Organic Agriculture & Food Systems

We train you inter- and transdisciplinarily to shape transformation. With the challenges of the 21st century, societal changes are necessary. Agriculture and food production play a central role in this transformation process. The way we produce, process and market food needs to be rethought.

Analysis and evaluation of complex value chains

The Master's degree programme Organic Agriculture and Food System links organic agriculture and the sub-sectors of society relevant to food supply. It enables you to acquire the skills and knowledge to analyse and evaluate complex value-added contexts and production processes for a transformation of the agricultural and food economy towards more ecological, social and economic sustainability. With the double degree, you can obtain two degrees with one study programme.

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DOUBLE DEGREE

HNEE & ZHAW

Get a double degree in Organic Agriculture & Food Systems at the Eberswalde University of Applied Sciences and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences.

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Our interface with professional practice in the region

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PARTNER UNIVERSITY

ZHAW

Get to know our partner university the ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences.

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September 2024 to February 2025

Winter semester 2024/2025

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Study content

Individual study contents

You complete the study programme Organic Agriculture and Food Systems after four semesters. During this time you will also complete a practical phase. You collect 30 ECTS per semester. This results in a total of 120 ECTS. In the first two semesters, you will mainly learn the basics of the programme. At the end of the first semester, it is possible to apply for the "Double Degree" study option, which we offer together with our partner university ZHAW. In the third semester, you complete your practical semester in the agricultural and nutrition sector, or in research. In the fourth semester you will write your Master's thesis. A wide range of elective modules allows you to tailor your course of study to your individual needs.

Modules per semester

The first semester takes place at the HNE in Eberswalde and is characterised by the first major pillar, the module Introduction to Sustainable Agricultural and Food Systems (12 ECTS). In addition, there is the possibility to choose three elective modules. In autumn, it is possible to apply for the double degree study path.

You will learn about the complexity of agricultural and food systems and thus understand their central importance for social transformation processes. Furthermore, you will get to know each other as a group of student experts (showing the expertise in the group as a resource for interdisciplinary work).

You will get an overview of management measures, especially for larger livestock (herd, health, nutrient, quality management). Based on practical examples, you will learn how to use the corresponding management tools.

With an overview of evaluation systems in agriculture, especially with regard to sustainability and animal welfare, you will learn how to apply them. In addition, you will become familiar with current problems in organic animal husbandry.

Based on current scientific articles, you will be able to answer urgent questions of grassland management and grassland ecology in a well-founded and reflected manner.

The students acquire basic theoretical and practical knowledge of quality assessment methods and, building on this, can make a critical evaluation of quality control procedures.

Here you will acquire knowledge about physiological processes in plants under stress conditions. You will learn what effects climate change has on the cultivation of crop stands.

The students learn the systematic analysis of selected political contents {policy), institutional frameworks {polity) and political processes {politics) in the policy field of agricultural and food systems.

For a practical farm, you will plan a new branch of the business with livestock, taking into account herd size, husbandry system, feed requirements and economic aspects. In addition, you will deepen your knowledge of special animal species as a possible alternative source of income.

Against the background of legal and private sector requirements for organic food business operators, you will learn the importance of operational quality assurance systems and be able to plan them.

On the basis of selected agricultural or horticultural issues, you will learn here to assess the effects of process technology on farm resource consumption.


The module Research Methods and the project module Regional Value Creation in Agriculture and Food together form the core of the 2nd semester. In the project module, methods learnt are directly applied in practice, for example through cooperation with practical enterprises of the InnoForum. Two compulsory elective modules can be taken in parallel.

You will learn the methods of data collection as well as the evaluation of data with statistical procedures. Furthermore, you will be taught detailed knowledge of plant cultivation, animal ecology and social science research methods.

In small groups, you will try out the development and theoretical implementation of strategies of regional enterprises in agriculture and the food industry using a research-based teaching approach based on concrete questions from practice.

Systemic analysis and evaluation of cultivation methods in organic farming. Strengths and weaknesses analysis of nutrient cycles on livestock and livestock-free farms. These are your topics in this module.

In this module you will learn about different concepts of guidance as well as about the organisation and financing of guidance in organic agriculture. You will get to know guidance as a process in order to be able to design it as an advisor according to the situation and to accompany clients in change processes.

