Discover CAFRE Higher Education

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Discover CAFRE Higher Education
Higher
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       Discover
       CAFRE
       Course Prospectus 2021

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                                www.cafre.ac.uk
Discover CAFRE Higher Education
CONTENTS

Contents

                      4                 6                    8                   20                  22                                                                      24

    Welcome                Why choose        Investing in         Accommodation       Money                             How to apply
                           CAFRE?            your future                              matters

                      12                14                   15                  26                  28                                                                      30

    Hands-on               Industry          International        Entry               Here to help                      Courses
    management             contacts          links                requirements
    experience

                                                                                                                                           Coleraine

                                                                                                                    Londonderry
                                                                                                                                       Greenmount  Campus
                                                                                                                                        Greenmount Campus

                      16                17                   18                  80                  82                                                                      83
                                                                                                                         Loughry Campus
                                                                                                                                                        Antrim

                                                                                                                    Omagh         Cookstown
                                                                                                                                                               Belfast

                                                                                                                   Enniskillen Campus
                                                                                                                                   Dungannon

                                                                                                                                          Armagh                   Downpatrick

                                                                                                          Enniskillen

                                                                                                                                                       Newry

    Bursaries              Look to           Having fun           Important           Open Days                         How to find
                           the future                             and legal                                             us
                                                                  information

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WELCOME

Welcome
The College of Agriculture,
Food and Rural Enterprise
(CAFRE), has three campus
locations; Enniskillen Campus,
Greenmount Campus, Antrim and
Loughry Campus, Cookstown.
Within this publication, you will
find information on agri-food and
land-based courses for students
considering study on Foundation
or Honours Degree programmes.       OPEN

                                               92%
                                             of our students gain
                                           employment or progress
                                            onto further education
                                              within six months.

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WHY CHOOSE CAFRE?

                                                            INDUSTRY LINKS                                                       UNIVERSITY LIFE

Why choose
                                                      CAFRE has excellent links with                                      If you’re studying on our Foundation or Honours Degrees
                                                      businesses and organisations,                                       validated by Ulster University, you can become an ‘Associate
                                                      many of which employ our                                            Student’. You’ll get a Student Card, access to Ulster

CAFRE?
                                                      graduates. They show their                                          University’s libraries and Sports Centre membership to name
                                                      support by providing work                                           a few of the perks. Students studying on the Honours
                                                      placements, guest lecturers                                         Degree in Agricultural Technology are Queen’s University
                                                      and real-life course projects.                                      students and can gain access to the University’s resources.
                                                      Companies also donate
                                                      generous bursaries to help
                                                      fund the cost of getting                                                                                   EXPERIENCED
        GREAT JOB                                     a degree.                                                                                                  STAFF
        PROSPECTS
                                                                                                                                                         CAFRE is an ‘Access Partner’
Students study at CAFRE because                                                                                                                          of the Higher Education
they’re interested in getting a                                                                SMALL AND                                                 Authority which allows the
good job at the end of their                                                                   SPECIAL                                                   college to utilise their
course. Our results speak for                                                                                                                            resources to enhance, inform
themselves – over 92% of our                                                            You are treated as an                                            and improve teaching by
graduates gain employment or                                                            individual at CAFRE as staff                                     providing additional staff
progress onto further education                                                         get to know the 1,800                                            development opportunities.
within six months of completing                                                         students at our three
their course.                                                                           campuses. Staff are friendly
                                                                                        and approachable and ensure
                                                                                        that you are supported both
                                                                                        personally and academically
                                                                                        to achieve your potential.                              OPPORTUNITIES TO PROGRESS
                                                                                                                                                ONTO HIGHER COURSES
                                                            PRACTICE MAKES
                                                            PERFECT                                                                      Didn’t get the grades to get onto the
                                                                                                                                         Honours Degree of your choice? You could
                                                      If you’re a hands-on type of                                                       enrol on a Foundation Degree and once
                                                      person who doesn’t want to                                                         successfully completed you may be eligible
                                                      be stuck behind a desk all day,                                                    to apply onto the Honours Degree.
                                                      then our courses and the
                                                      careers they lead to are
                                                      perfect for you. Relevant
                                                      practical experience, in
                                                      modern specialist facilities,
                                                      is a part of all our courses.                                                                           STILL NOT
                                                                                                                                                              FINISHED?

                                                                                                                                                      On completion of your degree
         SPECIALIST                                                                                                                                   you can apply for the Master’s
         FACILITIES                                                                            FINANCIAL                                              course in Business for
                                                                                               SUPPORT                                                Agri-Food and Rural Enterprise.
You’ll go far to find better facilities at which to                                                                                                   This is a Queen’s University
study for Higher Education courses in Agriculture,                                      With competitive fees and
                                                                                                                                                      Belfast postgraduate degree
Horticulture, Food or Equine studies. With                                              accommodation costs, you’ll
                                                                                                                                                      delivered at Loughry Campus,
continuous investment, we keep our facilities                                           find that studying for a degree
                                                                                                                                                      Cookstown.
up-to-date to benefit not just our students but                                         with CAFRE is not as expensive
also people from industry who continue their                                            as you thought. And don’t
professional development through our short courses.                                     forget about our industry
                                                                                        bursaries to lighten the load!
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INVESTING IN YOUR FUTURE                                                                                                                        HE PROSPECTUS

Investing in
                                                      Food fantastic                    and schooling track, where           farming. Our Dairy Centre
                                                                                        they experience the thrill of        incorporates the newest
                                                      The Food Technology Centre        riding a racehorse over fences       technologies in comfort
                                                      at Loughry Campus is the          at speed. Racing students            housing and cow handling,

