Master in Agriculture

The MSc in Agriculture at the University of Copenhagen is a two-year master's programme taught in English. It is built around one idea: plants matter for people. Sustainable production of enough high-quality food for a growing population is a global challenge, and graduates of this programme help shape how plants are used for human benefit. The programme treats agriculture as a human activity as well as a science.

What you study

You choose one of two specialisations when you enrol: Plant Science or Production and Environment.

In Plant Science you work with individual plants and plant products, from genes to traits, genetic resources, quality parameters and postharvest biology. You look at how plants function in agricultural and horticultural production. Central topics include physiological and molecular methods to improve plant performance, plant responses to internal and external growth factors, interaction of plants with other organisms, and the nutritional composition of food, feed, energy, high value crops and ornamental plants.

The compulsory course in this specialisation is Experimental Plant Science (15 ECTS). It runs over two blocks so you can follow growth and development processes over longer periods. You also pick restricted elective courses, and at least one of them must have a production perspective. Elective courses let you deepen or broaden your profile, and you can take them at the Faculty of Science, at other faculties at the university, or at Danish and international universities.

How the programme is organised

Each specialisation starts with a compulsory course. After that you follow compulsory courses, restricted electives and free electives. Most courses mix lectures, exercises, group or individual projects, individual readings, excursions and field work. In the second year you write your thesis, worth 45 or 60 ECTS, on a problem within your core area. The thesis involves independent experimental work or collection and analysis of data, often with a research group or an external partner such as a private firm.

You can use elective space for a project in practice in Denmark or abroad, for example with a company or an institution. You need a supervisor who approves the host and guides you, and you finish with a written project report and an oral examination. Study abroad is also possible, from a summer school to one or two semesters, with passed courses credited back.

Who it suits

This is a broad programme for students who are interested in what plants can do for humans and in agriculture as a human activity. It suits you if you want laboratory and field work on plants, and if you like the mix of natural science with production and regulation questions. There is a long tradition of close contact between students, teachers and research groups, so expect to work near active research.

Admission, language and next steps

You apply through the application portal. A bachelor's in Natural Resources from the University of Copenhagen gives you a legal right of admission, guaranteed if you apply by the deadline and usable up to three years after you finish. Plant and Food Science from Aarhus University meets the academic requirements automatically if you also meet English B.

Other Danish or international degrees need 7.5 ECTS in plant science plus two of three areas: biology or ecology (7.5 ECTS), natural resources such as soil, water and climate (7.5 ECTS), and economics or regulation (7.5 ECTS). The admission board can also admit you after an individual assessment. English B is required, and the university does not pre-assess backgrounds. Applicants from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland pay an application deposit and tuition fee; EU, EEA and Swiss citizens study free of charge.

Master’s applications go straight to University of Copenhagen, not through optagelse.dk, and the institution sets its own deadline. The register shows 15 January 2027 as the next deadline for this programme. Intake, as the register states it: Starts 1 September 2027 (apply by 15 January 2027). Entry requirements and language tests are set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, residence permits and housing.