The students understand the importance of digital product and company descriptions for ordering, production, picking and invoicing processes in the food industry.

You will get an overview of the production of the most economically important vegetable species in organic farming. Procedures in field vegetable cultivation, greenhouse cultivation, young plant cultivation and plant protection are discussed.

This module enables you to analyse business models in the agriculture and food industry and discuss the effects of changing framework conditions on them and develop application-oriented scenarios for further development.

You will gain an understanding of sustainable consumption styles and their determinants and learn about key barriers to sustainable consumption and how to influence them. You will use marketing research methods as a basis for decision-making for (sustainability-oriented) marketing concepts of actors in the agricultural and food industry.

The students are able to describe operational and strategic instruments of business management, approaches from the functional areas of management, sustainability management, organisation and coordination in agriculture and agribusiness and transfer them to operational situations.

As a student, you will be able to analyse, evaluate and plan pasture systems on a practical farm, taking into account local, operational, agri-environmental and social conditions.

You complete your individual practical semester in the agricultural and food sector, or in research. Part of the internship period ("Project Practical Phase") is intended for the preparation of a research paper. The third semester usually takes place at the HNEE. For double degree students, it is now off to Switzerland to the ZHAW.

During the internship, you will gain an insight into typical contents, processes and functional areas of business management (planning, financing, controlling, personnel management, etc.). If possible, you should work independently and be entrusted with your own tasks. Part of the internship time is to be made available for the development of the research paper. The topic is determined after a co-productive research process with the supervisor of the internship company and a supervising lecturer of the University for Sustainable Development.

Parallel to and following the practical phase, you will work on a research question jointly prepared with the internship company according to scientific requirements. The research project is carried out as a co-productive process together with the internship company and an HNEE lecturer in order to develop well-founded and customised solutions. The results are presented and discussed at a transfer camp.

In the fourth semester, you write your Master's thesis. For this you return to the HNEE.

FAQ study contents

The HNEE is a typical "campus university", which is why students in the MSc OLE spend most of their study day at the city campus. Lecture halls, seminar rooms, the refectory and the library are all within short walking distance here. The day is divided into lecture times, times for group work or research in the library and for joint discussions over lunch in the refectory. On other days, excursions or field exercises are on the programme. By bike, train or HNEE buses, the students go to practical companies in the region or to the teaching and research station in the Uckermark.

- Designing sustainability transformation in the agriculture and food sector
- Analysis and evaluation of complex analysis and evaluation of complex value creation contexts in the organic agriculture and food sector
- Designing participatory and transdisciplinary development and research processes

The modules include contact teaching (lectures, exercises, seminars, excursions) as well as free space for self-study and group work. In addition to continuous modules that are offered weekly, there are also modules that are offered as block courses during the block week. Project workshops and innovative forms of teaching and learning are module formats that enable students to become active in teaching themselves and to introduce their own key topics into the teaching.

Due to the project module Regional Value Creation in Agriculture and Food and the practical study semester, the practical component is also very high compared to other Master's degree programmes. Furthermore, through the cooperation with the InnoForum Ökolandbau Brandenburg, there is a close interface to practice, which is used for teaching.

In addition to your studies, you have the opportunity to gain practical work experience as a student trainee or as a research assistant in companies or research projects. Through the InnoForum Ökolandbau Brandenburg, it is possible to find practical companies in the region where students can work.

As an interface to professional practice, the HNEE coordinates the InnoForum Organic Agriculture Brandenburg. Through this, students have direct access to potential employers and companies and also get to know them during their studies.

After graduation

Career prospects

Organic farming is an integral part of the agricultural and food system and is here to stay. The entire sector of the food system is growing, and with it the fields of work. The demand for professionals with a new understanding of management and values is high.

Graduates can successfully lead agricultural enterprises through transformation processes (e.g. conversion to organic farming, development of new cultivation methods, establishment of new value creation networks, etc.). They can design, apply for and successfully implement inter- and transdisciplinary research, development and transfer projects. The degree programme qualifies you to contribute your expertise to companies, associations and organisations in organic agriculture.

After my studies, I started as a research assistant at ZALF, where I am currently working on my PhD and researching the development of new soybean cultivation strategies for Brandenburg.

 

Mosab Halwani

Research Associate at the Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Graduate, Organic Agriculture and Food Systems Msc.