your future                                           largest facility of its kind in
                                                      the island of Ireland. It’s a
                                                      modern food manufacturing
                                                                                        also compete with college
                                                                                        horses at a number of
                                                                                        Point-to-Point meetings.
                                                                                                                             waste management and
                                                                                                                             parlour systems. Another 960
                                                                                                                             hectares of hill land, with
                                                      facility designed to show best    While working in the equine          1,100 ewes and 110 suckler
                                                      practice across fruit and         breeding unit, students              cows, is managed in an
One of the great things about CAFRE is that each      vegetable, meat, dairy and        handle and manage the                environmentally sustainable
of our three campuses deliver a specific range of     bakery processing. The Food       Thoroughbred and Sport               manner to promote wildlife
                                                      Innovation Centre allows          Horse broodmares and their           and protect habitats. Both
courses and has the specialist facilities to match.   students space to create and      young stock. Students                farms are used to
                                                      develop new food products
We’ve invested in our buildings, equipment and        through enhanced kitchen,
                                                                                        participate in the foaling rota
                                                                                        and have the opportunity to
                                                                                                                             demonstrate and promote
                                                                                                                             the latest advances in
resources so you can get the most out of your time    sensory and laboratory            prepare and take foals to the        agriculture and land use.
                                                      facilities. We’ve a Packaging     sales. The equitation unit has       Students get involved in these
with us. Get ahead of the competition with the        Centre which supports a           a range of horses and                projects too. We also have a
                                                      multi-million pound industry.
practical skills you learn during our courses.        It is used by businesses from
                                                                                        students attend a number of          constructed wetlands system,
                                                                                        working hunter competitions,         an artificial wetland which
                                                      all over Ireland and by our       cross country schooling and          acts in a similar manner to
                                                      students, of course.              shows. Students also organise        the bio-filtration action of
                                                                                        various in-house competitions        natural wetlands. There we
                                                      All things equine                 and demonstrations.                  channel waste water from the
                                                                                                                             farm through a series of five
                                                      At Enniskillen Campus you’ll      Green boots                          ponds and at the end it is of
                                                      find indoor and outdoor
                                                                                                                             good enough quality to
                                                      arenas for all aspects of         Greenmount Campus is the             release into a stream.
                                                      equitation. In the racing yard    centre of all things green –         Students use this site in their
                                                      we give students invaluable       that’s agricultural, horticultural   environmental science work.
                                                      experience in handling and        and environmental. The 290
                                                      riding racehorses. Students       hectares around the campus
                                                      ride out on a rota system         is used for arable, dairying
                                                      making use of the gallops         and lowland beef and sheep

                                                                                                                                Each campus
                                                                                                                                 delivers a
                                                                                                                               specific range
                                                                                                                              of courses with
                                                                                                                             specialist facilities
                                                                                                                                 to match.

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INVESTING IN YOUR FUTURE                                                                                                                             HE PROSPECTUS

Green fingers

Greenmount Campus itself is set in 18 hectares of landscaped
grounds, originally laid out in the 19th Century. The walled garden,
built in 1801, is a major horticultural attraction with its knot garden,
maze and fruit garden. Sportsturf enthusiasts will appreciate the
eleven hectares devoted to playing fields and to the Greenkeeping
and Golf Academy, with its driving range and three hole course. Staff
at the Horticulture Centre work with both students and industry, in
modern production and training facilities for ornamental and edible
crops. These include glasshouses that are environmentally controlled
using computers with ebb and flow floors, automatic venting, water
recycling and solar panels.

Machinery and Buildings Centre

Our Machinery and Buildings Centre allows both agriculture and
horticulture students to carry out all their machinery and building
activity in one specialist building. It contains five fully equipped
workshops for machinery maintenance, a series of welding/
construction booths and a buildings demonstration facility for estate
skills as well as teaching rooms and IT facilities.

                                                                           Access all areas

                                                                           Once you’re enrolled at CAFRE you’re given your password to the
                                                                           student intranet, an online learning environment. It’s the place to
                                                                           go for accessing lecture notes and other resources, submitting
                                                                           assignments, completing assessments and communicating with
                                                                           your lecturers. There’s also an online storage system for all your
                                                                           downloads.

                                                                           You will have plenty of access to the many computer suites located
                                                                           around each campus, some with a range of specialist applications,
                                                                           such as Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Geographical Information
                                                                           Systems (GIS). Business recording programmes will give you the latest
                                                                           performance data on the farm enterprises. Although we have top of
                                                                           the range IT facilities, we still need books. Our libraries have an
                                                                           excellent range of specialist journals, technical reports and
                                                                           newspapers to help with your projects and assignments.

                                                                           High-tech stuff

                                                                           Many of our courses teach you the science you’ll need in your career,
                                                                           so we have well equipped laboratories where you can carry out
                                                                           biological, chemical and physical analyses on crop, livestock and
                                                                           food products.
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HANDS-ON MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE

Hands-on
management experience
CAFRE courses are designed to prepare you for a job in real
life – so no more sitting in a classroom all day. We combine
lectures and tutorials with practical sessions to allow you to
apply what you’ve learned to real management and
decision-making situations. Assignments and case studies
will teach you to solve problems that occur in business.

Getting your hands dirty                         Students at Loughry Campus manage the
                                                 production of food products in the Food
Want to produce flowers to sell, manage a        Technology Centre. Ever wanted to design
dairy herd, or look after breeding mares? We     and produce a new food product that
are one of the few colleges in the UK to offer   actually makes it to the supermarket shelves?
such a hands-on learning experience. Our         Well food students do just that through a
extensive practical facilities are widely used   New Product Development (NPD) competition
by all students, and degree students are         sponsored by a leading food company.
given responsibility for managing different      There’s also the chance to have your say on
enterprises. Our students really put ‘learning   food products in the sensory perception
by doing’ into practice and along the way        facilities.
gain the skills that put them ahead in the
job stakes.                                      Horticulture students manage the production
                                                 and retailing of garden centre plants, such as
Agriculture students get involved in the         Poinsettias at Christmas, and undertake
management of the farm enterprises,              landscaping projects.
including the dairy herd, the lowland and
upland beef enterprises and the arable unit.     Additional qualifications

Equine students get involved in the              In an increasingly competitive job market,             In an increasingly
management of the three business units at        you can add to your employability prospects         competitive job market,
Enniskillen Campus; breeding, equitation and     at CAFRE by doing additional qualifications           you can add to your
racing, making decisions with support and        that are valued by industry. While studying
                                                                                                    employability prospects at
advice from industry representatives. You        you may have the opportunity to achieve
can’t get a more hands-on experience than        additional qualifications such as Food Safety      CAFRE by doing additional
spending weeks preparing foals for the sales     Certificates, Pesticide Application Certificates     qualifications that are
and then taking them right through to feel       and British Horse Society (BHS) qualifications.       valued by industry.
the thrill of the sales ring.

