BSc Agriculture Course- Eligibility, Admission Details, Jobs and Career Prospects

Updated July 6, 2022

BSc Agriculture or Bachelor of Science in Agriculture is a 4-year undergraduate programme that equips the students with numerous skills and hands-on experiences to efficiently work in the agricultural field, manage different farming practices, conduct research, and many more.

Moreover, the program has been designed to train students to improve agricultural productivity, implement new technologies, manage farm activities and contribute to the future development of the agrarian sectors. As agriculture is the major contributing factor to the Indian economy, the students can understand the true potential of this field as well as its allied industries. The students interested in a BSc agriculture course must possess a basic understanding of the agro-based industry. The course can be pursued after completing the intermediate or higher secondary examination.

The course comprises numerous crucial BSc agriculture subjects that students study in the course frame. It has also included the modern aspects. The candidates gain knowledge and experience on soil science, agriculture science, use of modern scientific equipment and techniques in agriculture, aspects of biotechnology, land surveying, water resource management, to mention a few. The curriculum is taught to the students to create them into professional graduates who can develop imperative ways of agriculture in order to boost agriculture productivity. More so, the course also offers numerous rewarding job opportunities along with handsome salaries to the meritorious minds.

BSc in Agriculture Course Details

Bachelor of Science in Agriculture is one of the progressive and professional courses in India. Not only in India but all over the world, it is one of the sectors which may never face downsizing because every people depend on food. And people will get food only when the agriculture field keeps growing. So, there is not any chance that it will fade away. The student graduates from BSc in Agriculture will land into prosperous career avenues in India as well as the world. You will feel comfortable to hear that the course doesn’t charge an enormous amount of fees. The course fee is negligible, something about 5k-40k per annum. Aspirants interested in making their career in the agricultural field would have to meet some specific eligibility criteria, complete class 12th with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology from a recognized institute, problem-solver, critical thinking, and many more.

Short Details of BSc in Agriculture Course

(a) B.Sc. Agriculture Full-Form: Bachelor of Science in Agriculture

(b) BSc Agriculture Course Duration: It is a 4-Year Bachelor course in science.

(c) B.Sc. Agriculture Eligibility: The students are required to complete their class 12 in Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) stream from a recognized educational board

(d) BSc Agriculture Average Course Fee: The participants might have to pay INR 5k-40k in govt. colleges/universities. However, it can vary on different private universities/colleges.

(e) BSc Agriculture Job Profiles: This course offers amazing job opportunities to the graduates, including Agriculturists, Agriculture Technician, Agriculture Officer, Business Development Executive, Agricultural Research Scientist, Assistant Plantation Manager, Agriculture Development Officers, Marketing Executive, to name a few.

Perception about B.Sc. in Agriculture Course  

When it comes to choosing career options, young people step into the Engineering, Medical, law, Teaching, entrepreneur field; they shy away from the agricultural field. Thus, a small percentage of students choose the BSc Agriculture course. Yet, an old perception is prevalent that agriculture leads you to live an archaic life and offer limited career opportunities, but it is absolutely wrong. Young students do not have realized the true potential of the agricultural sector yet. Economist suggests that agriculture has four times more potential to reduce poverty than sectors. When India got Independence in 1947, there was only one sector on which India relied i.e. on agriculture. Agriculture has been the backbone of the Indian Economy since then. If we talk about the present scenario, agriculture is still one of the most significant Indian economic sectors. So, agriculture matters to future development.

If you consider agriculture as a career option and graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture program, you can avail yourself of jobs right after graduation. This course will help you to land handsome and exciting employment along with the bounty of salary packages. The demand for trained professionals in the field of agriculture is high. The agriculture sector is offering more diverse career opportunities now than ever before because the world is progressing towards advanced technology and creating new jobs. To help you count the numbers of professional jobs after graduation include Agriculturists, Agriculture Technician, Business Development Executive, Agriculture Officer, Agricultural Research Scientist, Assistant Plantation Manager, Agriculture Development Officers, Marketing Executive, to mention a few.

What are the Eligibility Criteria for BSc Agriculture Course

BSc in agriculture is a broad-based course that offers students to learn new techniques and science to improve agriculture productivity. This course doesn’t require clumsy eligibility criteria, but a student who has done intermediate or higher secondary education can make it into the course. Besides, the students should also possess some specific education qualifications with essential soft skills to get admission to the agriculture course. Here, to remove your mental block, I have written down some basic eligibility criteria required to enter into the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture course. Among them are-

(a) The aspirants should have done their Higher Secondary examination from a recognized board.

