Master Plant Breeding - LaSalle Beauvais

In Brief

emPLANT is focused on crop improvement and the creation of new crop varieties. The aim is to train you in new technologies in molecular and cell biology which can then be used to help increase agricultural yield

The program emPLANT is designed by a consortium of five Universities and Graduate Schools across Europe : University of Helsinki, Finland (UH), Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain (UPV), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden (SLU), Ege University, Turkey (EgeU) and in partnership with seed companies and the food industry. UniLaSalle is the coordinating institution of the emPLANT Consortium.

It therefore combines the excellence of Europe’s best universities with the added « field » experience that characterizes UniLaSalle engineers

The program covers the entire scope of a modern-day plant breeder’s work. There are very few programs dedicated to this field in higher education, emPLANT offers this rare discipline and demand is on the rise.

Key Information

Training duration: 2 years
Teaching language: English
Minimun requirement: Awarded Bachelor of Science degree (min. 180 ECTS)
Training sites: 1st year at UniLaSalle or SLU and 2nd year at UH, UPV or EgeU
Participation costs: 9 000 €/year for Partner Country students and 4 500€/year for Programme Country students

⇒ emPLANT website

⇒ European Plant Breeding College website (EPBC)

Key Figures

5emPLANT Universities

30 Associated partners

50000Seed Workers in Europe

53offered courses

The curriculum

The first year provides the basics in terms of plant breeding and connected topics to the students, such as crop production, genetics, breeding, statistics etc.

The 1st year takes place either in UniLaSalle or SLU. A preferred mobility track is asked during the application but final choice comes to emPLANT Executive Board

UniLaSalle Program

First Semester

Course name & ECTS

Interculturality & Ethics : 1

Introduction to seed business : 4

Introduction to algorithmics : 1

Statistics : 2

Plant Reproduction Systems : 2

Plant Genetics 1 : 3

Plant Genetic Resources and diversity : 4

Introduction to Plant Pathology : 3

Breeding strategies and Methods of Selection : 5

Pilot Case 1 : 3

French as a Foreign Language : 2

Spanish as a Foreign Language* : 2

Total : 32

* Y1 Mandatory for students with Spanish <B2 who selected UPV as destination for Y2

INSTITUT POLYTECHNIQUE UNILASALLE – LAS

The “Institut Polytechnique UniLaSalle” (named UniLaSalle) is a French private higher education institution (‘Grande école’) in the fields of life, earth and environmental sciences.

Second Semester

Course name & ECTS

Plant Microbe Interaction : 5

Phenotyping : 4

Plant Genetics 2 : 5

Seed and Plant Production and Certification Regulation Guidelines : 4

Internship + Minor Thesis : 5

Pilot case 2 : 3

Intellectual Property & Plant Breeders’ Rights : 2

French as a Foreign Language : 2

Spanish as a Foreign Language* : 2

Summer Breeding Field Camp : 2

Total : 34

SLU Program : http://emplant-master.eu/course-catalogue

THE SWEDISH UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES – SLU

SLU is a world-class university in the fields of life and environmental sciences, developing the understanding and sustainable use and management of biological natural resources. This is achieved by research, education and environmental monitoring and assessment, in collaboration with the surrounding community.

The 2nd year will provide the students with the opportunity to specialize in different crops: breeding of forest trees/field crops, breeding of fruit (trees)/ornamentals or grapevine/vegetables. It will take place at EgeU, UH or UPV.

EGE UNIVERSITY – EgeU

Ege University is a state university that acts as a focal point for education, research, cultural and social activities in the city of Izmir and the Aegean region.

THE UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI – UH

The University of Helsinki is the oldest and largest institution of academic education in Finland. The University of Helsinki seeks solutions for global challenges and creates new ways of thinking for the best of humanity.

UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE VALENCIA – UPV

The Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) is a public, dynamic and innovative institution that is dedicated to research and teaching in the fields of science, technology, art and business. The UPV maintains strong bonds with its social environment and a strong presence abroad.

To see detailed program click on

All courses at SLU, LAS, UH and EgeU are taught in English, courses at UPV are taught in Spanish.
SLU and LAS offer Spanish courses to prepare students who select UPV for a B2 level for their stay.
All partners offer local language and culture courses to promote their academic success and facilitate their social and cultural integration.

Each teaching module earns you ECTS credits (European Credit Transfer System). Each student who succeeds the mandatory evaluations and who validates 120 ECTS, minimum 30 ECTS per semester, will receive a double degree, (i.e. the degree of the Y1 institution and the degree of the Y2 institution).