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INDUSTRY CONTACTS                                                                                                                            HE PROSPECTUS

Industry                                                                               International
contacts                                                                               links
The connections you make on your course can help you get                               Broaden your horizons

a great job after (or sometimes before) graduating. In the                             CAFRE recognises the value of international
                                                                                       travel and provides many opportunities for
search for a job, CAFRE students benefit from our excellent                            students to either study, go on study tours or
                                                                                       work in countries all over the world. Being
links with businesses and organisations in the agri-food and                           able to experience different cultures and
land based industries.                                                                 learn about the latest developments first
                                                                                       hand is often a life changing experience.
                                                                                       We have a long established exchange
We involve people from the world of    Work placements                                 programme with Michigan State University
                                                                                       (MSU), where students can study in a large
work in everything that we do, from    There’s no better way to boost your CV          American university and undertake modules
the industry experts who sit on our    than through an impressive work                 that will complement their degree programme.
College Advisory Group to the          placement. Some of our students make
                                       such a good impression on placement that        Study tours
specialists who advise students on
                                       they get offered a job before finishing their
the management of enterprises or                                                       Agriculture students enrolled on the Honours
                                       course. On placement you’ll find out what
                                                                                       Degree and Foundation Degree programme
projects. This means that our course   it’s really like to work in your chosen
                                                                                       usually go on a study tour in Europe to visit
content is current and relevant to     industry. It will help you develop
                                                                                       specialist farms and businesses and learn
                                       interpersonal and communication skills and
industry because we seek their         improve your organisational abilities.
                                                                                       about agricultural production in the regions.
feedback and take their opinions                                                       Equine students have the opportunity to
on board.                              You can complete your placement abroad.
                                                                                       travel to Kentucky and the Netherlands for a
                                       Many of our students spend part of their
                                                                                       study tour and work shadowing experience.
                                       placement in Australia, New Zealand,
                                                                                       Students also visit equine establishments
                                       France, Germany and the USA.
                                                                                       throughout Ireland, including some of
                                       We can help you get your placement              leading stud farms and equine veterinary
                                       organised or you can use your own contacts.     facilities. This helps give the students a broad
What businesses do for us              Many businesses contact us looking for our      perspective of how the industry functions
(and you)!                             good quality placement students.                internationally and to identify new career
                                                                                       and business opportunities for themselves
•    Provide student bursaries                                                         after they graduate.
•    Sponsor student projects
                                                                                       Horticulture students travel to experience
•    Offer visits to see their                                                         different horticultural systems production
     companies in operation                                                            facilities and visit some of the most spectacular
•    Supply guest lecturers - so                                                       gardens in Europe. Recent tours have included
     you can hear it first hand                                                        France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, where
                                                                                       they visited Aalsmeer Flower Market, Ajax
•    Provide valuable work                                                             Stadium and specialist growers.
     placements

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BURSARIES                                                                                                      HE PROSPECTUS

Bursaries                                                  Look to the future

Companies and organisations throughout Ireland support     We’ll help you prepare for your future
courses in many ways. One method that directly helps       after graduation in a number of ways;
students is through the donation of bursaries, typically   you’ll get training on how to write an
worth £1,000. Some companies also provide paid work        eye-catching CV, assistance in
placements to successful bursary winners.                  interview preparation and practice
                                                           at mock interviews. Some of this
Enniskillen bursaries                                      training starts in the first year of
Bursaries are available for students on the                your course to help you obtain a
Foundation and Honours Degrees in Equine
Management. The awards are provided by                     good work placement.
leading equine businesses and ancillary
organisations which have a close association               In the final year of your course you’ll get a
with the campus.                                           chance to meet potential employers at a
                                                           careers fair, organised by each campus
                                                           every spring. Students can talk to employers
Greenmount bursaries                                       and pick up employability and interview tips
                                                           from seminar speakers. It’s a great
As a first year full-time student you may                  opportunity to find out what employers are
compete for one of the bursaries awarded                   looking for and what will help you stand
by leading agri-food businesses. The                       out from the crowd.
Vaughan Trust, also supports Agricultural
Technology Degree students from County                     Companies are aware of the high calibre
Fermanagh through a bursary, while the First               of CAFRE graduates and keep us informed
Trust Bank, Linden Foods and Marks and                     when they are advertising vacancies.
Spencer sponsor student competitions.
                                                           We have a jobs section on our website:
                                                           www.cafre.ac.uk, which lists the jobs
Loughry bursaries                                          available in our specialist subject areas right
Leading businesses show their appreciation                 across Northern Ireland and further afield.
of the future talent studying at Loughry                   This provides a useful resource for both
through the provision of bursaries. In some                past and present students as you can
cases these awards include a paid work                     access the site after graduation.
placement for full-time students.

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HAVING FUN                                                          HE PROSPECTUS

Having fun

Our three campuses are set in tranquil rural surroundings,
with rolling countryside, birds singing and the occasional
bleating of sheep. Sounds idyllic doesn’t it, but what do
the students get up to when classes are over?

From Induction Week            Students at Enniskillen
onwards you’ll make new        Campus make use of the
friends and quickly start to   equitation, racing and yards
socialise both on and off      after breeding. There are a
campus. All of our campuses    number of clubs and
are near local towns and       members attend a range of
you’ll soon hear of trips      competitions, races and
organised for fun              sales. Livery is available for a
further afield.                limited number of student
                               horses. Students with their
Get involved                   own horses can access the
                               horse walker, hacking track,
Representatives from each      indoor and outdoor arenas
class are elected to the       after hours.
Students’ Representative
Council (SRC) at each          Both Greenmount and
campus. Each SRC organises     Loughry Campuses have
a lively programme of social   Gaelic, Soccer and Rugby
events throughout the year     pitches and Greenmount also
and supports local charities   features a four hole golf
through fundraising events.    course and practice range as
The highlight of the year is   part of the Greenkeeping
the Student Formal, held by    and Golf Academy. Loughry
each campus, when students     students have access to an
dress up and let their hair    onsite Recreation Centre and
down at the same time.         the Mid Ulster Sports Arena,
                               a modern facility on the edge
The clubs for sports and       of the campus owned by
other activities vary from     the Council.
campus to campus,
depending on the interests
of the students.

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ACCOMMODATION                                                                                                                                           HE PROSPECTUS

Accommodation

Not all students live on campus, but those who do enjoy
modern, competitively-priced accommodation with an
                                                                                                                                        200
                                                                                                                                          Greenmount
attractive range of amenities, laundry and recreational                                                                                 students in Halls
facilities. Priority for on-site accommodation is given to                                                                                of residence.
first year students new to the campus.