(b) They should have studied class XIIth with Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics. These are the compulsory subjects because they form the base for the agricultural science course.

(c) Candidates are required to have obtained at least 50% aggregate marks in the XIIth Class for making the fair a chance to get entry to Bachelor of Science in Agriculture courses.

(d) Students who have completed their intermediate education with PCMB can also apply for the BSc agriculture course.

(e) Last but not least, the students must have attained atleast 18years of age to be eligible for admission into the course.

BSc in Agriculture Admission Process 2022-

The aspirants who wish to pursue B.Sc. in agriculture course would have to meet the specific standards set by the universities and institutes. The students could not get admission to the universities/colleges without fulfilling the basic eligibility qualifications. It requires a class XIIth certificate from a recognized board, good communication, analytical ability, many more from the aspirants. Several universities and institutes offer admission only through marks secured in the intermediate examination. However, many other reputed universities/colleges provide access to the BSc Agriculture course on the basis of the Entrance exam scores. I have listed down the admission process to the course to remove your mental block-

Direct Admission Process –

A way to get entry into the course is through direct admission. In this process, admission to the colleges/universities is made on the basis of the intermediate scores obtained by the eligible candidates. Some steps are written down here-

(a) The students who wish to pursue BSc in Agriculture course would have to fill the application form of the colleges/universities they are wanted and select the course “B.Sc. in Physiotherapy.”

(b) The students must have grabbed excellent grades in their Intermediate examination to get entry into the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture course.
(c) The aspirants are required to fill the application form correctly in the colleges they are interested in and upload the documents in appropriate format and size.

(d) The students would have to pay the application charge after filling the application form.
(e) After all this, the universities and institutes will release a cut-off list of the candidates in the respective colleges portal.
(f) If students get shortlisted on the list, they can get admission in BSc in Agriculture course.

Entrance Based Admission-

The second way to pursue the course is to clear a national or state-level entrance exam conducted to provide admission into the course. In this process, the aspirants would have to score above the cut-off set up by various reputed agriculture colleges/Universities. Some institutes and universities also conduct counseling rounds or personal interviews after the entrance exam to allocate seats into the BSc in Agriculture course.

BSc Agriculture Syllabus

Bachelor in Science in agriculture is broken down into eight semesters so that students are able to complete the course over a time frame. In the first year of the course, students learn about the basic concepts of plant life, the economy of agriculture, and humanity science. In the second and third years, they will interact with subjects like core agriculture engineering, fundamentals of plant breeding, agricultural extension education, entomology, microbiology, to name a few. Additionally, they will see their abilities bolstered in communication and developing entrepreneurship. In the last year, they will gain hands-on experience working in the field of Agronomy as well as agricultural statistics. Check the semester-wise BSc Agri. Subjects students are normally taught in college below:

