AgriFood Economics, Policy and Regulation

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

You 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 your degree programme, you will deal intensively with the current challenges in the agricultural and food sector. How are digital technologies influencing 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.

Political goals such as climate neutrality and the restoration of ecosystems and biodiversity in the European Union can only be achieved with the necessary expertise.

As a graduate of the AgriFood Economics, Policy and Regulation degree programme, you will therefore be sought after by both private and public employers who urgently need specialists who are familiar with the diverse challenges and conflicting objectives in the agricultural and food sector.

Due to the continuing trend towards increasing international concentration and integration in the agricultural and food sector, there is also a growing need for specialists who are used to dealing with international partners and have business fluent English skills as well as intercultural and interdisciplinary expertise.

You can therefore expect a variety of potential employers and fields of work on both the national and international labour market.

Possible fields of work for you include, for example:

• International organisations in the agricultural and food sector such as EU agencies, FAO and World Bank
• National and regional ministries and related authorities on rural development and agricultural and food policy issues
• Nationally and internationally active private-sector companies in the agricultural and food industry in the manufacturing sector or in the consulting industry
• Industry associations, NGOs or in the media and communications sector
• Research activities in the academic field and in public research

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 complete five compulsory modules in the first semester:

• Economics of agriculture and technology
• Sustainability policies
• Environment, agriculture, and nutrition
• Technology for agriculture and nutrition
• 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 in-depth knowledge of the socio-economic 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 2nd and/or 3rd semester as a mobility window and take credits from the compulsory electives at other German or international universities.

In the fourth semester, you will complete your degree programme with a master's thesis.

As a graduate of the AgriFood Economics, Policy and Regulation degree programme, you are familiar with the complexity of modern agri-food systems. You will be able to discuss ecological implications, socio-economic and political interactions and describe technological principles of food production. You will understand the political landscape in the agricultural and food sector and the motives of the key players. You will be able to compare different regulatory interventions in free markets and analyse their economic impact.

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 co-operation between different actors within the agricultural sector.
• Develop innovative solutions in the form of consumer initiatives, business models, co-operative approaches, and campaigns.
• Develop new regulatory systems and develop approaches to reorganise existing regulations.

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

Application requirements and eligibility

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.

Important: The bachelor's degree must already be available at the time of application and must be submitted until the end of the application deadline at the latest (31 May). Your application will not be valid without proof of successful completion of studies (i.e. submission of a final transcript of records with degree date stated, or, if this is not yet available: submission of a certificate of completion of studies together with preliminary transcript).

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.

Preliminary Documentation (VPD): Attention! Applicants with a qualification for postgraduate studies (e.g. a bachelor's degree) obtained outside the EU / EEA must apply via uni-assist.

First you have to apply for the VPD at uni-assist and then upload the VPD with your application at TUM. Note that processing your VPD by uni-assist can take 6-8 weeks. Be sure to apply for it as early as possible, at the latest before the TUM application deadline. If you apply late in the application period, you have to expect delays in handling your application at TUM. We can only handle your application once all documents are complete, which includes the VPD.
 

Semester fees and tuition fees at TUM

All students have to pay a semester fee for the student union (Studierendenwerk).

++ NEW ++ International students from third countries, i.e. countries that do not belong to the European Economic Area, will be charged tuition fees as of winter semester 2024/25. All information on fee levels, waivers and scholarship programs can be found on the website on tuition fees for international students.

Application period and start of studies

The application period is from 01 January to 31 May each year for the following winter semester. ATTENTION: For this winter term 2024-25 the application portal will not open until February 1, 2024!

 Start of the degree program is only possible in the winter semester. See here for semester dates.

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

Online application

Application is only possible via our online application portal, where you need to set up an applicant account. You find instructions for your online application here. You do not have to submit any hardcopies before your application is reviewed and you receive an offer of admission. Please upload all documents to TUMonline before the end of the application deadline. Documents submitted via email cannot be processed.

