The 2nd cycle Degree Course in "Firm and Quality for the agricultural and food system" is an advanced study opportunity for who wish to consolidate and expand their professional and scientific competences in the field of agricultural entrepreneurship and in the management and enhancement of quality products and processes.
The course has been innovated by adopting a further diversification of the educational offer, stemming by the need to train professionals capable of intervening in the enhancement of the agro-food quality systems as well as of the products of crop and animal breeding. The course is also intended as a driving force of sustainable development of the territory, based on specific and valuable characters.
The educational content related to livestock fill a need for training in the important context of the sector of the management of quality animal products, with a focus on issues relating to food safety, to animal welfare, to the management of pastures and forage crops, and to the management of livestock waste.
The course primarily aims at educating professionals able to start business and supply chain initiatives related to the upgrading of products with specific quality characters, such as typical, biological, historical characters, etc .; the current international economic system and the development of food culture are driving more and more the business activity towards the ability to relate with the socio-economic system through forms of integration and coordination of the productive and organizational activities, bringing out the products specificities and raising the level of quality and food safety.
The educational activities include class specific subjects aimed at the acquisition of skills in the fields of post-harvest processing of agricultural products, of systems and processes for the agro-industrial transformation, of the defence and prevention of commodities against pathogens and possible contamination; where possible, courses are provided with interdisciplinary traits, aiming at the integration of different skills.
Other contents of class specific subjects are: the economic aspects of the company, of market, of the food and agriculture policy at the international level as well as the specific aspects of the quality and certification economics. A better understanding of matters of logistics, packaging technology (packaging and labelling) and of consumer behaviour and perception of quality is pursued through complementary disciplines specifically included in the educational path.
The course includes the following additional educational activities:
- Elective activities: The elective credits may be acquired, in accordance with article 10, paragraph 5, letter a) of the Ministerial Decree 270/04, and with the Course and University regulation, among all the subjects provided in the University of Palermo, if consistent with the educational objectives of the course.
- Internships: to be carried out at companies or institutions;
- Activities related to the final examination: The final examination consists of the preparation of an original paper to be discussed publicly with a faculty Board, as required by the academic regulations
.
The educational activities will be carried out through lectures, laboratory and field exercises and mid-term tests.
The expected time for obtaining the degree is two academic years. To achieve the degree, students must have acquired 120 university credits (CFU), including those related to the knowledge of The English language, subject to the special rules for the protection of linguistic minorities. The educational programme consists of 11 required courses and one elective course, plus the practical-application internship at accredited facilities and the final examination on topics related to the Degree Course.
At the end of the course students are awarded the title of “Dottore Magistrale” and, upon passing the national professional qualification examination, they may register in Section A (Senior Agronomist) of the professional register of the “Ordine dei Dottori Agronomi e Forestali”.*
*Italian professional Board