Particulars of BSc Agricultural Science Curriculum

SEMESTER- 01 SEMESTER- 02
Rural Sociology & Educational PsychologyFundamentals of Agricultural Economics
Introductory Animal HusbandryProduction Technology for Vegetables and Spices
Introductory Biology or Basic Agriculture 1Fundamentals of Crop Physiology
Introduction to ForestryFundamentals of Plant Pathology
Fundamentals of HorticultureFood Processing and Safety Issues
Fundamentals of AgronomyPrinciples of Organic Farming
Fundamentals of Soil ScienceFundamentals of Entomology-I
Agriculture HeritageSoil and Water Conservation Engineering
Fundamentals of GeneticsFundamentals of Plant Biochemistry
Elementary Mathematics or Basic Agriculture 2Fundamentals of Agricultural Extension Education
Comprehension & Communication Skills in EnglishHuman Values & Ethics
SEMESTER- 03 SEMESTER- 04
Fundamentals of Plant BreedingPrinciples of Seed Technology
Principles of Integrated Disease ManagementIntroductory Agro-meteorology & Climate Change
Agricultural MicrobiologyProblematic soils and their Management
Crop Production Technology 1 (Kharif crops)Crop Production Technology II (Rabi crops)
Farm Machinery and PowerProduction Technology for Ornamental Crops, MAP and Landscaping
Agricultural Finance and CooperationRenewable Energy and Green Technology
Practical Crop Production 1 (Kharif crops)Practical Crop Production II (Rabi crops)
Dairy SciencePoultry Production & Management
Fundamentals of Entomology-IIEntrepreneurship Development and Business Communication
Environmental Studies & Disaster Management—————————–
SEMESTER- 05 SEMESTER- 06
Protected Cultivation and Secondary AgricultureDiseases of Field and Horticultural Crops and their Management-II
Principles of Food Science & NutritionManures, Fertilizers and Soil Fertility Management
Pests of Crops and Stored Grain and their ManagementFarming System, Precision Farming & Sustainable Agriculture
Rainfed and dryland AgricultureWatershed and Wasteland Management
Production Technology for Fruit and Plantation CropsBeneficial insects and Pest of Horticultural Crops and their Management
Crop Improvement-1 (Kharif crops)Crop Improvement-II (Rabi crops)
Diseases of Field and Horticultural Crops and their Management-IPost-harvest Management and Value Addition of Fruits and Vegetables
Agricultural Marketing Trade & PricesFarm Management, Production & Resource Economics
Intellectual Property RightsEducational Tour
Communication Skills and Personality DevelopmentElective-2
Principles of Food Science & Nutrition——————————
Geo-informatics and Nanotechnology——————————-
SEMESTER- 07SEMESTER- 08
General orientation & On-campus training by different facultiesMushroom Cultivation Technology
Project Report Preparation, Presentation, and EvaluationSeed Production and Technology
—————Soil, Plant, Water, and Seed Testing
—————Production Technology for Bioagents and Biofertilizer
————–Commercial Beekeeping

BSc Agriculture Fees

Several institutions and universities in India offer admission to the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture course. Aspirants wishing to pursue the course will have to fulfill the specific eligibility qualification set by the respective colleges/universities. The setting of central and state colleges for BSc Agriculture started in the mid of 1960s when Dr. DS Kothari proposed to build atleast one college in each state. This resulted in creating atleast 49 central and state agricultural colleges across the country. The different universities and institutions charge different amounts on the aforesaid course. B

asically, the fees structure of the BSc in Agriculture course depends on the infrastructure of the institutions, location of the institutions, faculty provided by the universities, to mention a few. The students will pay fewer fees in center and state universities/colleges than the private universities. The average fees structure of B.Sc. in agriculture ranges from Rs. 7k to 40k per month for the entire course.

BSc Agriculture Jobs and Career Scope

Agriculture contributes a significant portion to the Indian Economy and creates numerous job options for young students. Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, students can obtain high profiles jobs.

There are plenty of jobs offered by the government and private sectors to the meritorious minds. Some of the prominent government jobs provided to the graduates include Research Officer, Operations Manager, Quality Assurance Officer, Agriculture Officer, and many more. Besides, individuals can also make their careers in private sectors as managers at plantations, as officers at fertilizer manufacturing firms, food processing units, to name a few. The graduates also have a chance to work with organizations like NABARD and the agriculture ministry.

Moreover, the course also offers several employment areas in the agriculture field to get more hands-on experience and skills. Some of the major sectors include fertilizer Production Companies, food processing, poultry industry, agro-based industries, dairy industry, FMCG, and many more institutions. So the meritorious minds can apply for various positions and gain healthy work experience in these industries. Among them are-

(1) Research Officer,
(2) Agricultural Research Scientist
(3) Quality Assurance Officer,
(4) Assistant Plantation Manager

(5) Agriculture Loan Officer (in Banks),
(6) Marketing Executive
(7) Officers at fertilizer manufacturing firms
(8) Officers at food processing units

(9) Production Manager,
(10) Operations Manager
(11) Farm Manager with State agriculture departments
(12) Officers at agricultural products marketing firms

(13) Agriculturists
(14) Agriculture Technician
(15) Rice Breeder
(16) Business Development Executive

(17) Seed Technologist
(18) Junior Associate- Research
(19) Junior Agriculture Specialist

Higher Studies After Completing BSc Agricultural Science

Besides numerous job opportunities available for skilled individuals, higher education is also open for the graduates. They can pursue a Master’s degree in agriculture after completing BSc in Agriculture. Given below are the specialized disciplines among which aspirants can do their masters:

(a) Agronomy,
(b) Plant Genetics
(c) Horticulture

(d) Plant Pathology,
(e) Entomology
(f) Soil Science

(g) Food Technology
(h) Agricultural Economics
(i) Agricultural Meteorology
(j) Veterinary Science

B.Sc. in Agriculture Salary

The agriculture industry in India is diverse and offers several career scopes for students who completed their graduation with agricultural science. The professionals working in the field play a crucial role in promoting the farmer to use different technologies in farming production. There are several agricultural research institutes that have been built to develop the latest technology for agriculture and its allied field.

