The Master Program in Plant Breeding (emPLANT+), also known as the Master's Degree in Plant Breeding, Plant Improvement and Varietal Creation, is an Erasmus Mundus-labeled program of excellence co-constructed by six European universities and is devoted to plant improvement and varietal creation
The Erasmus Mundus Master Programme in Plant Breeding is dedicated to plant improvement and plant breeding. It will enable you to learn about new technologies based on molecular and cellular biology, which you will use to promote higher agricultural yields.
The master covers the entire field of activity of a modern-day breeder. This field is very little present in higher education; this Erasmus Mundus master offers this specificity, as rare as the demand is growing!
The course was designed in partnership with seed companies and the agri-food industry, and is currently being carried out with 5 other European universities: Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (Hungary), Universitat Politècnica de València (Spain), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Sweden), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU - Austria) and Università degli Study di Milano (Italy). It thus combines the excellence of the best European universities and the "field" dimension.
Key information
- duration of the training: 24 months
- language of instruction: English
- recruitment from a Bachelor degree
- training locations :
- M1: UniLaSalle campus of Beauvais (France) or Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Sweden) or Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (Hungary)
- M2 : UniLaSalle campus of Beauvais (France) or University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU - Austria) or Università degli Study di Milano (Italy) or Universitat Politècnica de Valencia (Spain)
- tuition fees : consult here
With its Erasmus Mundus label, the Master in Plant Breeding, Plant Improvement and Varietal Creation enjoys international recognition. Thanks to the partnership between 6 European universities, the students of the master can choose the course which corresponds to their desires.
The program
Master 1 provides the basics in terms of plant breeding and related subjects to students, such as plant production, genetics, breeding, statistics, etc.
Students will deepen their knowledge of the basic science related to breeding, strategies and administrative rules of the seed company.
The courses offered by UniLaSalle, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences are very similar and complementary, defining the basics in terms of plant biology, breeding methods and biotechnological tools.
At UniLaSalle
The courses offered at UniLaSalle will attract candidates interested in applied plant breeding and seed trade.
The introductory courses on seed trade, plant breeding system and relational databases are specific to UniLaSalle.
The teaching at UniLaSalle is more directly focused on plant breeding, including plant genetics and practical aspects of plant breeding.
At the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)
The courses offered at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences will appeal more to candidates interested in applied plant breeding and seed trade.
Parts of the course on plant-microbe interaction are specific to SLU.
Teaching at SLU focuses somewhat more on basic plant biology, including genetics and plant biology, important topics for plant breeding.
At Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE)
The courses offered at Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences will be more attractive to candidates interested in applied research.
Some parts of the molecular genetics course are specific to MATE.
The teaching at MATE focuses somewhat more on basic plant biology, including genetics and plant biology, important topics for plant breeding
A short internship is required at the end of the year
The four tracks offered by the four universities that can host the M2 will give students the opportunity to specialize.
UniLaSalle
The track offered by UniLaSalle focuses more on seed production and phenotyping tools, with courses more focused on ornamental crops and legumes, and will particularly attract students interested in applied research and seed companies.
Parts of the courses Seed contracts, Marketing and logistics, Modeling and phenotyping are specific to UniLaSalle.
An internship in a company between the first and second year is compulsory
The Master's thesis must be carried out in UniLaSalle's research units.
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU)
The course offered by BOKU focuses more on genetic tools, and will attract more particularly students interested in fundamental research.
You will be able to select certain courses from a range of subjects.
Università degli Study di Milano (UMIL)
The course offered by UMIL is more focused on applied breeding, and will particularly attract students interested in applied research.
Parts of the course Marketing to breeding and Developing of crop ideotype are specific to UMIL.
Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)
The course offered by UPV focuses more on genetic tools, with courses more focused on ornamental crops and legumes, and will attract students interested in basic research.
Courses are taught in Spanish.
Master's Thesis (2nd semester)
During their thesis, students have several options:
- Stay at their host university and use their facilities and equipment
- Carry out a collaborative project with a seed company or other research center in the country of the host university
- Carry out a collaborative project at a partner university, seed company or research center abroad (Program country or Partner country)
Admission
Admission requirements
To join the Erasmus Mundus Master programme in Plant breeding, you must meet the following requirements
- Bachelor's degree (bac+3) in agriculture/agronomy, biology, biotechnology, biochemistry
- Master 1 (bac+4) in genetics, molecular biology or related fields
- Language level: B2 in English (IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, Cambridge)
- If you wish to enroll at the Universitat Politècnica de Valencia in Master 2, a B1 level in Spanish is required (DELE, ALTE).
Your application must be made before the deadline.
Your application must be complete
Application filled in in English language
Admission schedule
1st admission session from October to January
The Erasmus Mundus Master Programme in Plant Breeding (emPLANT+) is open to students from all over the world.
Scholarship applicants and self-funded applicants must submit their application via the same online application form, hosted on the emPLANT+ master website.
2nd admission session from the end of the 1st session until February 28
This session is dedicated only to students who are self-financed or financed by grants outside Erasmus Mundus. By registering in the 2nd admission session, you are not eligible for the Erasmus scholarship.
Practical information
Costs
The tuition fee for the Erasmus Mundus Master Programme in Plant Breeding (emPLANT+) is :
- €9,000 (€4,500 per year) for nationals of the European Union,the Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Turkey (= program countries).
- 18 000 € (9 000 € per year) for nationals of other countries (= partner countries)
Funding
If you apply for the emPLANT+ master's program during the first admission session (October to January), you automatically apply for an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree (EMJMD) scholarship.
Three types of EMJMD scholarships are distributed
- scholarships for students from the program countries
- scholarships for students from partner countries
- additional scholarships for students from targeted regions of the world (considered as partner countries)
For all information regarding visa application procedures, insurance (civil and health) or opening a bank account in France, please visit the emPLANT+ master website.
Depending on your country of origin, the time required to obtain a visa may be longer or shorter. Please take this into account when applying. Contact Campus France or the French Embassy in your country for more information.
International students are housed directly on campus in an international residence. A common kitchen is available to students in the building.
Rooms for rent in single or double occupancy from 270 to 488 € per month (all charges included). (2017-2018 rates)
Fully equipped accommodation: bunk bed (mattress and individual sheets), 2 desks with a chair, 2 closets and shelves; bathroom with sink, shower and toilet. Towels, blankets, pillows and sheets are provided.
Jobs and opportunities
Plant breeding
- experimentation manager
- breeder
- R&D manager / director
- seed production manager
Storage and first transformation
- R&D partnership manager
- experimentation manager
- integrated services (agronomy)
Agribusiness
- R&D manager / director
- breeder involved with agricultural partners
Public, parapublic or associative sector
- experimentation manager
- breeder
- R&D manager / director
- responsible for specific regulatory issues per country
Témoignages
"This program is the perfect training for the breeder of tomorrow. It provides the required knowledge and experience to the learner by easily combining classical breeding with the new tools of plant biotechnology and putting the learner in direct contact with breeding professionals. It is a very rewarding course!!! "
"Through its multidisciplinary structure and its proximity to the business world, the "Plant Breeding" Master's degree offered by UniLaSalle enables the training of high-level researchers, capable of making the best use of all the tools available to select innovative and more efficient varieties. "
"I am pleased to see the good balance between plant breeding stricto sensu and biotechnology for plant breeding. This combination is nowadays unfortunately quite rare in breeding programs, which tend to focus on the latter part. "