution in a country belonging to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) that entitles access to master's education in such country.
Access may also be granted to those possessing a degree from an educational system outside the EHEA, without requiring its homologation, but following verification by the UMH that the degree represents an educational level that is equivalent to the corresponding official Spanish university degree and that it entitles access to graduate education within the issuing country.
Access this way does not mean, under any circumstance, homologation of the degree the interested party holds, or its recognition for anything besides studying in a master's program.
Admissions
This program is directed at students who have completed a university undergraduate degree within the fields of agricultural engineering, veterinary sciences, biology, environmental sciences, and forestry, at the diplomatura, licenciatura, and grado (bachelor) levels. Likewise, it is directed at graduates of the preceding degrees who at the time of enrollment either are working privately or are employed or contracted at different public administrations. The incoming student profile corresponds to a person committed to and motivated by sustainable production strategies and development in rural areas.
Student selection is made by valuing the academic record and curriculum of the candidate, by assessing their university degree of origin, and whether any informal training received and professional experience are related to the scope of this master. In cases of doubt between various candidates, a personal interview is given.
The scoring applied is as follows:
- Academic record (2 points)
- Professional experience in related topics (4 points)
- Formal and informal training received related to the theme of the Master (4 points)
The admissions body or commission is composed of three persons: the Master's coordinator, Director of the Agro-Food Technology Department, and one faculty member participating in the program.
Training complements:
In order to enroll in this master's program, verification of a series of requirements that enable adaptation of the student to current regulations is required. Such requirements may entail the need for complementary training that is in accordance with the criteria of the UMH Vice Rectorate for Academic Affairs as proposed by the Master's Commission. Criteria for student selection and admission.
Links of interest of the master
Schedule
2019-20 Master's in Agroecology, Rural Development and Agro-Tourism Schedule
http://agroecologia.edu.umh.es/