Since 2022, I have been working at the Ministry for Energy Transition, Agriculture, Environment, Nature and Digitalisation in Schleswig-Holstein in the Organic Farming, Cross Compliance Unit. The study programme prepared me well for this.

 

Marthe Rissmann

Organic Agriculture Officer - Ministry for Energy Transition, Agriculture, Environment, Nature and Digitalisation of the State of Schleswig-Holstein, Graduate, Organic Agriculture and Food Systems Msc.

Application

I want to apply...

Application deadline
Summer semester: 1.12. to 28.2. (only possible for higher semesters)
Winter semester: 1.6. to 5.9.

 

Apply now

Please create an applicant account in the online application portal. You will receive a confirmation from us by e-mail with your user name and a password. Now you can log in and start entering all the information required for the application and uploading your documents. After submitting the online application, the "Print" button will take you to a summary of your details in the online application, which we recommend you print out and check. If you have discovered an error after submitting your application, please write us an e-mail.

Proof of a first professional university degree with at least 180 ECTS credits (Bachelor's, Diplom, Magister, Master's, Staatsexamen), in the field of landscape, business administration or food-related courses of study. This includes, in particular, degree programmes in the following disciplines:

  • Agricultural and forestry sciences
  • Horticulture
  • Landscape planning
  • Regional development
  • Environmental protection or nature conservation
  • Food management/ecotrophology and
  • Business Administration
  • Certificate and diploma of the university degree (alternatively proof of achievement with at least 150 ECTS and provisional average grade).
  • School and professional career (curriculum vitae in tabular form)

Application deadline
Summer semester: 1.11. to 1.12. (only possible for higher semesters)
Winter semester: 1.4. to 1.5.

 

Apply now via uni-assist

If you have obtained your degree abroad, then - regardless of your citizenship - do not apply directly to our university, but via the application portal of uni-assist e.V. This is a service centre for the pre-screening of international student applications for many universities in Germany. The uni-assist website will inform you about the application procedure. Please also refer to the country information on the uni-assist portal.
If your application is complete and meets the formal admission requirements, uni-assist will forward your application to our university. After importing your application into our application portal, you will receive an email with access data to the HNEE application portal so that you can follow up on the status of your application.

Proof of a first professional university degree with at least 180 ECTS credits (Bachelor's, Diplom, Magister, Master's, Staatsexamen), in the field of landscape, business administration or food-related courses of study. This includes, in particular, degree programmes in the following disciplines:
- Agricultural and forestry sciences
- Horticulture
- Landscape planning
-Regional development
- Environmental protection or nature conservation
- Food management/ecotrophology and
- Business administration.
Applicants with a foreign educational background must also provide evidence of German language skills at level C1 (according to the "Common European Framework of Reference" - CEFR).

They can apply on the website of uni-assistwebsite to check whether you meet the formal requirements.

The following application documents must be uploaded exclusively via the uni-assist application portal. Please note that this list cannot be complete and further documents may be requested.

  • Copy of the university degree certificate incl. grade point average and Transcript of Records (see also Country information uni-assist)
  • Copy of the university entrance qualification
  • Other certificates relevant to the Master's entrance qualification (e.g. certificate of the Academic Evaluation Centre for applications from China, India, Mongolia or Vietnam, proof of having passed the university entrance examination) If available: Certificates, references, employer references or proof of employment.
  • If you have a foreign educational background: German language certificate C1 according to the "Common European Framework of Reference" - CEFR.

Foreign certificates must be translated into German or English by a sworn translator.

Application deadline

Summer semester: 1.12. to 15.1.

Winter semester: 1.6. to 15.7.

 

Apply now

 

As a secondary student, you can only apply for modules in the corresponding semester. You can find an overview of the respective offers here. Please note that the modules offered, their dates and contents may be subject to change.

Students who are already enrolled at a university as a main auditor can be admitted to the Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde as a secondary auditor, depending on capacity. The condition is that simultaneous studies at both universities are possible (parallel studies) and that the chosen module is a meaningful addition to the studies taken up.

Adjunct students are not members of the Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde. They may take part in examinations with the consent of the respective examiner and in accordance with the respective examination regulations. The scope of the examinations may not lead to a degree in a degree programme. There is no legal entitlement to take these examinations. Further details are regulated by the applicable matriculation regulations of the Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde.

