AgriFood Economics, Policy and Regulation Technical University of Munich

Courses are held in English.

There are many areas of conflict in the international agricultural and food sector. How can biodiversity be preserved despite climate change and, at the same time, support economic and sustainable development in poorer countries? How can food security be ensured for a growing world population while still maintaining fair supply chains?

The international integration of agricultural markets and policymaking at the multinational level characterises the environment for producers, processors, and other players in the sector. Would you like to understand the international interdependencies?

The Master's degree programme in AgriFood Economics, Policy and Regulation, which is taught in English, gives you the interdisciplinary and cross-cultural skills you need to find effective and cooperative answers to these major social issues.

Why study in this degree programme in particular?

The degree programme offers a unique combination of agricultural policy with an interdisciplinary approach that takes ecological and socio-economic aspects into account.

You will deal intensively with the complexity of the AgriFood sector, which is characterised by close interactions between biological, technological, economic, social, and political-legal challenges and systems.

During the degree programme, you will deal intensively with the current challenges in the agricultural and food sectors. How do digital technologies influence our agriculture? How can resources be better utilised, and what can sustainable regional production and marketing principles look like? You can combine your basic scientific knowledge from the field of agricultural and horticultural sciences and your fundamental knowledge of empirical research methods with specific industry-relevant knowledge from business and politics. If you have a background in economics or political science, you can combine this with knowledge of the ecological and technological aspects of agriculture.

No other degree programme offers you these interdisciplinary opportunities – it is unique in Europe.

What competencies and skills will you acquire?

As a graduate of the AgriFood Economics, Policy and Regulation degree programme, you will be familiar with the complexity of modern agrifood systems. You will be able to discuss ecological implications, socio-economic and political interactions, and describe technological principles of food production. 

As a graduate, you will be able to...

• discuss findings from scientific reports on topics in the agrifood sector and analyse their significance for existing food systems
• communicate constructively with all relevant stakeholders and lead multidisciplinary and multicultural teams
• understand conflicts between stakeholders and promote economic and political cooperation between different actors within the agricultural sector
• develop innovative solutions in the form of consumer initiatives, business models, cooperative approaches, and campaigns
• develop new regulatory systems and develop approaches to reorganise existing regulations

As an analyst and problem solver, you will actively contribute to finding compromises between economic and ecological needs in modern food systems in today's society.

Application period: from 1 January to 31 May (for the following winter semester)

For international students, we strongly recommend to apply as early as possible, ideally before 31 March.

More information on tuition fees: https://www.tum.de/en/studies/fees/tuition.

Many international students can have their fees waived or receive scholarships to finance them. You can find all information on waivers and scholarships here. Please check which scholarship or waiver could fit you.

What course content can you expect?

The degree programme combines skills from the field of agricultural sciences (natural sciences and technological knowledge) with the social sciences (political and management sciences and economics).

You will complete five compulsory modules in the first semester:

• Economics of Agriculture and Technology
• Sustainability Politics and Policy
• Environment, Agriculture and Food
• Technology for Agriculture and Food
• Quantitative and Qualitative Methods in AgriFood Research

In the compulsory modules, you will learn the basic framework of the degree programme, as fundamental knowledge from agricultural sub-disciplines is combined with advanced content on current research topics.

After completing these courses, you will have gained in-depth knowledge of the socioeconomic and political-regulatory consequences of modern agricultural production and food systems.

In the following semesters, you can develop your individual interests and strengths and, depending on your preferences, choose from a wide range of elective modules in the following subject areas:

• (Agricultural) Economics
• Governance, Political Sciences, Sociology
• Climate Science, Resources, Ecology
• Technological Innovations

You can also use the second and/or third semester as a mobility window and take credits from the compulsory elective courses at other German or international universities.

You will complete your degree programme in the fourth semester with a Master's thesis.

You can use the second and/or third semester as a mobility window and take credits for the compulsory elective courses at other German or international universities.

Varied

More information on tuition fees: https://www.tum.de/en/studies/fees/tuition.

Many international students can have their fees waived or receive scholarships to finance them. You can find all information on waivers and scholarships here. Please check which scholarship or waiver could fit you.

Please refer to this page for more details: https://www.tum.de/en/studies/fees.

In order to cover personal expenses while studying in Munich, we recommend a budget of at least 1,200 EUR per month.

Please refer to the following page for more information: https://www.studentenwerk-muenchen.de/en/international/international-students-in-munich/in-preparation/cost-of-living/.

