Agriculture, Ecology & Societies (AGES) University of Kassel

The programme is taught in English.

In the two-year Master's programme in "Agriculture, Ecology & Societies" (AGES), students explore sustainable agriculture from an interdisciplinary perspective. Depending on their career objectives and thematic interests, students may combine courses in the following areas of expertise:

• the natural sciences and biophysical basis for sustainable agroecologies
• ecological land and farm management practices
• the social organisation (governance) and economics of agriculture, rural geographies and rural-urban linkages
• political demands and voices within the food system
• agricultural beliefs and ethics
• critical food systems research and advocacy

The programme emphasises interdisciplinary, critical and project-based learning, and is taught by scholars from a variety of (inter-)disciplinary backgrounds. Its common denominator is the search for more sustainable, equitable food systems, and the need to train and equip young change-makers with an interdisciplinary skill set for food system transformation.

AGES is offered by the Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences, which has been a core research and education hub for the German and European organic agriculture movement for 40 years. As a transdisciplinary programme, AGES combines the expertise and facilities of four more faculties at the University of Kassel:

• Fac­ulty of Humanities
• Fac­ulty of Social Sciences
• Fac­ulty of Economics and Management
• Faculty of Architecture, City and Landscape Planning

We maintain a unique network of partner institutes abroad where students can further specialise in agroecology, agricultural development and environmental governance, among other focus areas.

Click here to visit our webpage with videos about the degree programme and find out more.

This programme starts annually in October. Please refer to the programme website for up-to-date information. Before lectures start, there will be a Welcome Week and introduction sessions for new international students, which provide valuable information.

• Application period with a degree earned outside Germany: annually 1 December to 1 March
  Applications are screened beginning in December – please apply as early as possible in order to allow time for registration, financing, and visa.
• Application period with a degree obtained in Germany: annually 1 June to 1 September

The programme is divided into 15 modules (six credits each):

Two compulsory modules:

• Agriculture and ecosystem services
• Food systems governance and agriculture

Two bridging modules:

• Students with a life sciences background take:
  • Research methods in social sciences
  • History, societies and environment
• Students with a social sciences or humanities background take:
  • Research methods and data science in the life sciences and
  • either Principles of organic farming or Soil and plant sciences or Organic livestock farming under temperate conditions

In two interdisciplinary project modules, small groups of students approach a complex topic of societal relevance, using and combining their respective methodological strengths. Interdisciplinary projects are each facilitated by two professors from different disciplines, over the course of one or two semesters.

Nine electives from a wide range of courses are offered at our faculties as well as at the University of Göttingen and a number of international partner universities. The curriculum lets students take electives during the third semester, making it much easier to arrange an exchange semester. 

The choice of electives must include:

• At least two courses from the subject area Agriculture and Ecology 
• At least two courses from the subject area Socioeconomics, Humanities and Environment 
• At least two methodological courses
• Optional and with prior approval: up to two courses taught in German

Finally, in the Master's thesis module and colloquium (30 credits), students develop and present an independent, transdisciplinary research project of societal relevance. Each thesis is supervised by two supervisors from different disciplines.

Study trips

A study semester abroad (e.g. ERASMUS+) can be integrated.

No compulsory internship is included, but support and contacts to companies and institutions are available.

No tuition fees

Mandatory registration fees allow students to use public transport free of charge and the university's refectories and cafeterias at reduced prices. The registration fee for the summer semester 2025 is 356.82 EUR.

The semester fee changes annually. For the current fees, please refer to this link.

In order to cover personal expenses while studying in Kassel, it is recommended that students budget around 750 to 1,000 EUR per month for accommodation, food, health insurance, books, and miscellaneous expenses.

1. An above-average BA or BSc degree in a relevant subject area: Agricultural Sciences, Social Sciences, Economics or Humanities
2. A one-page letter detailing your motivation for studying this programme

Please refer to the official admissions homepage.

