MSc Plant Genetics and Crop Improvement

Course Overview

Our one-year MSc in Plant Genetics and Crop Improvement is perfect training if you plan to study for a further degree in plant genetics, or alternatively, a career in plant breeding and crop improvement. It’s a unique opportunity to study plant molecular genetics and its potential applications in the 21st century, within an environment of academic and research excellence.

At UEA, you’ll benefit from teaching by research staff at JIC, and a number of leading plant breeding and plant biotechnology companies within the UK. In your taught modules, you’ll cover subjects including plant molecular genetics and biotechnology, target traits for crop improvement, and plant breeding with statistics – as well as learning key transferable skills such as laboratory research and communication skills. An important element of the course is the substantial six-month laboratory-based research project that you’ll conduct under the supervision of a senior scientist. As part of this you’ll submit a dissertation and present a seminar on your research project.

This MSc in Plant Genetics and Crop Improvement enables you to explore the theoretical basis of plant breeding and statistics, plant genetics, genomics and bioinformatics, while at the same time gaining valuable practical experience. You'll also receive training in key transferable skills.

For your research module, you’ll work alongside world-leading scientists at JIC, The Sainsbury Laboratory, the Earlham Institute, or possibly with an industry partner. The JIC, which is based in the Norwich Research Park, is one of the world’s leading research institutes in plant genetics and crop improvement. So, there are few better places to study this topic within a world-class teaching and research environment.

With this expert, cutting-edge training, you’ll have the perfect grounding to move onto a PhD, or alternatively into a career within the plant breeding industry. In recent years, the career prospects for students with a postgraduate degree in plant genetics and crop improvement have been very good, often leading to a PhD or employment within the UK plant breeding industry.

This course is open to

UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.

Typical International Entry Requirements

Degree classification

UK Bachelors degree - 2.1 or equivalent.

Degree Subject

Biological Sciences or Plant Biology. Employment experience with a plant breeding company or related research experience also considered.

Additional Entry Requirements

Applicants are required to submit two references with their application - at least one of these must be related to your most recent academic study.

English Foreign Language

Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading): 

• IELTS:  6.0  overall (minimum  6.0  in Writing and Speaking, and 5.5 in Reading and Listening) 

We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies for a list of example qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.

Test dates should be within 2 years of the course start date.

 If you do not meet the English language requirements for this course, INTO UEA offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the required English skills.

Admissions Policy

Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.

Employability

You’ll graduate from this prestigious course well prepared for a career in plant breeding and crop improvement, or further PhD study in this area. Having studied at one of the world’s leading research centres in this field, it’s no wonder that our most recent graduates have achieved great success in finding employment or academic research positions.

Examples of careers that you could enter include:

• Plant breeding
• Crop improvement/Agronomy

Discover more on our Careers webpages.