Agronomy

General information

Name of the programme: Agronomy
Type of programme: higher education professional, 1st Bologna cycle
Degree awarded: "diplomirani inženir agronomije (VS)" equiv. to Bachelor of Applied Science
Duration: 3 years (6 semesters)
ECTS-credits: 180
Programme structure: 28 courses (4 electives) (155 ECTS), practical training in working environments (19 ECTS) and final seminar (6 ECTS)
Mode of study: full-time
Language of study: Slovene

Programme coordinatortop

Prof. Dunja Bandelj, PhD

Assist. Alenka Baruca Arbeiter, PhD, Deputy Coordinator

For information regarding application, enrolment and other administrative procedures please contact Student Services.

About the programmetop

Agronomy, as an interdisciplinary field, integrates various scientific disciplines and methodologies in modern plant production. Its primary objective is to ensure the provision of healthy and sufficient food for the expanding global population. Given the challenges posed by climate change, the depletion of natural resources, and environmental pollution, agronomy is continually evolving. It has expanded beyond the mere cultivation and understanding of plant functioning.

At the core of contemporary agronomy is agroecology, which relies on a meticulous understanding of ecosystem processes, nutrient cycling, biodiversity, and the establishment of a harmonious balance between agronomic practices and the natural environment. The unique features and advantages of the Slovenian production area underscore the necessity for aspiring agronomists who will strive for the development of sustainable agronomic practices.

The study of agronomy encompasses a broad spectrum of knowledge. Tis includes an understanding of the interplay between organisms and ecological factors within the agroecosystem, the development of resistant plants with the support of genetics and modern biotechnology, alongside the effective pest and disease management control, and comprehension of consumer needs. Plant production aspects such as biotechnics, genetics, plant breeding, and biotechnology are emphasized, allowing the improvement of agricultural plant properties.

Mandatory components of the curriculum, such as agroecology, plant protection, soil use, and nature protection, are complemented by zootechnics and forest management. This holistic approach enables a comprehensive treatment of the agrarian ecosystem and aligns with the principles of a circular economy. The program also covers aspects related to the management of final agricultural products and their processing into value-added products.

To provide students with a well-rounded education, the curriculum incorporates social sciences such as economics, entrepreneurship, and marketing. This equips students with the competencies necessary to establish their own companies, pursue self-employment, and successfully navigate EU funds and subsidies. Beyond theoretical knowledge, the program places significant emphasis on experiential learning and practical training in companies. Through these experiences, students gain insights into exemplary agronomic practices, acquiring valuable field and laboratory experience.

A distinctive feature of the study program is its location in the Mediterranean area, fostering the diverse production of high-quality and safe Mediterranean food. In 2013, this unique cultural aspect earned it a place on UNESCO's world list of intangible cultural heritage.

Educational and professional goalstop

The goal of the study program is to educate experts who will be able to interdisciplinarily connect the acquired knowledge about agroecosystems and thus plan and implement sustainable and competitive cultivation. Graduates will be capable of independent and critical thinking, which will be based on expertise and responsible behaviour.

With their knowledge and consideration of the environmental and ecological characteristics of any production area, graduates will be able to recognize challenges and develop innovative solutions in plant production, while at the same time taking care of the protection of nature, biodiversity and the environment.

With a detailed knowledge of ecology, graduates will be able to analyse a given production area and determine the suitability of the production environment for plant species or animal husbandry. They will acquire professional knowledge for organizing work in agriculture, deciding on the suitability of technologies and providing advice, while developing a responsible attitude towards the production of safe and high-quality food in connection with society, nature and the wider environment.

Course structuretop

During their studies, students must complete a total of 28 courses (24 compulsory and 4 electives), pass the internship (19 ECTS), and prepare a final seminar.

All courses are awarded 3, 6 or 8 ECTS-credits. One ECTS-credit encompasses 30 hours of student work. In addition to the student’s presence (at lectures, seminars, in-class and laboratory practical work), this also includes independent work (literature study, preparation for examinations, home assignments, seminar and project work, etc.).

Students may also select 4 elective courses from study programmes provided by other institutions of higher education in Slovenia and international higher education institutions with similar study programmes.

Short descriptions of courses are available HERE.