Proof of sufficient English language proficiency by

• previous studies conducted entirely in English (Medium of Instruction), or
• International language certificate of level B2, according to the Common Framework of Reference for Languages (CERF)

Please refer to the official information on language certificates.

• Application period with a degree earned outside Germany: annually 1 December to 1 March
  Applications are screened beginning in December – please apply as early as possible in order to allow time for registration, financing, and visa.
• Application period with a degree obtained in Germany: annually 1 June to 1 September

No

Students can apply for various part-time jobs or work as student assistants on campus. Please have a look at www.uni-kassel.de. Some departments also provide positions as tutors or working students.

International students enrolled at the University of Kassel can choose between staying at a student residence hall ("Wohnheim") or private accommodation. There are about 1,000 rooms available in the student residencies around the campus. Please have a look at https://www.studierendenwerk-kassel.de/en/wohnen/. Rent for a room varies between 200 and 350 EUR per month depending on the location and facilities. Students can choose single apartments with en-suite facilities or a shared flat with fellow students. Private furnished or unfurnished accommodation in Kassel is also available and can be found in the local paper, on flyers on campus, or on the Internet (e.g. social media).

The career service of University of Kassel offers individual support to facilitate your successful transition from academic studies to the professional world. Especially for international students aiming for a career entry in Germany, the Career Service provides workshops and seminars, portfolio check and individual advisory: https://www.uni-kassel.de/uni/en/studium/kontakt-und-beratung/servicestellen/career-service/home.

The Welcome Centre at the International Office provides support and information to new students. Additionally, we offer a tutoring and mentoring system at faculty level. Before lectures begin, there is a welcome week as well as introduction sessions for new international students, which provide valuable information. Students from abroad are offered support with administrative matters, accommodation, etc. Tutors and mentors are available for additional support to ease the transition to the studies in Germany.

The University of Kassel, founded in 1971, is characterised by a multi-layered competence network focused on nature, technology, art, and society. The university, with its ten faculties and its School of Art and Design, has committed itself to international cooperation and interdisciplinary research. It hosts 3,000 international students from over 130 countries among its 25,500 students. Approximately 300 professors teach and research in the fields of engineering, natural sciences, and mathematics as well as the humanities, human sciences, environmental engineering, informatics, and arts.

The faculties are located on the main campus (Holländischer Platz) and on other campuses (Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Heinrich-Plett-Straße, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Wilhelmshöher Allee, Kassel School of Art and Design at the Karlsaue Park, Institute of Sports and Sports Science at the Aueparkhalle, and the “Murhardsche” Library at Brüder-Grimm-Platz). The Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences can be found in the nearby village of Witzenhausen.

Internationally orientated, short-term study courses as well as English-taught Bachelor's and Master's programmes make the university an attractive place to study and do research. International partnerships at home and abroad strengthen its position in the area of national and international higher education.

The university also provides a wide range of leisure-time activities such as sport facilities, cultural activities, international meetings, and social events.

Kassel, with approx. 200,000 inhabitants, is located at the centre of Germany, close to the Fulda River. The city offers rich cultural and economic diversity. Opera and theatres, concerts, open-air-events, famous art museums, and castles enrich the capital of the German “Fairytale Route”. Every five years, the world-famous “documenta” contemporary art exhibition turns Kassel into a cosmopolitan city. There are many parks and forests in Kassel and its surroundings where you can relax in the open air or be active. The “Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe”, Europe’s largest mountainside park, is the most famous sight in Kassel. In 2013, the park and its water cascades became a UNESCO World Culture Heritage Site. An excellent highway and railway infrastructure provides you with the means to explore other German and European cities in a fast and easy way (e.g. three hours to Berlin, Hamburg, or Munich).

Witzenhausen — where the Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences is located — is a small, typical Hessian town, some 35 km from Kassel. Approx. 1,000 students live and work here. Historic, half-timbered houses lend a unique charm to the small town, which is famous for its cherry orchards in the surrounding areas. The annual spring cherry blossom celebration is a highlight for both young and old.