Crop Protection (MSc)

The two-year MSc programme in Crop Protection at the University of Göttingen provides comprehensive training in the core disciplines of modern crop health management. Taught entirely in English, the programme combines scientific and applied approaches to protecting crops in sustainable agricultural systems and addresses challenges relevant to a wide range of agroecological regions. The programme covers the central areas of crop protection, including plant pathology, entomology, nematology, plant virology and weed science. Students learn how pathogens, pests and weeds affect crop health, yield and product quality, and how these challenges can be addressed through integrated and science-based management strategies. The curriculum also addresses important aspects of pesticide-related sciences, including modes of action, application techniques and resistance management. The programme is embedded in a strong research environment. Research in Göttingen combines fundamental studies on pathogens, pests and weeds with applied research on their effects on crop health and yield. Particular attention is given to major and emerging pest and disease challenges in key arable crops such as cereals, oilseed rape, maize and rice. Students benefit from a wide range of elective modules in crop protection as well as elective options in related disciplines such as plant breeding, plant nutrition, agronomy and soil science. This allows them to specialise in crop protection while maintaining a broader perspective on interconnected fields within agricultural systems science. The two-year MSc programme is structured over four semesters. In the first semester, the students complete core compulsory modules such as Pesticides I: Mode of Action and Application Techniques, Resistance to Pesticides and Integrated Management of Pests and Diseases, as well as Basic Laboratory Techniques, an intensive laboratory course that provides the methodological foundation for subsequent practical modules. In the second semester, students take the compulsory module Scientific Presenting, Writing, Paper Reviewing and Publishing in Crop Protection alongside the key competence module Practical Statistics and Experimental Design in Agriculture. During the following semester break, they complete a compulsory internship of at least six weeks. The third semester focuses on advanced and specialised content, including the compulsory modules Pesticides II: Toxicology, Ecotoxicology, Environmental Metabolism, Regulation and Registration and Molecular Diagnostics and Biotechnology in Crop Protection. In addition, students must complete elective compulsory modules by selecting courses from the programme’s module catalogue based on their individual interests (e.g. "Fungal Toxins", "Interactions between Plants and Pathogens", "Plant Virology", or "Mycology"). The final semester is dedicated to the Master’s thesis, including experiments, data collection, and analysis, followed by submission of the thesis and its defence in a colloquium. PDF Download