Depending on your nationality and the country where you obtained your Bachelor’s degree, you will have to submit the different documents via our online application portal (TUMonline). Please check, which documents are necessary in your case and make sure, you have them ready for your online application. Documents issued in German or English need not be translated. Documents not issued in German or English must be translated by a sworn translator into either German or English. Please merge both the original and the translation and upload them as one PDF file. Be aware of specific regulations for certain countries and see glossary of documents for details on the requested application documents.

Please note: We can only consider your application if you upload all required documents and submit the complete application within the application period.
 

Aptitude assessment procedure

In a subsequent aptitude assessment process, we will check whether you have the appropriate qualifications and skills for the Master`s program Agrifood Economics, Policy and Regulations.

In the first stage of the of the aptitude assessment process, the qualifications acquired in the first degree program are assessed on the basis of the final grade and the professional competence on the basis of a written assessment (online aptitude test).

The assessment (online test) for the Master's degree program AgriFood Economics, Policy and Regulation is offered once per application period. 
You can find the date for the test here:https://www.ls.tum.de/en/ls/studies/application/

At least 1 week before the test date, you will receive an invitation to the online test by e-mail with all information about the test procedure. It is very important that you have a stable internet connection for the test and that your IP address remains the same during the test.

The online test is conducted in written form and in English (multiple-choice test format; duration: 40 minutes).

The online-test covers the following topics:

• General and interdisciplinary basic knowledge with regard to regional and global challenges of the agri-food sector (30%),
• Research methods and mathematical principles (30%)
• knowledge in the fields of agriculture, economic contexts and current political discussions (40%).

The total score for the first stage of the aptitude assessment is the sum of the calculated final grade (max. 30 points) and the result of the online-test (max. 40 points).

Applicants who have achieved at least 52 points will receive confirmation that they have passed the aptitude assessment.

Applicants with fewer than 46 points fail the aptitude assessment.

The remaining applicants (46 to 51 points) will be invited to an aptitude assessment interview in the second stage of the aptitude assessment process. We will invite you to an interview of 20-30 minutes via Zoom. We will announce your interview date at least one week in advance.
 

Enrollment

Once you are admitted to this program, you have to accept your study place in your applicant account. Subsequently you have to submit your certified paper copies for enrollment and pay the semester fees. All relevant information will appear in your TUMonline applicant account.
For more details see:

• the enrollment process
• the glossary of documents

Please note that from the time where you receive admission, we will only contact you via your tum.de/mytum.de email address, that you find in your applicant account. Make sure that these emails can be received by you. See here for instructions how to set up your email address at TUM.

• Curriculum
  The degree chart gives you an overview and recommendation, which modules you should take in which semester according to academic and examination regulations (FPSO).
   
• Timetable (TUM ID required for login):
  This timetable is intended to give you an overview of the planned compulsory and elective modules of a semester. It is for orientation purposes only and will not be updated during the semester! 
  
  Via TUMonline you can have a timetable created for each semester according to FSPO.
  
  You can also create your own individual timetable, which can contain not only the dates of the selected courses, but also your personal appointments.
  
  First steps with TUMonline

• General Academic and Examination Regulations at TUM (APSO)
• Academic and Examination Regulations (FPSO)
  • Academic and Examination Regulations 20241

• Examination dates & registration via TUMonline
  In TUMonline you can register for the module examinations that accompany your studies. 

  Important: You can only take most of the exams if you have actively registered yourself via TUMonline within the registration period. The registration and deregistration period will be displayed at the exam date.

• Further examination matters
  • Academic progress check
  • Examinations
  • Recognitions
  • Theses
• Board of Examination
  The board of examination is a committee consisting of university professors and lecturers of the degree program. Applications to the board of examination are received by the secretary and submitted to the board of examination for decision. You can reach the secretary by sending an email to examination.co(at)ls.tum.de.

A pre-study internship before the start of the course is not required for admission. 

More information about

• Internships
• Excursions