Accommodation costs                            the golf course at the Greenkeeping and         Accommodation Managers
                                               Golf Academy.
It would be difficult to find better value                                                     Accommodation staff at each campus are
student accommodation at any other college     Loughry Campus accommodates 100                 always on-hand to offer advice and

                                                                                                                                        100
in the UK. The cost varies depending on the    students in single study bedrooms. Students     assistance should you need it.
type of accommodation and whether living in    have access to an on-campus recreation
catered or self-catered Halls of Residence.    centre and the Mid Ulster Sports Arena, a       Michelle McKenna
Please refer to our website for up-to-date     modern facility on the edge of the campus. It   Enniskillen Campus
costs.                                         includes grass and all weather pitches, an      Tel: 028 6634 4832
                                               endurance area incorporating a multi-use                                                     Loughry
Meals                                          games area, a strength and conditioning         Brian Simpson
                                               room and a 1,400m trim trail.                   Greenmount Campus                        students in single
The modern dining rooms and snack bars                                                         Tel: 028 9442 6650                       study bedrooms.
offer food and drinks throughout the day.      Enniskillen Campus has accommodation for
                                               65 students in single study bedrooms and        Judith Mullan
Life on campus – home from home                student bungalows. Students can use the         Loughry Campus
                                               fitness suite as well as the recreation room    Tel: 028 8676 8139
Greenmount Campus has accommodation
                                               which includes pool tables, air hockey and
for over 200 students in Halls of Residence.
                                               table tennis. In addition, students are
Many rooms in Halls are ensuite with
                                               encouraged to help develop their fitness by
telephone and computer connections.
                                               using the dressage and racing simulators on
Greenmount students can use the sports hall
                                               site.

                                                                                                                                           65
and fitness suite, together with a number of
football pitches, the golf driving range and

                                                                                                                                           Enniskillen
                                                                                                                                        students in single
                                                                                                                                        study bedrooms.

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MONEY MATTERS                                                                                                                                                                        HE PROSPECTUS

Money matters

You’ll have two main costs; tuition fees and living costs

Tuition fees                                     Maintenance Grant or Special                    Additional support                              Financial support for students
                                                 Support Grant                                                                                   from Great Britain
At the time of printing our 2021 fees have                                                       There are other allowances that provide extra
not been confirmed, please refer to our          You could get up to £3,475 through the          help with living expenses depending on your     English residents should contact:
website for up-to-date information. Different    Maintenance Grant or Special Support Grant,     circumstances. These include the;               Student Finance England:
fees are charged, depending on your country      if your household income is £19,203 or less.                                                    www.gov.uk/student-finance
of residence. (BSc in Agricultural Technology    If your household income falls between          – Parents’ Learning Allowance
students are enrolled at Queen’s University      £19,203 and £41,065 you may be eligible to                                                      Scottish residents should contact:
Belfast and pay tuition fees set by Queen’s.)    receive a partial grant, depending on the       – Childcare Grant                               Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS):
                                                 level of your household income. If your                                                         www.saas.gov.uk
What financial support is available?                                                             – Adult Dependants’ Grant
                                                 household income is more than £41,065 you
                                                 will not be able to receive a Maintenance                                                       Welsh residents should contact:
If you’re normally a resident in Northern                                                        – Disabled Students’ Allowance                  Student Finance Wales
                                                 Grant or Special Support Grant, but may be
Ireland you can apply to Student Finance NI      able to receive a Maintenance Loan.                                                             Contact Centre:
                                                                                                 Financial support for Northern
for financial support. Check out:                                                                                                                www.studentfinancewales.co.uk
                                                                                                 Ireland students
www.studentfinanceni.co.uk which will give       Maintenance Loan
you all the details and help you find your                                                                                                       Financial support for EU students
                                                                                                 Don’t forget to apply for financial support
local Education Authority for more               Available to help with your living expenses     as soon as you have applied for a CAFRE
assistance. The following is a short summary     and repayable on completion of studies.                                                         EU students applying should refer to:
                                                                                                 course. You don’t have to wait until you        www.studentfinance.co.uk
of the support available to eligible students;   Although means-tested, all eligible students    receive an offer of a place. You can apply
                                                 will get some loan. The maximum and                                                             for up-to-date information.
                                                                                                 from March onwards. If you’re a Northern
Tuition Fee Loan                                 minimum amounts for 2021/22 are likely to be:   Ireland resident, you can apply online at:
Non means-tested and available to cover                                                          www.studentfinanceni.co.uk
your tuition fee costs. You start repaying the                          Max.        Min.
                                                                                                 If you apply early, your funds should be
loan on completion of your studies,
                                                 Living at home         £3,750      £2,812       available at the start of your course. If you
depending on your income. For more
                                                                                                 delay making an application until nine
information on repayments                        Living in lodgings     £4,840      £3,630       months after the start of the course
go to: www.studentloanrepayment.co.uk
                                                                                                 you will not be eligible to receive
                                                                                                 any support.

                                                                                                                                                                     Studying for a
                                                                                                                                         Don’t forget
                                                                                                                                                                    degree at CAFRE
                                                                                                                                          about our
                                                                                                                                                                     does not cost
                                                                                                                                           bursaries
                                                                                                                                                                    as much as you
                                                                                                                                         see page 16.
                                                                                                                                                                      might think.

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HOW TO APPLY                                                                                                                          HE PROSPECTUS

How to apply
for a course at CAFRE
Full-time applicants                              If you already have the appropriate entry
                                                  qualifications, we may make you an
If you’re applying for a full-time Foundation     unconditional offer and you will be able to
or Honours Degree course you must submit          decide immediately if you wish to take up
your application through the Universities         the offer. If you are still studying for the
and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)            necessary entry qualifications, we may make
at: www.ucas.com. The UCAS website will           you a conditional offer, specifying the
list the code names and numbers for all our       minimum grades you need to obtain in
courses. Our Institute code is A45.               your examinations.
If you’re applying for the BSc (Hons)             For some courses an interview will be
Agricultural Technology course, you should        necessary before a final decision can be
apply through UCAS to Queen’s University          made. When you have received replies from
Belfast using their Institute code of Q75.        all your UCAS choices, you must decide upon
                                                  one ‘firm’ acceptance and you may select a
Full instructions and detailed online help are    second as ‘insurance’. The final selection is
available from UCAS at the touch of a             normally made in mid August when
button. It includes a guide called ‘Applying      examination results are issued. If you do not
Online’, available as a PDF file, which has all   achieve the grades we asked for in our
the background information you need on the        conditional offer you may still be offered a
application process.                              place and you should check with our
                                                  Admissions Office.
If you’re planning to start your course in
autumn 2021, UCAS will accept your                Part-time applicants
application from 1st September 2020.
Applications made after 15th January 2021,        If you’re applying for one of our part-time
through UCAS Extra, are considered late           Foundation or Honours Degrees, you should
applications and will only be considered at       apply directly to us using our online form at:
the discretion of the College, if there are       www.cafre.ac.uk
vacancies on the course, but please do check
with us. If you apply before 15th January, a      After applying for a part-time course you will
decision on your application will normally be     be invited to attend a short interview at the
made by the end of March. You will be             College and will have an opportunity to tour
                                                                                                     Full-time      Part-time
informed of the decision through UCAS.            the campus and view the teaching facilities.
                                                  This interview usually takes place between       www.ucas.com   www.cafre.ac.uk
                                                  March and August.

