Course description (STA)

TRAINING PATHS
The degree course in Agricultural Sciences and Technologies is based on two curricula, "Agricultural Technologies" and "Viticulture and Tecnology". Starting from 2020-21, two degree paths will be available for the BSc in “Applied Ecology in Agronomy” through the University of Zadar, in Croatia. Overall, this degree programme aims to provide graduates with an interdisciplinary preparation that allows them to have a complete view of the activities of the agricultural world and its general problems with a focus on agricultural production, which includes the wine sector, efficient and sustainable use of natural resources, containment of undesirable effects of agriculture on the environment, enhancement of the multifunctionality of agricultural activities, and the current interpretation of the roles played by agriculture in the development of the territory and the local economy.

In particular, the course aims to provide graduates with interdisciplinary skills in the agronomic productive areas that are useful for the profession of young agronomist and/or in the wine sector, to enter the winemaking profession.

Over the 3-year period, the subjects that will be taught include mathematics, physics, inorganic and organic chemistry, plant biology, zoology, entomology, agricultural genetics, agricultural economics and policy, and statistics. These represent the common basis for the studies of the course graduates.

Starting from the second year, the specific disciplines of the degree course in Agricultural Sciences and Technologies will be addressed. These will include agricultural chemistry and biochemistry, agronomy, herbaceous crops, general arboriculture, plant pathologies, and mechanics and mechanisation.

In the third year, the two paths related to the "Agricultural Technologies" and "Viticulture and Oenology" curricula will be separated. The "Agricultural Technologies" curriculum will include the disciplines of animal biology and general zootechnics, rural buildings and elements of geomatics, rural appraisal, fruit growing, agricultural industries and agricultural pedology. The "Viticulture and Oenology" curriculum will include in-depth information on viticulture, oenology, oenological chemistry, oenological microbiology, machines and systems in viticulture and oenology, and marketing and community policies. Furthermore, the students will carry out an internship period to acquire practical skills in one of the sectors related to agricultural technologies and/or the wine sector. The internship activities will involve the writing of a final report, which the student will present to acquire the 6 ECTS.

The BSc in Agricultural Sciences and Technologies also aims to provide an adequate base for access to Master's degrees related to the agricultural sector. Within the didactic structure described above, the educational path will include:

- strong integration between the lessons taught to encourage the development of clear multidisciplinarity and an integrated vision of problems, according to the systemic approach;

- the use of diversified teaching forms and materials that in addition to the lectures and the most up-to-date reference texts for the various disciplines, will include: critical reading and discussion of scientific articles, laboratory practicals, and active participation in seminars and workshops also organized with the collaboration of companies and professionals in the agriculture, food and environmental sectors;

- the use of the Moodle technological platform, such as the Learning Management System for the development of blended training courses, in which traditional classroom training is integrated with the most innovative IT technologies. This will be achieved through the creation of personalised learning environments that in addition to directly supplying the contents to authorised users, will allow tracing of the frequency of courses and activities (e.g., access to contents, time of use, results of evaluation activities). Both unidirectional and bidirectional synchronous and asynchronous communication tools are used within the Moodle environment (teachers to students; students to colleagues and teachers) through the use of integrated modules, such as discussion forums. Additional possibilities made available by Moodle include: online testing; self-evaluation; wiki; surveys (course satisfaction questionnaires); online assignments (uploading of files by students); glossaries; and audio, video and other multimedia content.

OBJECTIVES AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES
The BSc aims to train the graduates to be able to coordinate the problems of agricultural production in a multidisciplinary manner, taking into account environmental sustainability and respect for economic and social realities in specific production contexts

The BSc in Agricultural Sciences and Technologies offers the opportunity to access the following employment opportunities:

- University Agriculture Departments;

- Agricultural consortia;

- Freelance professional activities (e.g., young agronomist and/or winemaker);

- Single or consortium farms;

- Producer associations;

- Large fruit and vegetable distribution;

- Agriculture products industries;

- Quality control bodies;

- National and regional services for the protection and development of the environment and the territory (e.g., State Technical Services; National and Regional Agencies for the Environment; Hydrological and Soil Authorities; Technical Services and Regional, Provincial and Municipal Departments; Reclamation and Irrigation Consortia; Mountain Communities; and Mountain Hydrological Consortia);

- professional firms, service companies and laboratories operating in the agricultural sector and in the management and protection of the environment and the territory.