Formal applicationsare to be submitted during the application period by post or e-mailto the Student Services & International Office during the application period.

There is a fee for the secondary auditorium. The amount of the fee is based on the current fee schedule of the HNEE, the AStA and the Studentenwerk Frankfurt (Oder).

Application deadline

Summer semester: 1.12. to 15.1.

Winter semester: 1.6. to 15.7.

 

Apply now

 

As a guest student, you can only apply for modules in the corresponding semester. You can find an overview of the respective offers here. Please note that the modules offered, their dates and contents may be subject to change.

As a rule, an application for guest auditor status must be submitted to the Student Services Department prior to the start of the course (Guest auditor application).

Persons who are not matriculated can be admitted to courses up to 8 semester weeks as guest auditors without proof of university entrance qualification within the scope of the available educational capacity.

As a rule, fees are charged for guest auditors. No fees are charged to students. Guest auditorship for interested persons with a refugee background is free of charge.

Participation in the courses in the corresponding teaching areas is confirmed in writing. Participation in examinations is excluded.

Formal applications are to be submitted during the application period by post or e-mailto the Student Services & International Office during the application period.

Detailed information on how to apply can be found at the International Office.

 

Apply now

FAQ on application and admission

If the number of applications is expected to exceed the number of available study places, a degree programme is offered with limited admission. The study places are awarded to the applicants in a selection procedure. Several ranking lists are created. The average grade or waiting period of the most recently admitted applicant determines the selection limit for the respective year.
Here you can find the selection limits for the restricted-admission degree programmes of the past year:
Selection limits for restricted-admission degree programmes of the past years

No, you can only apply for one degree programme at our university. You are welcome to consult with us at an early stage to find out which degree programme might be the most suitable for you. Please contact us via e-mail to arrange an appointment. Consultations are possible by telephone, online and in person.

If the Fachhochschulreife consists of a school-based and a practical part, an application is only possible when both parts have been completed. If, for example, the practical part ends after the application deadline, an application is only possible the following year.
If you are applying for a Master's degree programme, we require a certificate of achievement from your university showing at least 150 ECTS, the provisional average grade and the expected end of studies.

Notifications of admission, rejection or exclusion are made available in the online application portal. At the same time, information on this is sent to the e-mail address stored in the applicant account.
Notifications for degree programmes with restricted admission are usually sent out two to four weeks after the end of the application period for the respective degree programme. Further information on notifications for degree programmes with restricted admissions in coordination with Hochschulstart (DOSV) can be found here.
If you are applying for a degree programme with open admissions, the notification will be sent promptly after the application has been reviewed.

Before the start of the programme

Introductory week

Information on the induction week will be available here soon

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Here you will find all the important dates, all the information about the matriculation ceremony, the university library and the language centre.

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FAQ before starting your studies

Are there preparatory courses before the regular start of studies?

You can currently find this information on the following website.

When and how do I start my studies?

You can find the semester dates and the programme for the introductory events for first-year students here. There you will find out where to find your study plan in the campus management system EMMA and where to register for modules and exams, get to know the Moodle platform where all learning materials etc. can be found, get to know your contact persons and student representatives and initiatives as well as your fellow students and get first insights into individual subjects. So it's definitely worth taking part!

Please bring a valid ID document for the identity check and something to write down. For catering, we have a great offer in our sustainability canteen.

You can find your study plan online via the account access in our campus management system, which you will receive by e-mail with your enrolment. You can also find the plans for the introductory events here.

No, attendance is not compulsory, neither for the courses nor for the introductory week (with the exception of the identity check at the start of your studies, most exams and excursions for which you have registered). But: Regular attendance is of course highly recommended, as this not only supports learning progress, but also contributes to the positive dynamics of our rather small learning groups.

Where can I get support at the beginning of my studies if I don't know my way around or have specific questions?

Most of your questions will certainly be answered during the introductory events at the beginning of the semester. If you still have questions or special needs, please make use of our advisory services, which we have clearly prepared for you here.

Subject-specific information on the degree programme

Student counselling

Head of study programme

Contact

Prof. Dr. Ralf Bloch

Studiengangsleitung Ökologische Landwirtschaft und Ernährungssysteme M. Sc.

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