In this six-semester Bachelor program, students gain knowledge about the sustainable production of fresh food and renewable raw materials. The graduates are enabled to find solutions for complex tasks as organisation, use and development of rural areas. Fundamentals are e.g. the principles of scientific working methods which are needed to examine and understand the functionalities of plants, animals and their ecosystems. Additionally, the students get to know several methods of the economical and social sciences. Altogether, graduates from this programme are able:

• to perform a site assessment on a field (fertility of the soil, contaminations, water supply, climatic conditions, etc.),
• to plan, choose and execute different forms of sustainable land use and cultivation,
• to apply, evaluate and further develop appropriate methods of livestock rearing,
• to cultivate crops, regarding their quality and quantity and their (potential) impact on the environment,
• to utilise machinery and electronic control devices, e.g. in combination with satellite navigation for controlled fertilisation and tillage (Precision Farming),
• to assess and evaluate the influence of environmental factors, contaminants or other impairments on crops, animals, the soil and the groundwater/surface water and to pick and execute appropriate counter-measures,
• to apply the appropriate processes for breeding crops and animals,
• and to evaluate and market the products of agrarian companies and farms.

All scientific disciplines are presented at the University of Rostock. That allows us to integrate courses from other faculties into our study program, e.g. biology, chemistry or mathematics. Furthermore, several independent agricultural research institutes are located in Rostock. Thanks to the close cooperation of internal and external facilities, our students have the possibility to become qualified and broadly educated graduates.

In the process of their education, our students are able to choose different compulsory courses which are based on the research focus of the AUF. This gives them the possibility to improve their skills and deepen their knowledge according to their own ideas and prepare themselves for a Master programme or a career.

In this Bachelor program, fundamental knowledge in agricultural sciences is taught with special regard towards habitat-specific aspects. Partners inside and outside of the university like the Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN) and the "Landesforschungsanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Fischerei Mecklenburg Vorpommern" (LFA) help us to provide a science orientated education.

A better research-based learning is achieved through the mandatory course "Scientific English" and "Scientific and Experimental Work" during the 5^th semester. In this module, the students will be prepared for the elaboration of their upcoming Bachelor thesis: scientific reading and writing, the proper (English) terminology and the principles of planning and analysing experiments. Group projects are carried out in order to consolidate the gained knowledge and subsequently to elaborate your first own scientific work. Current scientific problems can be examined as well as all-day problems in an agrarian business.

Currently, approximately 550 students are enrolled in the different programmes offered at our faculty. Compared to others, this faculty is rather small. That creates an outstanding staff-student ratio and guarantees room for every student in the offered lectures and practices. The campus-like complex at the AUF also establishes an almost familiar atmosphere which alleviates studying and creates plenty of room for creativity. Furthermore, the faculty is close to the library, the students' residences and to Rostock's price-winning canteen, called “Mensa”.