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NUI Galway

Climate Change Agriculture & Food Security

The Course
The world's climate is rapidly changing due to global warming. This poses major challenges for future agricultural systems to provide food and other bioresources for the nine billion people that will occupy the planet by 2050. The inter-disciplinary MSc in Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) provides students with the skills and tools for developing agricultural practices, policies and inventions to address the challenge that global warming poses for agriculture and food security worldwide. This programme is aimed at students who want to combine scientific, engineering, technical, social and/or policy skills so that they are better equipped to understand and make significant contributions regarding the adaptation and mitigation of climate change impacts on global agriculture and food security.

The MSc CCAFS is run in partnership with the global CCAFS programme and includes nine in-depth modules taught by leading researchers and experts; training in multidisciplinary research skills, science communication and career development; and a 30 ECTS research project. The majority of MSc CCAFS students do their projects with world-leading partner organisations in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe including eight CGIAR Centers, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), World Food Program (WFP), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Bank, NGOs, universities and companies.

3 Good Reasons To Study This Course

1. Excellence in interdisciplinary training: Awarded the GradIreland 2017 'Best New Postgraduate Course' title.

2. Mobility opportunity: All studies complete a research project or internship worth one third of the final grade; this research may be completed at the student's place of work, within the international CGIAR Research Programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security or in collaboration with other institutional partners.

3. Buoyant jobs market for graduates: e.g., Previous students now work in the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (Rome), UNICEF (New York), FoodTure (Ireland), CIAT (Colombia), climate-smart agriculture and aquaculture programmes (Malawi, Zambia), and PhD studies in agroforestry, agro-meteorology and livestock emissions.

Entry requirements

Minimum Entry Requirements
NQAI Level 8 honours degree or equivalent to a minimum standard of Second Class Honours, Grade 1 or equivalent in an appropriate discipline is normally required.

Duration

1 year, full-time.

Careers or further progression

Career Opportunities
Graduates of this MSc are developing excellent careers in research, policy, enterprise, business, administration and other sustainable development activities across a wide range of public and private sector institutions internationally. Career mentoring, advice, strategy and facilitation is provided to all students on the MSc CCAFS to ensure that they rapidly enter employment in relevant institutions and activities, where they can build on their interests, experience and training.

Further enquiries

CONTACT
Professor Charles Spillane and Dr Peter McKeown Plant and AgriBiosciences Research Centre (PABC), Ryan Institute T: +353 91 493 388 E: charles.spillane@nuigalway.ie/ peter.mckeown@nuigalway.ie

Comment

3 GOOD REASONS TO STUDY THIS COURSE
1. Excellence in interdisciplinary training: awarded the GradIreland 2017 'Best New Postgraduate Course' title.

2. Mobility opportunity: all studies complete a research project or internship worth one third of the final grade; this research may be completed at the student's place of work, within the international CGIAR Research Programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security or in collaboration with other institutional partners.

3. Buoyant jobs market for graduates: previous students now have work in the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (Rome), social enterprise energy companies (UK), environment division of Southern Scientific (Ireland), climate-smart agriculture and aquaculture (Malawi, Zambia), and PhD study in agroforestry and agro-meteorology (Ireland/Brazil).