The prerequisite for the application is that you hold a qualified Bachelor's degree of at least six semesters or an equivalent degree in agricultural and horticultural sciences, political science, economics and business administration or a comparable course of study, which you have acquired at a German or foreign university.

Knowledge of the English language: Students whose native language or language of instruction is not English must demonstrate proficiency through an acknowledged language test such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL, with a minimum of 88 points), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS, with a minimum of 6.5 points), or the Cambridge Main Suite of English Examinations.

Learn more about recognised certificates and other ways to prove your language skills.

Application period: from 1 January to 31 May (for the following winter semester)

For international students, we strongly recommend to apply as early as possible, ideally before 31 March.

Germany Scholarship at TUM:

• Who can qualify? Currently enrolled undergraduates and graduates with university entrance certificates from Germany or abroad
• Scholarship amount: 300 EUR per month
• Requirements: academic achievement and aptitude, social engagement, a sense of responsibility and special circumstances such as physical handicaps or a minority status

Scholarships for international students:

• Who can qualify? Currently enrolled undergraduates and graduates with non-German university entrance certificates
• Scholarship amount: one-time financial aid of 500 to 1,500 EUR per semester
• Requirements: Good academic record (merit), proven need (low income)

Learn more about scholarships here.

Student jobs are offered regularly within the departments and institutes of the university. Some students work at the nearby airport. Student assistant positions are also available.

Please refer to the following page for more details: https://www.tum.de/en/studies/during-your-studies/living-and-working/jobs-and-internships.

It’s not easy to find a place to live in Munich – but it’s not impossible either! The Technical University of Munich (TUM) supports students and staff in their search for accommodation, providing personal advice, in-house listings and useful information to ensure that you can quickly find a place to call your own.

Click here to learn more.

The TUM Career Service offers individual counselling appointments to students, graduates, doctoral candidates and alumni. The consultations range from application portfolio checks and decision-making assistance to career orientation and classic career counselling/planning.

Fit for TUM – service fair for newcomers

The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is one of Europe’s leading universities in research and teaching. As the entrepreneurial university, it doesn’t just seek to understand the world – it sets out to improve it. TUM’s unparalleled range of disciplines covers engineering and natural sciences, life sciences and medicine, management and social sciences – a combination found nowhere else in Europe. TUM leverages this enormous potential by intensively and intelligently combining the different subjects. This inspires modern fields of research and teaching extending from bioengineering to machine intelligence. At the same time, TUM links technological questions closely with social, political and ethical issues.

The outstanding course offering is strongly oriented toward research and, at the same time, tightly coupled to practical experience. TUM invests in the professional development of individual talent and gives its students room to live out their passion for science; students work on developments such as space elevators, robots, and gas turbines in autonomous research groups that carry on for generations. Managers regularly choose TUM as one of the 10 best universities worldwide for the quality of graduates (Global Employability University Rankings).

TUM has a dense network of industry partnerships, collaborating with companies such as BMW, Siemens, SAP, and Google. No other German university produces more start-up founders – the result of an unrivalled support infrastructure. TUM is an international university with a high proportion of foreign students and researchers as well as more than 150 partner universities around the globe. In 2006, 2012, and 2019, it won recognition as a German "Excellence University".

Munich – Germany’s innovation engine and world’s most liveable city

TUM is based in the European metropolitan region of Munich: a research, business and cultural hub of global standing with cosmopolitan flair. In rankings of the world’s best locations for students, Munich regularly occupies the top spots, and it was ranked the most liveable city in the world several times.

Munich is Germany’s innovation engine. Almost all major branches of industry have established a presence in the city, including global players from abroad. This is particularly true of high-tech fields such as IT, automotive and aerospace, as well as for medical engineering, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Thanks to the economic power, the city’s first-rate educational and research institutions, and its location at the heart of Europe, Munich ranks as Europe’s leading ICT hub, as an EU study confirms.

Munich and the surrounding area offer a virtually unlimited range of leisure activities. The Bavarian capital is famous for its museums, historic palaces and churches as well as for theatres, music venues and clubs which ensure a varied nightlife. The English Garden – one of the world’s largest inner-city parks – and the Isar river create an oasis of green. 

Freising is located approx. 35 kilometres north of Munich on the Isar River. Freising is renowned for its ancient history, the bishop’s cathedral on Cathedral Hill (Domberg) and the oldest working brewery of the world on Weihenstephan Hill. This is where the TUM School of Life Sciences is situated. From the viewing terrace of TUM's Weihenstephan campus, the Alps look close enough to touch, and the clear waters of the Bavarian lakes are just an hour away.