FdSc Agriculture & Farm Management Foundation degree at The Royal Agricultural University
FdSc Agriculture & Farm Management at RAU is nationally recognised and carries Silver status for teaching quality under the Office for Students' Teaching Excellence Framework (2023).
About this course
Whether you wish to manage an agri-food or farming business, continue studying agriculture and land management or work in another aspect of the extensive agri-food industry, this course will give you the practical, business and leadership skills you need. From the provider’s course page.
FdSc Agriculture & Farm Management is a Foundation degree (FdSc) at RAU, based in Main Campus. It runs 2 years, studied full-time.
For Agriculture graduates from this provider, typical earnings around £24,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Business & Management, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 85% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year one 6 modules
- Professional, Practical and Study SkillsCore20 credits
Module details
This module develops academic, employability, and practical skills for success in university and land-based careers. It includes reflective writing, data handling, digital literacy, and hands-on tasks relevant to the sector. Students explore sustainability, industry challenges, and professional development.
Assessment: Skills portfolio, 1000-word reflective account, and group presentation on a sustainability challenge
- Applied Agricultural ScienceCore20 credits
Module details
This module introduces core biological principles in plant and animal science, focusing on nutrition, genetics, health, welfare, and crop management. Topics include anatomy, physiology, pest and disease control, and sustainable agronomy. Students engage in seminars, lab and field practicals.
Assessment: 10-minute group presentation, two 1-hour online multiple-choice tests (animal and plant science), and a laboratory identification test
- Farm Business Finance and AccountsCore20 credits
Module details
This module introduces financial and economic principles in farm business management. Topics include enterprise analysis, gross margins, profit and loss, balance sheets, cashflow, and agricultural market dynamics. Students explore planning, budgeting, and decision-making tools through case studies and practical tasks.
Assessment: 1500-word portfolio and 2000-word business plan
- Agricultural Machinery and Technology and BuildingsCore20 credits
Module details
This module explores the role of machinery, infrastructure, and emerging technologies in modern agriculture. Topics include power systems, cultivation equipment, livestock technologies, automation, and farm safety. Students engage with field trips and seminars to evaluate machinery performance and sustainability.
Assessment: 30-minute online multiple-choice test, 1500-word crop-specific report, and 1500-word livestock-specific report
- Soil Science and Ecosystem ServicesCore20 credits
Module details
This module explores soil health and ecosystem services within agroecosystems and natural environments. Topics include soil formation, hydrology, ecology, chemistry, and biodiversity net gain. Students engage in lab and fieldwork, mapping, and case study visits.
Assessment: 1500-word report with calculations and 2-hour open book exam
- Farming Systems and SustainabilityCore20 credits
Module details
This module examines diverse farming systems including arable, livestock, mixed, organic, regenerative, and agroecological approaches. Topics include climate change, soil and water management, urban agriculture, and future farming scenarios. Students engage with farm visits, guest speakers, and case studies.
Assessment: 10-minute recorded presentation and 2500-word case study-based report
Year two 6 modules
- AgronomyCore20 credits
Module details
This module explores crop production in temperate climates, covering cereals, legumes, oilseeds, root crops, and grasslands. Topics include variety selection, crop establishment, nutrition, protection, and sustainability. Students engage with farm visits and industry-led seminars.
Assessment: 1-hour online test, 5-minute podcast, and 1500-word crop growth blueprint
- Livestock HusbandryCore20 credits
Module details
This module examines sustainable livestock management across ruminant and monogastric species. Topics include breeding, feeding, welfare, and environmental impact. Students engage with field trips, case studies, and industry tools.
Assessment: 10-minute individual presentation and 2500-word feeding plan
- Farm Business Planning and Food Supply ChainsCore20 credits
Module details
This module introduces farm budgeting, financial planning, and supply chain dynamics. Topics include gross margins, cash flow, benchmarking, and food system integration. Students explore local and global supply chains and policy frameworks.
Assessment: Two 2000-word reports: one on farm business planning and one on food supply chain strategy
- Land, Property and Woodland ManagementCore20 credits
Module details
This module explores diversified farm assets including buildings, tenancies, planning, taxation, and woodland management. Topics include land occupation, estate objectives, timber value, and agroforestry. Students engage with site visits and case studies.