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ENTRY REQUIREMENTS                                                                                                                                                HE PROSPECTUS

Entry                                                                                             UCAS tariff points
requirements                                                                                      equivalent
If you are interested in studying on a                                                             Qualification                  Grade        UCAS point equivalents
full-time Foundation or Honours Degree
                                                                                                   A-Level and                      A*                   56
course you apply through UCAS.                                                                     AVCE equivalents
                                                                                                                                     A                   48

                                                                                                                                     B                   40
Applicants must be at least 17 years of age     Queen’s University Belfast or Ulster University                                      C                   32
on 15th October of the year of entry. The       as appropriate.
College will consider applications from                                                                                              D                   24
candidates with equivalent qualifications.      The College is committed to equality
Advice is available from the Admissions         of opportunity for all prospective and                                               E                   16
Office or consult the UCAS tariff tables        current students.
available at: www.ucas.com
                                                                                                   Irish Leaving                    H1                   36
The table opposite shows the UCAS tariff                                                           Certificate
point conversions for grades obtained for our                                                                                       H2                   30
main entry qualifications. The complete                                Entry
range of entry qualifications and their UCAS                                                                                        H3                   24
                                                                   requirements
tariff point conversions are available at:
                                                                  for courses are                                                   H4                   18
www.ucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculator
                                                                    detailed on                                                     H5                   12
Entry requirements for specific courses are
detailed in the appropriate sections of the                       specific course
                                                                                                                                    H6                   09
prospectus.                                                            pages.
                                                                                                                                    O1                   12
Applicants for Foundation Degree
programmes normally require a minimum of                                                                                            O2                   10
one pass at A-Level in specific subjects (or
equivalent) and a minimum of four GCSE                                                                                              O3                   08
passes in subjects including English and
Mathematics.                                                                                                                        O4                   06

Honours and Foundation Degree programmes                            Full-time
in Food do not accept Essential Skills as an
equivalent to a GCSE Grade C in
                                                                   applications
Mathematics.                                                      www.ucas.com
                                                                                                  If you have completed other qualifications
Applicants for Honours Degree courses at
                                                                                                  including BTEC or City & Guilds log
CAFRE must meet the necessary A-Level
                                                                                                  onto the UCAS website:
requirements (or equivalent) as well as
                                                                                                  www.ucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculator
satisfying the matriculation requirements for

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HERE TO HELP                                                                                         HE PROSPECTUS

Here to help

You’ll find that starting college, making new
friends and studying a subject of your choice
is exciting, but it can also be a bit challenging.
Part of college life is about learning to look
after yourself, making decisions and
managing your time and money.

Don’t worry, there’s a range     Medical services                 Counselling service
of people at CAFRE to help
you any time you need            Residential students who         As a CAFRE student you will
support. Your Personal Tutor     wish to transfer to a local      have access to a free 24/7
will be there to advise you on   doctor, or who are living        independent and confidential
academic issues. Our Student     outside the practice area of     service either by telephone
Support Officer offers           their family doctor (generally   or by face-to-face counselling
individual advice and            15km), may register with a       on or off campus. The service
guidance on personal,            local doctor of their choice.    is discreet and professional
academic and financial           If you are unwell, the           and its staff have wide
matters and any other            Accommodation Team will          experience in dealing with
concerns you may have. In        make arrangements for you        all types of problems
the first few days of your       to attend a doctor, or if        students may face. We hope
course you’ll take part in an    necessary, take you to           you will not need this service
induction programme during       hospital.                        but it is reassuring to know
which you’ll find out about                                       that it is there. CAFRE
our full range of support        Support for students             student support services
services and the people who      with disabilities                comply with our policies on;
are there to help you.                                            Anti-bullying, Drugs and
                                 If you have a disability or      Alcohol, Pastoral Care,
Accommodation and                specific learning difficulty     Health Promotion, Equality
residential support team         please let us know as            and Diversity, Sexual
                                 early as possible so we can      Orientation Discrimination
These staff are available        meet your individual             and Health and Safety. Full
24 hours a day at each           requirements and provide         details of these policies and
campus to assist students        timely support. Contact our      our Student Charter are
living in accommodation.         Student Support Officer for      available at: www.cafre.ac.uk
                                 further information.

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AGRICULTURE COURSES

Agriculture
courses

                      BSc (Hons) Degree
                      – Agricultural Technology (3 year)
                      – Agricultural Technology (4 year)
                      Foundation Degree
                      in Agriculture and Technology

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AGRICULTURE COURSES                                                                                                                                          HE PROSPECTUS