And for such development, institutes need trained professionals who can come with innovative ideas and support the development of agricultural equipment. The students are offered various other rewarding career opportunities after graduating with the above-mentioned course. Skilled individuals can earn a hefty amount along with exciting career opportunities.

More so, participants also get many opportunities to work in foreign countries after completing a BSc in Agriculture course. There is no scarcity of job opportunities for the graduates. Moreover, these are well-paying jobs provided to the students. The average starting salary of these jobs is generally between INR 5lakh to 6 lakh P/A. One more thing, the participants’ salary will increase as they gain more skills and experience.

10+ Best BSc Agriculture Colleges

(a) National Dairy Research Institute [NDRI], Karnal
(b) Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly
(c) Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore

(d) Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI)
(e) Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, New Delhi
(f) Acharya NG Ranga Agriculture University (ANGRAU)

(g) Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering (CIAE), Bhopal
(h) Govind Ballabh Pant University of Technology and Agriculture (GBPUAT), Patnagar
(i) Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute (ADAC & RI), Tamil Nadu

Valuable Reads Beyond Bachelor of Science in Agriculture

Questions Mostly Asked About Bachelor of Science in Agriculture 

Q. What is the scope for BSc Agriculture?

Ans- BSc Agriculture course provided numerous career scopes to the participants. One can join higher studies in the banking sector by appearing in IBPS exams, competitive exams FCI, UPSC, and other government jobs after BSc in Agriculture. Moreover, they can go to journalism, research, teaching, to mention a few. There is no dearth of career scopes after pursuing a BSc in Agriculture.

Q. How can I do BSc Agriculture after 12th?

Ans- The aspirants have two entry options to the course; the first one is based on the class XIIth Examination scores, and the second is Entrance based entry. Students can sit for any entrance exam according to their interest in the college. Some of the Entrance exams are ICAR AIEEA, MHT CET, UPCATET, AP EAMCET, CG PAT, SHIATS Entrance Exam, to name a few.

Q. What are the job opportunities after BSc Agriculture?

Ans- When students get graduated with BSc in Agriculture course, they can land their career in numerous exciting career opportunities including, Quality Assurance Officer, Research Officer, Agriculture Loan Officer (in Banks), Agri-Preneurship, Agriculture Research Scientist, Farm Manager with the State agriculture department, and many more.

Q. Is BSc Agriculture a good option?

BSc in Agriculture is a professional course that offers several job options in India as well as abroad. The students can join private and government sectors after graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture. The graduates also have an option of a popularly known examination, UPSC IAS. So, it can be said that it is the best course among BSc courses.

Q. What is salary of BSc agriculture?

The starting salary for various positions of BSc agriculture is 5 lakh to 10 lakh. Moreover, as the participants gain more experience and skills, the scope of better remuneration will increase.

Q. Which is better B Pharm or BSc agriculture?

Ans- Both courses can be pursued after completing class 12th with Biology, Physics, and Chemistry from a recognized institute. But, the study of the course is distinct: BSc encompasses the study of agricultural science, and B Pharma comprises the study of in-and-out of drugs. So, it lies in the interest of students in which way they wish to make their career.

Q. Is BSc agriculture better than MBBS?

Ans- MBBS is a professional course in Medical science, and BSc in agriculture is a professional course in the Agrarian industry. Although, a professional course is better by all means than a simple BSc course. The aspirants who graduated with the aforementioned course offers to join several prestigious jobs like UPSC IAS, IBPS, PO, SBI and even State civil Entrance examination. 

2 thoughts on “BSc Agriculture Course- Eligibility, Admission Details, Jobs and Career Prospects”

  1. Sir I am 12 mark 468 2021 to 2022 page
    Pona year tnau admission application potan but my mark low cut off my application reject this year my return tnau admission application apply sir. Management la college fess low va college dollunga sir my phone number 8838xxxxxx.

    Reply
    • Dear Prakash!
      We fail to understand your problem clearly, for some words used in your query. Even google translate fails to detect. It appears though, you missed getting admission in BSc agriculture course. We recommend checking with notification by the concerned university you want admission into. Every institution has different norms on qualifying marks and fees. And further, consider applying to more than university/college. Good luck!

      Reply

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