Year of study	Study obligation	Number	ECTS-credits (ECTS)
			ECTS	ECTS/ Year of study
1.	Compulsory Course	11	60	60
2.	Compulsory Course	7	39	60
	Internal / External Elective Course	2	12
	Practical Training in Working Environments I	1	9
3.	Compulsory Course	6	32	60
	Internal / External Elective Course	2	12
	Practical Training in Working Environments II	1	10
	Seminar	1	6

No.	Course	ECTS	Form of contact hour
			L	T	SE	LW	FW	Total
1.	Plant Biology	6	30	-	-	30	10	70
2.	Chemistry Basics	6	30	-	-	30	-	60
3.	Agrophysics	3	20	15	-	-	5	40
4.	Mathematical Methods	6	30	30	-	-	-	60
5.	Land Use and Soil Protection	6	30	-	-	15	15	60
6.	Fruit Growing	6	30	-	-	25	20	75
7.	Agroecology	6	40	-	15	-	20	75
8.	Forest and Wood Management	6	30	-	-	20	20	70
9.	Horticulture	6	30	-	-	25	20	75
10.	Viticulture	6	30	-	-	25	20	75
11.	Computer Practicum	3	15	15	-	-	-	30

 Legend:
 L = lecture, T = tutorial, SE = seminar, LW = laboratory work, FW = field work
 ECTS = ECTS-credits

No.	Course	ECTS	Form of contact hour
			L	T	SE	LW	FW	Total
1.	Statistical Methods	6	30	30	-	-	-	60
2.	Plant Physiology	6	30	-	-	40	-	75
3.	Basics of Genetics	6	30	-	-	30	-	60
4.	Olive Growing and Olive Processing Technology	6	40	-	10	10	15	75
5.	Nature Conservation and Sustainable Agriculture	3	20	-	10	-	10	40
6.	Plant Biochemistry	6	30	-	-	30	-	60
7.	Plant Protection, Diagnostics and Phytopharmacy	6	30	-	-	30	5	65
8.	Practical Training in Working Environments I (4,5 weeks)	9	5	-	10	-	-	15
9.	Internal / External Elective Course I	6
10.	Internal / External Elective Course II	6

No.	Course	ECTS	Form of contact hour
			L	T	SE	LW	FW	Total
1.	Zootechnics in the Mediterranean Area	6	30	-	10	-	30	70
2.	Plant Breeding and biotechnology	8	45	-	15	40	10	110
3.	Technologies for Food Processing in Agriculture	3	20	-	10	10	10	50
4.	Basics of Entrepreneurship and Marketing	6	45	30	-	-	-	75
5.	Field Crop Production	6	30	-	-	10	20	60
6.	Project Planning and Management	3	15	15	-	-	-	30
7.	Practical Training in Working Environments I (5 weeks)	10	5	-	10	-	-	15
8.	Internal / External Elective Course III	6
9.	Internal / External Elective Course IV	6
10.	Seminar	6	-	-	20	-	-	20

No.	Course	ECTS	Form of contact hour
			L	T	SE	LW	FW	Total
1.	Agrobiodiversity and Gene Banks	6	30	-	10	20	10	70
2.	Applied Entomology	6	30	-	-	20	10	60
3.	Arboriculture	6	30	-	-	15	15	60
4.	Soil Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Sustainable Agriculture	6	30	10	15	20	-	75
5.	Floral Biology and Pollination Ecology	6	30	-	10	30	-	70
6.	Beekeeping	6	30	-	-	10	10	50
7.	Nursery (Fruit Plants and Grapevine Propagation)	6	30	-	-	15	15	60
8.	Soil Ecology	6	30	-	15	30	-	75
9.	Economics of Agriculture	6	30	30	-	-	-	60
10.	Microbiology of Agroecosystems	6	30	-	15	30	-	75
11.	Plant Molecular Diagnostic	6	30	-	-	20	10	60
12.	Consumer Behavior Basics	6	30	30	-	-	-	60
13.	Brewing	6	30	-	-	15	15	60
14.	Aromatic Plants Production	6	30	-	-	10	20	60
15.	Plant Tissue Culture	6	30	-	-	25	5	60
16.	Sensory Analysis of Foodstuffs	6	30	-	-	25	5	60
17.	Brand Management	6	30	30	-	-	-	60
18.	Urban Agriculture	6	30	-	10	-	20	60
19.	Fishery	6	30	-	-	15	15	60
20.	Mediterranean Nutrition	6	30	-	-	15	15	60
21.	Enology	6	30	-	-	25	5	60

Course structure and programme information for students enrolled in the academic years 2019/20 - 2023/24

In the academic year 2022/23 changes occurred in the study programme, which include also the change of the study programme's name from Mediterranean Agriculture to Agronomy. In the beginning of this section you can find the course plan for students enrolled from the academic year 2019/20. Here you can find information regarding course structure, compulsory and elective courses, and also short description of courses for students enrolled for the first time in the study programme Mediterranean Agriculture in the academic years 2019/20 - 2023/24:

• course structure, short description of courses.

Practical training in working environmentstop

In their 2nd and 3rd year of study, students must undertake practical training:

• a 4,5-weeks-long (180 hours) practical training in the 2nd year of study (9 ECTS-credits), and
• a 5-weeks-long (200 hours) practical training in the 3rd year of study (10 ECTS-credits).