Industry                    Employers are
                                                                          Career
insights                  continually seeking
                           graduates with a
                                                                          profile
                          sound grasp of new                                 I was brought up on a Diary                   prepared me for working in this industry
                            developments                                  farm in Co. Down and had
                                                                                                                           especially through the animal welfare and
                                                                                                                           husbandry modules. My work is rewarding
                                                                          always an interest in agriculture                and puts into practice many of the skills I
                                                                          and that is why I applied for the                learned through my course.
                                                                          BSc (Hons Degree in Agricultural                 Although my formal full-time education is
                                                                          Technology, which is delivered                   now at an end I want to keep developing my
                                                                                                                           knowledge and expertise. I have a personal
                                                                          jointly by QUB and CAFRE.                        training plan in Dunbia which identifies
                                                                          I found through my studies that CAFRE offers     further training courses to complete that will
                      In Northern Ireland the                             great links with the agriculture industry both   aid in my work and knowledge going
                                                                                                                           forward. When I look back at my time at
                      agri-food industry is the                           in Northern Ireland and abroad. Studying at
                                                                          CAFRE was a very positive experience and         Greenmount Campus and QUB I can say I
                      single largest employer,                            proved a great start to university life.         thoroughly enjoyed the mix of lectures, visits
                                                                                                                           and practical sessions which combined
                      providing an estimated                              The Degree course allows students to study       successfully to start me on my
                                                                          for either three or four years, depending        career journey.
                      100,000 jobs and providing                          upon the period of work placement
                      a gross output from                                 completed. I opted for the one year
                                                                          placement and worked in New Zealand for
                      agriculture of £1.74                                eight months on a large dairy farm where I
                                                                          gained an insight to life outside of Northern
                      billion in 2015.                                    Ireland and different farming practices. I
                                                                          really enjoyed this placement and would
                      There are many complex issues facing the
                                                                          recommend it to any other student in
                      agricultural industry, including global
                                                                          the future.
                      competitiveness, sustainability, and compliance
                      with agricultural and environmental policy. It is   I then returned and completed a 16 week
                      important that those considering a career in        placement with the HSENI which I found very
                      the industry are capable of adopting and            interesting and knew this was the type of
                      embracing new technologies, policies and            career I would enjoy after graduation.
                      marketing opportunities.
                                                                          After my work placement I returned to
                      There are rewarding employment                      Queen’s University to study on my final year.
                      opportunities for students who have                 Since graduating in June 2019 I have gained
                      completed recognised qualifications within the      employment with Dunbia in Dungannon as a
                      land-based sector. Employers are continually        Health and Safety Graduate spanning across                                 Laura Fegan
                      seeking graduates with a sound grasp of new         the company. I find my new role extremely
                      developments and a proven ability to manage         interesting and that my degree course has                                      Dunbia
                      commercial businesses and enterprises. At
                      Greenmount Campus our agriculture
                      programmes have repeatedly received the
                      endorsement of the industry.
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AGRICULTURE COURSES                                                                                                                             HE PROSPECTUS

Agriculture and
                                                           Sales/Marketing representatives                   Journalists

                                                           Employment opportunities exist in a wide          Agricultural journalism is a rewarding career
                                                           variety of industries ranging from animal         for anyone wishing to combine their

land-based career                                          feed companies to agrochemical and
                                                           fertiliser companies. Graduates need to have
                                                           a good understanding of their customers’
                                                                                                             knowledge of agriculture and current affairs
                                                                                                             with writing skills in producing articles for
                                                                                                             the media. Being an agricultural journalist is

prospects                                                  needs and the products they are selling.
                                                           Service industries such as insurance
                                                           companies or machinery dealerships
                                                           occasionally employ people with agricultural
                                                                                                             all about meeting deadlines and looking at
                                                                                                             new and different ways to cover a story.

                                                                                                             Farm liaison representatives
                                                           backgrounds to provide a better service to
                                                                                                             Food processing companies employ farm
Students enter the industry at different                   their farming clients. This sector seeks
                                                                                                             liaison representatives to strengthen links
                                                           graduates with good initiative and well
levels depending on their qualifications                   developed interpersonal skills.                   with the farmers who supply their raw
                                                                                                             materials. They must have a sound technical
and experience. Our graduates now hold                     Teachers/Lecturers                                knowledge of the relevant agricultural
many senior positions in the agricultural                  Graduates may find interesting and
                                                                                                             enterprise, an understanding of the
                                                                                                             processing operation and good negotiation
and land-based industries.                                 rewarding careers in this area. College           and communication skills.
                                                           lecturers normally require degree level
                                                           qualifications, a good technical knowledge        Farm liaison representatives may be involved
For more information on career choices visit:              of farming and the environment, the ability       in marketing, identifying and selecting new
www.career-descriptions.co.uk or www.lantra.co.uk          to interpret data and communicate                 suppliers and updating existing producers on
or our website www.cafre.ac.uk                             information to their audience.                    changing technical requirements.

                                                           Consultants/Technical advisers                    Farmers/Farm managers

                                                           Graduates employed in this sector require a       Some graduates return to farming either as
                                                           sound technical background so that they can       owners or managers. Successful farmers
            Continuous                                     help farmers identify and deal with technical     need to be technically and practically
         research is vital                                 problems and advise on the options for the
                                                           development of their farm businesses. Good
                                                                                                             competent and be able to make sound
                                                                                                             business decisions in a changing

                                        98%
          if any industry                                  communication skills, an entrepreneurial,         environment. They also need to appreciate
                                                           innovative outlook and the ability to advise      consumers’ requirements for safe,
           is to progress                                  individuals and companies on the impact           wholesome, high quality food produced in
         and this applies                                  of proposed actions are very important in         an environmentally friendly manner.
                                       of students go on   this job area.
        very much to the               to work or study.
                                                           Researchers
        agriculture sector
                                                           Continuous research is vital if any industry is
                                                           to progress and this applies very much to the
                                                           agriculture sector. Interesting and rewarding
                                                           careers exist in this area for those who enjoy
                                                           scientific investigation, research design and
                                                           implementation, or who have an aptitude for
                                                           statistical research and forecasting based on
                                                           industry trends.

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AGRICULTURE COURSES                                                                                                                                                                      HE PROSPECTUS

Our agriculture
facilities                                                                                                                CAFRE trail
                                                                                                                                                           Machinery and
                                                                                                                                                           buildings centre            Dairy
                                                                                                                                                                                developments centre

Our farms at Greenmount are the focus for the
educational activities at the campus. They provide                                                                                                                     Walled garden

an excellent practical learning resource for
students undertaking agriculture programmes.
                                                                                                             Resource Centre
                                                                                                                                                                                   Beef and Sheep
The Greenmount Campus Farm is made up of the Dairy Centre                                                                                                                        Development centre
                                                                                                                                                                                     is this way
(160 hectares), the Beef and Sheep Centre (130 hectares) and the Hill                                                                                     Student lodges
Farm Centre (960 hectares).

The three centres provide a unique resource      year, mainly cereals and potatoes. The arable
for students to adopt a ‘learning by doing’      area on the farm is used by students to
approach while undertaking a course at           practice many of the arable skills required by
CAFRE. Furthermore, the centres are used         industry. Those with a keen interest can
extensively by Technologists and Advisers to     become actively involved through the CROPS
demonstrate and promote the adoption of          student learning project.
the latest technological advances within the
livestock and arable crop sectors.

