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2027/28

BSc Agriculture with Foundation

  • UCAS code
    D402
  • A level offer
    See entry requirements
  • Year of entry
    2026/27
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  4 Years
  • Year of entry
    2026/27
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  4 Years

Our BSc Agriculture with Foundation course covers everything that impacts production in the agricultural supply chain while considering global goals relating to sustainability.

This four-year programme includes a year of foundational study and leads directly into the three-year BSc Agriculture course.

Choose BSc Agriculture with Foundation at the University of Reading

We are:

  • the highest placed UK university for Agriculture and Forestry at 20th in the world (QS World Rankings by Subject, Agriculture and Forestry, 2025)
  • ranked 3rd in the UK for Agriculture and Forestry (in the Complete University Guide, 2026)
  • ranked 5th in the UK for Agriculture and Forestry (in the Times & The Sunday Times Good University Guide, 2026).

The University is ideally placed for student life, with easy access to Reading’s vibrant town centre. Agriculture students can also use University-owned farmland to enhance the learning experience – we own approximately 800 hectares of farmland.

Study at one of the UK’s leading universities for environmental and ethical performance (the University of Reading is ranked 4th in the People and Planet University League, 2025/26).

What you’ll learn

The foundation year (called Year 0), is designed to equip you with the subject-specific and general study skills needed to cope with the demands of undergraduate study. Our high-quality teaching is geared towards the needs of students from a wide range of educational backgrounds.

When you join Year 1 of the Agriculture course, you will primarily focus on the applied science underpinning agricultural production. You’ll learn how to use biology and technology to meet crop and animal production targets, and achieve environmental and business objectives.

Choose a specialist pathway

Our agriculture programme offers you distinct opportunities to specialise.

If you select a mix of optional modules in your second and final years, you will graduate with our highly esteemed broad-based BSc Agriculture with Placement Year degree.

If you choose particular optional modules and complete your final-year independent research project in your specialist area, you’ll be eligible to graduate with a specialist degree:

  • BSc Agriculture and Crop Science
  • BSc Agriculture and Horticultural Science
  • BSc Agriculture and Livestock Production.

You don’t need to choose whether to take a specialist pathway until the end of Year 1 (which follows your foundation year), giving you the time and flexibility to decide what suits you best. 

Gain real-world experience on our University farms and facilities

As part of the degree all students can study globally recognised farming practices and see research in action – such as livestock production, agronomy, horticulture, and environmental management – on the University's own farms:

Our facilities include:

Visit local farming businesses

You'll have the opportunity to visit a wide range of local farms, rural estates and businesses in the related sectors. Field visits focus on exposing you to real-world farming challenges, practices, and innovations, and a wider range of livestock production systems, farm diversification opportunities and regenerative agriculture practices.

Previous visits have included:

  • Waitrose and Partners’ Leckford Estate
  • commercial poultry and pig units
  • Trinity Grain (grain co-operative)
  • Sheepdrove Organics
  • the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB).

You’ll hear from speakers at the forefront of the industry, from agronomists to those involved in the livestock consultancy, giving you the chance to network and build relationships while you learn.

Residential study tour

You will also complete a residential study tour within the UK to learn about and analyse a broader range of enterprises than those within close access of Reading. Recent tours have been to Kent and Brecon in Wales to see hill farming systems, agricultural technology in action and specialist crops such as hops.

Conduct interesting agricultural projects

In one of our most popular modules, you will grow a winter cereal, test it in the lab for quality and then sell it to merchants. In another module, you will critically analyse dairy and meat production systems and their effects on product quality, culminating in the production of an industry ‘blueprint’.

In the final year, your independent research project allows you to choose a subject that inspires and interests you. This could involve a farm, including your home farm, research at the University or an enterprise that you’ve had contact with during the course.

Join the agricultural community at Reading

Outside of the curriculum, the student-led Agricultural Society runs the UK’s largest student agriculture conference. It gives you the opportunity to debate key issues like food security and policy issues affecting the industry, and get your voice heard.

For more information, visit the School of Agriculture, Policy and Development website.

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,790 for 2026/27 Foundation year, then rising to the standard course fees for the duration of your bachelor's level study. The home tuition fee is subject to annual increases in subsequent years of study. Please check the fees and funding webpage for the latest information.

New international students: £23,000 for 2026/27 Foundation year, then rising to the standard course fees for the duration of your bachelor's level study. The international tuition fee is subject to annual increases in subsequent years of study as set out in your student contract. For 2026/27, the standard fee is £30,650. For more details, please visit our Fees for International Students page.

Tuition fees

To find out more about how the University of Reading sets its tuition fees, see our fees and funding pages.

Additional costs

Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

Become a Global Sustainability Leaders Scholar

This exciting new undergraduate scholarship scheme is focused on creating a community of global sustainability leaders of the future. We are offering up to 400 scholarships per year, for high-achieving students from the UK and overseas.

Each scholar will receive £6,000 a year for maintenance and living costs, for up to four years of full-time study on their course (subject to terms and conditions).

Find out more about the Global Sustainability Leaders Scholarship scheme.

Our BSc Agriculture with Foundation programme prepares you for senior technical, management and scientific roles in a wide range of agriculture-related enterprises, or to manage your own farming enterprise. The University of Reading has an outstanding reputation with employers.

Excellent career prospects

Students who have completed the Agriculture course in the last five years have gone into a wide variety of graduate jobs including agronomy, livestock nutrition/consultancy and horticulture.

Graduates work with companies including:

  • Syngenta
  • Genus Plc
  • TAG Consulting – part of the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB)
  • Volac.

The University of Reading ranks 1st for graduate salary for Agriculture, Food and Related Studies after five years; the average salary calculated at £36,500 is over £8,500 more than the average graduate salary after five years for this subject across all universities (Telegraph analysis of DfE data on the earnings of first degree graduates after five years from English Higher Education Institutions, published in June 2025).

Build the skills to succeed in your career – and contribute to a sustainable future

At the University of Reading, we help you turn your environmental and sustainability values into opportunities that make a difference to your career and the wider world.

Employers are already reshaping their businesses to respond to climate change, and they increasingly value graduates with expertise in environmental stewardship – one of the fastest-growing skill areas (World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025).

During your time at Reading, you’ll have access to a wide range of opportunities and support. This will help you graduate with the knowledge and confidence to tackle environmental and sustainability challenges in your career.

In 2025, the University of Reading won the AGCAS Green Careers Award. Judges highlighted the impact of our Careers service and the positive outcomes our students achieve.

Explore climate and sustainability initiatives you can get involved with as a student at Reading.