Crop Protection (M.Sc.)

The Division of Plant Diseases and Plant Protection at the University of Göttingen has a long-standing national and international reputation for its basic-to-applied approach in plant pathology, entomology, and integrated crop protection. Research in Göttingen combines fundamental studies on pathogens, pests, and weeds with a focus on understanding their impacts on crop health and yield. Particular attention is given to major and emerging pest and disease challenges in key arable crops such as cereals (wheat, barley and oats), oilseed rape, maize, and rice. The University of Göttingen follows a research-oriented teaching concept that aims to closely link research and teaching activitiesThe international Master’s program “Crop Protection” is embedded in one of Germany’s largest agricultural science faculties. Students benefit from a wide range of elective modules within crop protection as well as access to related disciplines such as plant breeding, plant nutrition, agronomy, and soil science. This allows students to specialize in Crop Protection while maintaining a broader perspective on interconnected fields within agricultural systems science.

The Master’s program “Crop Protection” 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 the compulsory internship (at least six weeks).

The third semester focuses on advanced and specialized 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 program’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 defense in a colloquium.

The internship provides students with hands-on experience in laboratory or field research. Students work on scientific projects offered by companies and research institutes. They become integrated into day-to-day professional work outside the university and gain practical expertise in their area, as well as transferable skills such as work organization, interdisciplinary teamwork, self-initiative, flexibility, and communication.

The international and multidisciplinary Master’s program “Crop Protection” at the University of Göttingen equips students with broad research and analytical skills related to crop protection and opens up a wide range of career paths, including:

• Postgraduate research (PhD programmes)
• Universities and public or private research institutions
• Public authorities, regulatory agencies and advisory bodies
• International organisations and development institutions
• Agricultural services and extension
• Consulting companies
• The agrochemical and crop protection industry