Assessment: 2000-word diversification report and 2000-word woodland management plan
- Agricultural Commodities Marketing and Data HandlingCore20 credits
Module details
This module examines commodity markets, pricing, risk management, and data analysis. Topics include international trade, futures, hedging, and statistical tools. Students develop Excel and data interpretation skills.
Assessment: 1000-word research paper, 1500-word professional report, and 1000-word essay
- Agriculture and Food PolicyCore20 credits
Module details
This module investigates agri-food policy from UK and global perspectives. Topics include food strategy, assurance schemes, activism, and public goods. Students reflect on work-based learning and policy debates.
Assessment: 6-slide presentation, skills portfolio, 500-word academic poster, and 1000-word essay
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This course equips you with practical, business and leadership skills to manage an agri-food or farming business, progress in agriculture and land management, or move into other roles across the agri-food industry. A course like this typically begins with foundations in management, organisations and business economics, then moves into marketing principles and data analysis. In Year 2, you'll usually study operations and supply chain management, organisational behaviour and human resources, and strategy. You can then pursue specialisations such as entrepreneurship, international business, digital business, consulting, marketing, or people and HR. Capstone projects or consultancy work typically integrate your learning by applying it to real industry challenges.
Who it's for
This course suits students with A-level qualifications or equivalent. Recent entrants typically held A-levels, and the most common UCAS tariff band among accepted students was 96–111 points. You should be interested in agriculture, farm management or rural business, and ready to engage with both theoretical study and practical application in a two-year programme.
Careers & job market
Across Business & Management courses nationally, 87% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of completing their degree, and 60% of working graduates are in highly skilled roles or undertaking further study. National earnings data shows starting salaries of £24,000–£32,000 at 15 months post-graduation, rising to £26,350–£37,200 after five years. These figures reflect the broader graduate population and vary by individual role and sector. The university's funding pages provide details of bursaries and scholarships available to support your studies.
University & format
The FdSc Agriculture & Farm Management is delivered full-time over 2 years at The Royal Agricultural University, a public university founded in 1842, based at its Main Campus. Instruction is in English. The course awards a Foundation degree (FdSc), a nationally recognised UK degree. The university holds Silver for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
Work placement. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 90% |
| another higher-education qualification | 10% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code D401). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at RAU →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Business & Management graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £24,000 | £20,000 – £28,000 | 195 |
| 3 years after | £23,000 | £17,000 – £28,000 | 75 |
| 5 years after | £26,000 | £20,000 – £34,500 | 80 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 195. Cohort 2021-22.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate / AnalystOn a scheme or first role · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / ManagerOwning an area, marketing, finance, ops · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / Head ofLeading a function and a team · 5–10 yrs
- 4Director / FounderRunning a business unit or your own company · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Business & Management nationally
National figures for Business & Management graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
continued or completed
continued into the next year or completed their qualification
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 195. Cohort 2021-22. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Business & Management courses at the same study level.
Compared with 3,421 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
Job market & outlook
How Business & Management graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine reporting and data pulls
- First-draft decks and copy
- Standard forecasts and reconciliations
- Scheduling and admin workflows
More human than ever
- Strategy and judgement under uncertainty
- Leading, negotiating and selling
- Sense-checking and owning what AI produces
- Relationships with clients and teams
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Business & Management graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Consultancies
- Corporate graduate schemes
- Retail & FMCG
- Startups & scale-ups
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Business & Management graduates.
Business Director, Marketing ScienceXcedeBusiness ManagerLGPS CentralBusiness Change ManagerIGA Talent SolutionsBusiness Case ManagerPeregrineBusiness DirectorMedialab GroupBusiness Rates SurveyorW TalentIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
Most graduates were in work or further study, with a median salary of £24,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 7.9 out of 10: NSS 72.6% · continued 85%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Royal Agricultural University
Business and management across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Is Business & Management right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to RAU from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £16,950 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check RAU’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with RAU and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at RAU
BSc (Hons) Agricultural Business Management with Foundation YearBSc (Hons) · RAUBSc (Hons) Agricultural Business Management with Professional Placement YearBSc (Hons) · RAUBSc (Hons) Agricultural Business ManagementBSc (Hons) · RAUBSc (Hons) Bloodstock and Equine Performance Management with Foundation YearBSc (Hons) · RAUBusiness & Management at other universities
Common questions
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