At the beginning of the academic year, after an initial meeting with the study programme coordinator, students choose the organization in which they would like to undertake their practical training. Students should contact their preferred organization and arrange the practical training themselves.

Students should contact the coordinator of the practical training if they need assistance in choosing the organization for practical training.

Before the beginning of the practical training students should know all procedures defined in the INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENTS ABOUT THE PRACTICAL TRAINING (only in Slovene).

All procedures goes through ŠIS, also all form are available in ŠIS. The key steps in the procedure are listed below:

• student submits the application for the training; it is mandatory to attach the Statement of the institution for accepting the student for practical training;
• the coordinator of the practical training at the Faculty decides about the application;
• after the approval, the student prints 3 copies of the traineeship cooperation agreement and submits them at Student Services; he/she saves all other forms as he/she will need them during the training;
• student begins with the training only after the approval of the application and the agreement is signed;
• at the end of the training student submits a report; all mandatory forms that need to be attached are listed in the Instructions;
• the coordinator of the practical training at the Faculty decides about the report;
• after the approval of the report, the student is invited to complete a survey about the training.

If a student needs the Student traineeship cooperation agreement in English (due to the practical training abroad), he/she must inform the Student Services as soon as he/she is informed that his/her application for practical training has been approved by coordinator.

Admission requirementstop

Admission to the first year of study shall be granted to applicants having:

• successfully completed any four-year secondary-school programme; or
• passed the matura examination (splošna matura); or            
• passed the vocational matura examination (poklicna matura).

In the case of enrolment limitations, applicants shall be selected on the basis of:

• overall matura, vocational matura or final examination results: 60 %,
• overall results in the 3rd and 4th year of secondary school: 40 %.

Admission may also be gained by an applicant having completed a comparable study abroad. Prior to enrolment, the applicant must apply for the recognition of completed education.

Continuation of studies according to the transfer criteriatop

Transfers between study programmes are possible on the basis of the Higher Education Act, Criteria for Transferring between Study Programmes and in accordance with other regulations of this field.

The transition between study programmes is the enrolment in the higher year of the study programme, in case of leaving the education at the initial study programme and continuing the study process at another study program of the same degree. The transition takes into account the comparability of the study programmes and the completed study obligations of the candidate in the initial study program.

Access to year 2 or year 3 of the study programme of Agronomy on the basis of the Criteria for Transferring between Study Programmes is granted to candidates of a related first-cycle study programme or a pre-Bologna reform undergraduate study programme, provided that the following conditions have been met:

• the candidate fulfils the requirements for admission to the study programme of Agronomy
• the completion of the initial study programme which the candidate is transferring from ensures the acquisition of comparable competencies as those envisaged by the study programme of Agronomy
• other conditions have also been met, in accordance with the Criteria for Transferring between Study Programmes (a comparable course structure, course requirements completed)

Individual applications for transfer shall be considered by the relevant UP FAMNIT committee. Apart from comparability between both fields of study, the committee shall also consider the comparability between the study programmes, in accordance with the Criteria for Transferring between Study Programmes.

Enrolment on the basis of the Criteria for Transferring between Study Programmes is also open to candidates of a related study programme abroad who have been, in the process of recognition of their studies abroad, legally granted the right to continue their educational training in the study programme of Agronomy.

In case of enrolment restrictions, applicants shall be selected on the basis of the average grade obtained during the study programme they are transferring from.

Advancement requirementstop

For enrolment in the next study year it is necessary to collect at least 42 ECTS-credits from courses and exams in the current study year, and to fulfil all the study obligations (60 ECTS-credits) for the previous study year.

In exceptional cases, the academic committee of the Faculty may permit students who have not fulfilled all their academic requirements for the current and/or previous year to enrol in the next year of study. The student must submit a formal written request to the academic committee. Advancement to the next year may be approved if there are justifiable reasons for not completing all academic requirements.

Students may repeat a year only once during their study period.

Students shall be deemed to have completed their studies when they fulfil all the prescribed study requirements to a total of 180 ECTS-credits. Students must obtain a positive assessment for the Final Seminar completed within the framework of the Seminar.

Graduate competenciestop

General competencies

• Knowledge of the professional terminology of the field.
• Sound knowledge of the global environmental problems.
• Knowledge and understanding of the agricultural development policy in Slovenia, the EU and beyond.
• Ability to identify the needs of the market.
• Ability to identify problems and to analytically solve them by using different sources and an interdisciplinary approach.
• Ability to transfer knowledge from theory into practice.
• Autonomous professional work in the field of biotechnical science.
• Developed communication skills with the ability to use modern communication technologies.
• Developed the ability to critically and self-critical assessment and the creation of independent texts (articles, papers, judgments, debates, etc.).
• Commitment to ethics and developed sense of professionalism.
• Ability to critically verify information and anticipate solutions and consequences.
• Ability to engage constructively with other professional profiles (teamwork).