Admission Criteria

Terms of admission

You must hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent or have completed a 1st year Master’s degree or equivalent in one of the following disciplines

Agriculture
Agronomy
Biology
Biotechnology
Biochemistry
Master 1 Genetics
Molecular Biosciences or related relevant fields

As all teaching is in English, students must have achieved a minimum B2 level of English (according to the CEFR, Common European Framework for Languages) and a B1 in Spanish (DELE, ALTE) for applicants applying to UPV in year 2.

If you recently graduated or are working in the above fields you may also apply for the emPLANT Master program.

Admission criteria

Admission will be based on your application and an interview.

The admissions panel comprises representatives from UniLaSalle, The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, EGE University, The University of Helsinki and Universitat Politecnica de Valencia.

Online application is avalaible here

For accepted students at UniLaSalle :

If your country is in the Campus France area:
You MUST register on the Campus France website.
You are also required to download the application form for the Spring Semester and complete and send it to UniLaSalle.
If your country is not in the Campus France area:
You are required to download the application form for the Spring Semester and complete and send it directly to UniLaSalle.

Admission Schedule

Two admission sessions are scheduled in the course of the year.

1st session:

All applicants apply for the Erasmus Mundus scholarchip

Application Deadline : November 1 – January 31

Be careful: admission to SLU ends on January 15

http://emplant-master.eu/application-procedure

2nd session:

Application deadline: February 1 – February 28

In applying during this application session, you cannot pretend to obtain the Erasmus Mundus scholarship. So please make sure you can pay for the requested fees (with your own funds or another scholarship).

Financial terms and administrative procedures

Fees and funding

The annual emPLANT participation costs amounts to :

9000€ per student per year if you come from Partner Country (http://emplant-master.eu/tuition-fees)

4500€ per student per year if you come from Program Country (http://emplant-master.eu/tuition-fees)

Living expenses

On UniLaSalle Campus, single or shared rooms are avalaible for international students.

The university restaurant is open daily.

Financing options

Financial assistance is available (in the form of grants) to cover all or part of your tuition fees and/or living expenses.

French companies may sponsor students who wish to work for them on program completion. Once you have been accepted, we can put you in touch with contacts in partner companies.

You should take the necessary steps when you submit your application for the program.

More informations here :

http://emplant-master.eu/erasmus-scholarship

http://emplant-master.eu/other-funding

Visas

Depending on your country of origin, the time required to obtain your visa may vary. You should take this into account when you submit your application.

Please make the relevant inquiries with Campus France or the French Embassy in your country.

More informations here :

http://emplant-master.eu/administrative-procedure-france

Testimonials

Pamela Afokpe

Student on the Master's in Plant Breeding program

« This program is perfect for future plant breeders. It is designed to help students build the knowledge and experience they need through a combination of conventional breeding and new crop biotechnology tools. Students have the opportunity to directly interact with breeding professionals. This program is very rewarding. »

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Eric Devron

President of the French seed association for seed companies & plant breeders

« Due to its multidisciplinary approach and close cooperation with businesses, the Master’s in Plant Breeding at UniLaSalle produces well-trained researchers who are able to make optimum use of all the tools available for developing innovative and more efficient crop varieties. »

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Orlando de Ponti

Past President of the International Seed Federation

« I am happy to witness the right balance between plant reproduction by conventional breeding (semesters 1 and 2) and biotechnologies for plant breeding (semesters 3 & 4). This combination is unfortunately quite rare in breeding programs nowadays as they mostly tend to focus on the latter methods. »

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Career opportunities

Plant Breeding

Experiment Manager

Plant Breeder

R&D Manager/Director

Seed Production Manager

Storage and primary processing

R&D Partnership Manager

Experiment Manager

Integrated services (agronomy)

Agro-industry

R&D Manager/Director

Plant breeder working in association with agricultural partners

Public, semi-public or non-profit sectors

Experiment Manager

Plant Breeder

R&D Manager/Director

Manager of country-specific regulatory issues

The Master’s in Plant Breeding program is accredited by two competitive clusters: Industries and agro-resources and Cereal Valley. It has also won the support of Orlando de Ponti, Past President of the International Seed Federation (ISF) and the International Community of Breeders of Asexually Reproduced Ornamental and Fruit Varieties (CIOPORA), and Marc Van Montagu, 2013 laureate of the World Food Prize.

Contact

EmPLANT Consortium

http://emplant-master.eu/consortium

Send an e-mail >

Régine Desselle

In Charge of Orientation and Admission T. +33 (0)3 44 06 93 46

Send an e-mail >

Liens

Online application form