Dairy Centre
                                                                                                  Hill Farm Centre                                  Beef and Sheep Centre
The Dairy Centre is part of a 160 hectare
mixed lowland farm with 180 dairy cows in                  Students select                        The Hill Farm Centre is located at                The Beef and Sheep Centre, located at the
the herd plus replacements. The unit has
been designed to best meet the education
                                                         a learning project,                      Glenwherry, midway between Ballymena and          Abbey Farm comprises a 130 hectare
                                                                                                  Larne. It is a 960 hectare hill farm comprising   lowland unit with 90 suckler cows, 200
and training needs of agriculture students              gaining practical and                     110 suckler cows and 1,100 ewes. The              finishing cattle and 230 ewes. The RED
and the dairy industry, to enable the delivery         management experience                      UPLANDS (Uniting the Production of                MEAT learning project allows students
of knowledge and technology transfer. The
Centre complies with all relevant legislation             in the enterprise.                      Livestock and Nature Development for              to gain practical and management
                                                                                                  Sustainability) student learning project allows   experience in the beef and sheep
and animal welfare recommendations.                                                               Foundation Degree and Honours Degree              enterprises and analyse enterprise
Students can select DAIRY as a student                                                            students to have responsibility for the           physical and financial performance.
learning project, gaining practical and                                                           livestock on the Hill Farm Centre which is
management experience in the enterprise                                                           managed in an environmentally sensitive
and analysing physical and financial                                                              manner. Students have the opportunity to
performance. The Dairy Centre grows                                                               analyse farm physical and financial
approximately 50 hectares of crops each                                                           performance and influence future
                                                                                                  management and policy decisions.

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AGRICULTURE COURSES                                                                                                                                                                  HE PROSPECTUS

BSc (Hons) in Agricultural Technology (3 years)                                                        Entry requirements

                                                                                                       A-level
BSc (Hons) in Agricultural Technology (4 years)                                                        BBB including at least two relevant subjects and
with Professional Studies                                                                              GCSE Mathematics Grade C.
                                                                                                       Or ABB including one relevant subject and GCSE
                                                                                                       Mathematics Grade C.
This course is jointly provided by Queen’s University Belfast and CAFRE. The first
                                                                                                       Note: Applicants not offering either Biology or
and second years of the programme are spent at Greenmount Campus, followed
                                                                                                       Chemistry at A-Level should have GCSE Chemistry
by a period of work placement, with the final year based at Queen’s University                         Grade C or GCSE Double Award Science Grades CC.
Belfast (QUB). The partnership arrangement capitalises on the strengths of both
institutions to provide a course which is academically challenging but is strongly                     For other qualifications, please consult the            Harry Stevenson
                                                                                                       UCAS website:
focused on the application of business, economic and scientific principles.                            www.ucas.com/students/ucas_tariff/tarifftables          I am from a farm in Co. Armagh
                                                                                                       or refer to: https://www.qub.ac.uk/courses/             breeding Hampshire Down
                                                                                                       undergraduate/agricultural-technology-                  pedigree sheep including
How to apply                           Course content
                                                                                                       bscd473/#entry                                          Hamptex rams. I have worked
UCAS course code                       The three year course incorporates a 16 week work                                                                       on a dairy farm and a beef farm
                                                                                                       Bursaries                                               so I knew a career working in
(select one code only):                placement. The four year Professional Studies option
D470 (4 year)                          incorporates one year of work placement.                                                                                agriculture would suit me.
                                                                                                       A number of bursaries each worth £1,000 are
D473 (3 year)                                                                                          available to students studying on Higher Education      Greenmount Campus has great
                                       Year 1                         Year 3                           courses at CAFRE (see page 16). Students will be        links with the agriculture
Course duration:
                                                                                                       eligible to compete for bursaries when they are         industry and through their
3 or 4 years including
                                       – Applied animal science       – Professional studies work      enrolled on the course.                                 bursary programme I applied
work placement
                                                                        placement option.                                                                      for the Dunbia bursary award. I
                                       – Applied crop science                                          Placement
Course location:                                                                                                                                               was delighted to win the
Greenmount Campus                      – Enterprise technology        Year 3/4                                                                                 bursary and look forward to
                                                                                                       Students spend four months (3 year programme) or
(Years 1 and 2) & Queen’s              – Introduction to business     – Advances in crop and           one year (4 year programme) on work placement.          completing a year’s work
University Belfast (Final year)          and research methods           animal science and             Students are responsible for arranging their own        experience with the company
                                                                        technology                     work placements in conjunction with QUB Work            next year. I am planning a trip
Course Manager:                        – Mechanisation and                                                                                                     to America during the summer
                                         farm buildings               – Agricultural technology        Placement Advisers.
Dr Stephen Graham                                                                                                                                              which may involve working on
                                                                        project                        Progression opportunities and                           a beef farm so the money could
Telephone:                             Year 2
                                                                      – Business innovation            career destinations                                     be very useful in funding my trip.
028 9442 6745
                              – Agri-food business                      and entrepreneurship
                                marketing and                                                          Graduates may have the opportunity to progress onto     Looking to the future, I have a
Email:                                                                – Farm animal health             appropriate postgraduate studies or research.           keen interest in genetics so that
Stephen.Graham@daera-ni.gov.uk management                               and welfare                    Agricultural graduates are employed in a range of       may influence my career path
                                       – Crop production systems      – Global issues in agriculture   managerial posts in government services, agricultural   after I graduate from the BSc
Visit:
www.qub.ac.uk/ado                      – Livestock production                                          banking, consultancy, research, education and           (Hons) Degree programme.
                                                                      – Policies for environmental
                                         and management                 sustainability                 training, ancillary industry or farm management.
                                                                                                       The course is designed to provide students with the
                                       – Sustainable agriculture                                       flexibility to adapt to a changing job market and
This course is jointly provided with
                                         (4 year option only)                                          each year a number of graduates obtain employment
                                       – Work placement                                                outside the sector.