Subject-specific competencies

• Ability to describe the state and trends of the agricultural production and the role of agriculture in the development of rural areas.
• Detailed knowledge of the complexity and vulnerability of the Mediterranean area.
• Ability to choose the adequate agricultural plant for production, according to the ecological conditions of the environment.
• Ability to plan and carry out plant production with basic and more demanding technologies.
• Ability to organize the procurement of planting material, agricultural machinery and equipment.
• Ability to manage the genetic material of crops and to implement the basic valorisation of the production and the agronomic properties of various agricultural plants.
• Basic knowledge of livestock breeding and fishery in the Mediterranean.
• Knowledge of the key parameters of agricultural products and food quality, quality schemes, storage and manipulation.
• Ability to identify the requirements of the market, determine and explain the basic indicators of the performance of agricultural production and explanations of the business decisions.
• Trade management of agricultural material.
• Ability to plan a Start-up business and to self-manage a family business with agricultural production.
• Ability to place new professional findings, information and interpretations into the context of basic agronomic and zoo-technical discipline.
• Use of modern information and communication technology in the field of expertise.

Field worktop

Within the individual courses of the study programme, part of the course is also carried out in the field (field work).

Field work is carried out as a complement to the study process and students are required to attend it. The field work provides students with practical knowledge that builds on the theoretical content covered in the lectures. Field work takes place over one or several days. In some courses, particularly in the second or third year, two- and three-day field work takes place in Slovenia or abroad (e.g. in Istria, Cres and Lošinj, Velebit). During the field work, students, assisted by professors and assistants and local guides, learn about local features and foreign research institutions, and carry out practical tasks in the natural environment. At the same time, it should not be forgotten that field work is one of the most enjoyable and popular study commitments, as it also allows students and teachers to socialise informally and get to know new places.

We recommend that students on fieldwork programmes be vaccinated against tick-borne meningitis because of the exposure and the possibility of infection during fieldwork. The vaccination is organised as part of the regular medical check-ups at the Koper Health Centre and will be free of charge for students on this study programme.

On the basis of the Regulation on Tuition Fees and Other Contributions in Higher Education (Official Journal of the Republic of Slovenia, No.40/94, 45/98) and in accordance with the Regulation on Contributions and Evaluation of Costs at the University of Primorska, the members of the University of Primorska charge students for the costs related to the implementation of the study programme in the field and the organisation of field trips at the actual cost per participant.

The management of UP FAMNIT decides, on the basis of an analysis of the costs of field work and an assessment of the financial capacity of the faculty in a particular academic year, to what extent it will be able to co-finance the costs (in recent years between 50% and 80% of the costs) of field work for a particular academic year.

The Faculty will continue to part-finance the costs of field work in the future, subject to the availability of financial resources, as in previous academic years.

Graduate employment opportunitiestop

Upon completing the program, graduates have the option to pursue further studies in master's programs (at the second Bologna level) or enter the workforce. With their acquired knowledge, they will be well-equipped to work independently or collaboratively in various capacities, including:

• Plant Production and Marketing: This includes roles in cooperatives, production of planting material, fruit and grapevine nurseries, wine cellars, and centres focused on fruits, horticulture, and herbs.
• Breeding Centres: Graduates can contribute their expertise in breeding centres, playing a role in the development and improvement of plant varieties.
• Quality Monitoring of Agricultural Products and Foodstuffs: Opportunities exist in roles focused on ensuring and maintaining the quality of agricultural products and food items.
• Chambers and Agencies: Graduates can work in chambers and agencies related to agriculture, bringing their knowledge to regulatory and advisory roles.
• Research Institutions: Employment in research institutions allows graduates to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field.
• Design of Horticultural Buildings and Permanent Plantations: Roles in companies involved in designing irrigation systems, greenhouses, and landscape design are viable career paths.
• Management of Protected Areas with Agricultural Production: Opportunities exist in institutions overseeing protected areas with agricultural production, including national, regional, and landscape parks, as well as botanical gardens.
• Independent Entrepreneurship: Graduates can choose to become independent entrepreneurs, engaging in activities such as cultivation and consultancy.
• Sustainable Agritourism: Graduates can explore opportunities in the field of sustainable agritourism, contributing to the development of eco-friendly and agriculture-focused tourism initiatives.

The diverse range of career paths showcases the versatility of the program, allowing graduates to apply their knowledge in various sectors of agriculture and related industries.