Agriculture Courses: Eligibility, Admission, Syllabus, Placements

Surobhi Chatterjee

, Feb 28, 2023

Agriculture courses are  focused on the study of various technical and scientific subjects related to agricultural technology, food technology, dairy industry, food science, plant science, horticulture, and even forestry. The main difference between these fields is their area of focus. The Agriculture courses in India are available for the students to study at UG, PG, Diploma, Certificate and Doctoral level, making it possible for a large number of students to pursue this course.

There are many different types of Agriculture courses available for the students to choose from. Some of the specialisations that the students can pursue are Agriculture Veterinary Course, Agricultural Consultant Courses, Agricultural Economics Course, Agricultural Technology Course, Agricultural Law Courses. There are many courses under Agriculture that the students can pursue, and hence to find out the exact details of the curriculum, the students must ensure that they research the Agriculture course details by visiting the college website.

Table Of Contents:

• Agriculture Courses List
• Eligibility for Agriculture Courses
• Admission
• Entrance Exams
• Types of Agriculture Courses
• Syllabus and Subjects
• Top Agriculture Colleges in India
• Jobs and Salaries
• Scope of Agriculture Course in India
• Top Recruiters
• Skills Required

Agriculture Courses List

The Agriculture courses list for the students is very diverse and flexible, making it possible for a very large number of students to pursue it. There are agriculture courses after 10th, 12, UG and PG that the students can pursue. The Agriculture course duration for the students depends on the type of course that  the students apply for. Generally, the courses are between one to five years long.

Given below are different Agriculture degree courses that the students can pursue:

• Undergraduate Courses
• Postgraduate Courses
• Diploma/PG Diploma Courses
• Certificate Courses
• Doctorate Courses

Undergraduate Agriculture Courses

Undergraduate courses are Agriculture courses after 12th. They can be pursued in full time, part time and distance learning. The aim of these courses is to introduce students to all the essential yet basic concepts related to the field of agriculture.

Given below is a list of best Agricultural courses in india that can be pursued by the students:

• B.Sc Agriculture
• B.Sc Agriculture (Hons)
• B.Sc Horticulture
• B.Tech Agriculture
• MBA Agribusiness
• BE Agriculture
• BBA Agriculture

Postgraduate Agriculture Courses

There are many Agriculture PG courses that the students can pursue. The postgraduate courses are Agriculture course after graduation that the students can enrol into. The aim of these courses is to introduce students to all the vital and key concepts of the field they choose to specialise in. The curriculum of these postgraduate courses tends to be industry relevant and detailed in nature.

• M.Sc Agriculture
• M.Sc Horticulture
• M.Tech Agriculture
• M.Phil Agriculture
• M.Sc Forestry

Diploma / PG Diploma Agriculture Courses

A diploma in Agriculture helps to know many facts based on the career like agribusiness management, agricultural management, natural resource, soil condition, livestock production, and many others. It also helps the Agriculture students to understand the workings of agricultural machinery like cropping machines, harvesters, and other agriculture-related machineries.

• Diploma in Agriculture
• Diploma in Horticulture
• Diploma in Hybrid Seed Production Technology
• Diploma in Hitech farming
• Diploma in Agriculture Engineering
• PG Diploma in Management: Agribusiness and Plantation Management
• PG Diploma in Technology Management in Agriculture
• PG Diploma in Agricultural Extension Management

Certificate Agriculture Courses

The main purpose of the Agriculture certificate course is to update the students with the latest trend and updates in any particular specialisation. With the growing technology and resources, certificate courses keep the students updated.

Certificate programs also help the people who are already pursuing a job and would like to gain some extra knowledge related to the agriculture field.

• Certificate in Agriculture
• Certificate in Food Production
• Certificate in Food and Beverage Service

Doctorate Agriculture Courses

A doctorate in Agriculture courses is pursued by students who wish to enter the research field. The minimum duration of the doctorate courses is 2 years and it could be extended as per the demands of the research. Agriculture students who have completed doctorate courses have the option to become teachers or lecturers in colleges.

• PhD in Agriculture
• PhD Horticulture
• PhD Agriculture Economy
• PhD Agronomy, Genetics & Plant Breeding
• PhD Plant Pathology

Eligibility for Agriculture Courses

The Agriculture course eligibility depends on the type of course that the aspirant is applying to. Undergraduate courses would require students to obtain a minimum of 50% in their 10+2 from a recognised board. For Agriculture courses admission to the postgraduate courses, students must focus on their undergraduate marks to gain admission. For obtaining an Agriculture course qualification, it is vital that the students learn about the eligibility criteria.

Almost all Agriculture courses require students to give entrance examinations to get admitted to top colleges.

• UG Courses: Some of the top entrance exams of UG Agriculture courses like BSc Agriculture include ICAR Entrance Examination (ICAR AIEEA), TS EAMCET, MP PAT, JCECE, AP EAMCET, PAU CET. Students appearing for the entrance examination should have passed 10+2 from a recognized board with 50% marks in aggregate.
• PG Courses: Some of the top entrance exams of Postgraduate Agriculture courses include ICAR Entrance Examination (ICAR AIEEA), CUCET, TNAU Entrance Test, PAU MET. Students appearing for the entrance examination should have graduated in the relevant stream from a recognized University or Institute with 50% marks in aggregate.
• Doctorate Courses: Some of the top entrance exams of Doctorate Agriculture courses include UGC NET Exam, TNAU Entrance Test, AIIMS PhD Entrance Exam.
• Students appearing for the entrance examination should hold a postgraduate degree in the relevant stream from a recognized University or Institute with 50% marks in aggregate.

Agriculture Courses Admission

Agriculture course admission is possible by both entrance examination and merit-based selection. 

Candidates applying for the Agriculture degree might have their results from the respective entrance exams boards required by the selected/opted universities. The students can avail themselves of admissions through both online and offline methods.

For the online method, students must enquire at the official website of the colleges they are applying to. For offline means, they would be required to visit the college's admission office in person.

Agriculture Courses Entrance Exams

Entrance exams play an essential role in the final merit list of the selected candidates for admission to the colleges. The agriculture course entrance exam is a screening process through which the colleges can determine if the students would be a right fit for the course.

These exams are conducted at the national, state, and college levels. Hence, the students need to research the proper exam before enrolling.

Given below are some of the top exams that are conducted for admissions to the different Agriculture courses in India:

Post graduate Entrance Exams:

• ICAR AIEEA
• CUCET
• GATE
• PAU MET

Under graduate Entrance Exams:

• ICAR AIEEA
• TS EAMCET
• MAH CET
• GCET
• AP EAMCET
• JCECE
• BCECE
• PAU CET

Doctorate Entrance Exams:

• UGC NET

Types of Agriculture Courses (Branches)

There are many types and branches of Agriculture courses that the students can pursue. The stream is concerned with a wide variety of topics and fields, making it possible for students with interest in a diverse range of topics to study it. 

Apart from these, there are numerous agriculture courses online offered by websites like Udemy, Coursera, and edX. Students can pursue Agriculture Courses After 12th as well as 10th, mostly in the form of certificate and diploma courses. The duration of Agriculture Certificate Courses varies depending upon the course and the institution. It usually varies from a few hours to a few months.

Owing to the diversity and flexibility of the branches presented to the students, graduates can expect to earn a good salary upon completing the course. 

Some of the types of Agricultural courses that the students can pursue include:

Agricultural Engineering Courses

Agricultural engineering course is a 4 year UG degree that covers different aspects of agriculture. Syllabus of agricultural engineering includes basics of agriculture, concepts of soils and crops as well as practical knowledge of the course.

• B.Tech Agricultural Engineering

Agricultural Science Courses

Agricultural Science is a multidisciplinary field that comprises a variety of scientific, technical & business subjects. It promotes the efficient production of quality food in the agricultural-food industry & on the farm linked to the farming.

• B.Sc Agricultural Science

Agricultural Biotechnology Course

Agricultural Biotechnology is a 4-year undergraduate course. Agricultural biotechnology is also known as agritech. It is an area of Agricultural science which simply defines biotechnology applied to agricultural processes.

• B.Tech Biotechnology Engineering

Polytechnic Agriculture Course

This course is a two years long course that imparts knowledge about various forms of agriculture, livestock and crop management, agricultural extension, agricultural chemistry and more.

• M.Tech Agricultural Engineering

Agriculture Course Syllabus and Subjects

Numerous technical and scientific topics connected to the dairy industry, food science, plant science, horticulture, forestry, and agricultural technology are studied in Agriculture course subjects. Their primary focal area distinguishes these fields from one another.

The exact syllabus and duration of the best agricultural course depend on the type of course that the student wishes to enrol in. For example, Diploma and Undergraduate courses may not focus on a topic at the same depth level as a postgraduate course.

Given below are some of the generic topics that the students may be taught during their Agriculture course education:

• Soil and Fluid Mechanics
• Farm Power and Renewable Energy Sources
• Soil and Water Conservation and Structures
• Theory of Machines
• Strength of Materials And Design of Structures
• Heat and Mass Transfer & Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
• Crop Process and Drying and Storage Engineering
• Crop Production Technology

Top Agriculture Colleges in India

There is a scope for students to study in Agriculture college, courses that they are interested in pursuing. 

Given below are the top colleges along with their fees for Agriculture course in India:

Agriculture Course Jobs and Salaries

Amongst all the benefits of Agriculture course, the most prominent one is that the students have a wide career scope in India. The Indian economy depends on agriculture heavily, and hence, students, upon the completion of their course are presented with a lot of job opportunities.

Listed below are some of the popular job roles along with their Agriculture course salary:

Scope of Agriculture Course in India

Agriculture is an academic discipline of Science that involves the study of various scientific, technical and business subjects related to agriculture, horticulture, farm management, poultry farming, dairy farming, agricultural biotechnology, etc. The Agriculture scope in India for a rewarding and promising career has grown tremendously in recent times with cutting-edge research and continuous innovation in the industry.

Top Recruiters

Agriculture courses in India provide students with ample job opportunities with a very bright future. Listed below are some of the top recruiters in India.

• JK Agri Genetics Ltd
• Mahindra Agri
• Tata Agrico
• Reliance Foundation

Skills Required for Agriculture Courses

Agriculture is a field that requires practice and perseverance. There are certain skill set required to be in the field of agriculture. Below are some of the skills required for agriculture:

• Management Skills
• Soils Understanding
• Geographical Skills
• Patience
• Analytical
• Keen eye for detail