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AGRICULTURE COURSES                                                                                                                                                         HE PROSPECTUS

Foundation Degree                                                                             Entry requirements
                                                                                              Students should normally have at least 48 UCAS tariff
in Agriculture and Technology*                                                                points at A2 Level (including a Science subject)* plus
                                                                                              four appropriate GCSEs or equivalent, including
*subject to revalidation                                                                      English and Mathematics at Grade C or above.
                                                                                              *A-Level Chemistry or Biology are preferred but
The Foundation Degree (FdSc) in Agriculture and Technology is validated                       Geography and Technology and other cognate
                                                                                              subjects are acceptable, if a Grade C or higher has
by Ulster University, aims to help students develop the production,                           been achieved in Double Award Science at GCSE
management and marketing skills required to work in the land-based sector.                    level, or a Grade C has been achieved in two
                                                                                              separate science subjects at GCSE.
How to apply                  Course content                                                  Applicants are normally required to have at least        Laura Jamieson
                                                                                              three months relevant practical experience to include
UCAS course code:             The course has four key themes:                                 livestock husbandry skills and operation of farm         Growing up on a lowland beef
004D                          – Agriculture production                                        machinery in an agri-business.                           and sheep farm and working
                              – Business management                                                                                                    on local dairy farms has given
Part-time online:             – Science, technology and mechanisation                         Students entering with a BTEC qualification should
                                                                                                                                                       me a keen interest in
www.cafre.ac.uk                                                                               normally have achieved a Merit overall and at least
                              – Work-based learning employability.                                                                                     agriculture. I knew from
                                                                                              one Distinction achieved in a final year subject.
Course duration:                                                                              Enhanced entry criteria may be applied subject to        attending an Open Day at
                             Students can opt to complete the programme in two years by                                                                Greenmount Campus that the
Full-time: 2 or 3 years      selecting the short work-based learning option or three years    demand for this course.
depending on work placement. if they select one year of work-based learning.                                                                           course would widen my
                                                                                              For other qualifications, please refer to the table      experience of all farming
Part-time: Up to 4 years                                                                      on page 27 or consult the UCAS website:                  sectors in Northern Ireland and
                              Year 1                          Semester 1                      www.ucas.com/students/ucas_tariff/tarifftables           enable me to pursue a career
Course location:
Greenmount Campus             Core modules                    Core module                     Bursaries                                                within the agricultural industry.
                              – Academic development          – Farm business management      A number of bursaries each worth £1,000 are
Course Manager:                                                                                                                                        During my first year studies, I
                                and employability                                             available to full-time students studying on Higher
Dr Stephen Graham                                             Plus two module options                                                                  have really enjoyed the
                                                                                              Education courses at CAFRE (see page 16). Students
                              – Animal science                                                                                                         practical learning during the
                                                                                              will be eligible to compete for bursaries when they
Telephone:                                                    – Crop production systems                                                                Enterprise Studies module in
                              – Arable crop studies                                           are enrolled on the course.
028 9442 6745                                                   or Ruminant production                                                                 the Dairy Centre. This has
                              – Enterprise studies              systems                       Placement                                                helped me improve my
Email:                                                                                                                                                 knowledge of milk production
                                                              – Pig and poultry production    All students are required to undertake a work-based
Stephen.Graham@daera-ni.gov.uk – Farm technology and                                          learning placement during which students develop         and gain the practical
                                 mechanisation                – Farm buildings and            technical and commercial expertise within the agri-      experience needed to develop
                              – Grass systems                   mechanisation                 food industry. Students have the option to either        my career prospects. I am
                              – Introduction to business      – Research methodologies        take a full year out on work-based learning or they      looking forward to broadening
                                management                      and data analysis             can undertake a short placement which is achieved        my knowledge of livestock
                                                                                              through a period of relevant work amounting to at        husbandry, health and welfare.
                              Plus one module option to       Semester 2                      least 400 hours. Placement opportunities are             I am particularly interested in
                              study in semester 2             Core module                     available in the UK, Ireland and overseas for            learning about upland beef and
                              – Farm machinery                                                example: New Zealand, Australia, USA and Canada.         sheep production at the Hill
                                                              – Work-based learning
                                                                                              Part-time students must also complete a placement        Farm Centre at Glenwherry,
                              – Livestock husbandry, health   Plus two module options         but may be eligible to apply for accredited prior        during the lambing season.
This course is validated by     and welfare
                                                              – Developments in agriculture   learning (APL).
                              – Production, principles and                                                                                             Looking to the future, I aim to
                                                              – Human resource                Progression opportunities and career destinations        achieve a work placement
                                practice (Horticulture)
                                                                management                    Students who meet the necessary requirements may         within the red meat or dairy
                              Year 2
                                                              – Organic agricultural          have the opportunity to apply for entry to Honours       sector.
                                (or Year 3 for those opting
                                                                production                    Degree programmes. There are career opportunities in
                                for the long work                                             farming and enterprise management as well as
                                placement option)                                             marketing, sales, contracting and consultancy.
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EQUINE COURSES                                HE PROSPECTUS

Equine
courses

                     BSc (Hons) Degree
                     in Equine Management
                     Foundation Degree
                     in Equine Management

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EQUINE COURSES                                                                                                                                            HE PROSPECTUS

Industry                 Enniskillen Campus
                                                                      Career
insights                 provides the widest
                           range of equine
                                                                      profile
                             programmes                                  I graduated from CAFRE,                       Kentucky but also had the opportunity to
                              in Ireland.                             Enniskillen Campus in June 2018
                                                                                                                       spend a few months in Ocala, Florida. This
                                                                                                                       was a great experience – I was able to put
                                                                      with a BSc (Honours) Degree in                   what I had learnt at CAFRE into practice and
                                                                      Equine Management.                               I learnt a great deal more about undertaking
                                                                                                                       equine research activities into palatability
                                                                      I really enjoyed the course and felt that I      and digestibility of feeds and oxidative stress
                                                                      learnt a lot about equine science, business      and bone density in horses.
                                                                      and management. I developed a particular
                                                                      interest in equine nutrition. My Honours         I returned back to Ireland and was fortunate
                     The equine industry is an                        dissertation was based on steaming hay. I        to be given the opportunity to work for
                                                                      was awarded the Danske Bank bursary in my        Bluegrass Feeds. I am based in Eglish,
                     international business with                      final year as a result of my performance in      Dungannon and my main role is as a
                     many job opportunities,                          the Business Management and Development          nutritional adviser to clients. I am really
                                                                      module assignment and subsequent                 enjoying this work – it enables me to use my
                     enabling students to                             interview with staff from Danske Bank and        technical knowledge and my interpersonal
                                                                      CAFRE.                                           skills to advise horse owners how best to
                     experience life and work                                                                          feed their horses.
                     around the world.                                I applied for and was successful in obtaining
                                                                      an internship at Kentucky Equine Research
                                                                      (KER). I headed off to the United States after
                     Enniskillen Campus provides the widest           graduation to undertake this internship. I
                     range of equine programmes in Ireland.           spent some time working in Lexington,
                     Courses have been developed which meet
                     the needs of the industry and students alike,
                     producing graduates with the capability to
                     succeed in a wide range of careers. Through
                     the courses, the College aims to help develop
                     a competitive equine industry and aspires to
                     give students an insight into many different
                     equine related careers.

                     Industry connections

                     Enniskillen Campus has strong connections
                     with industry organisations including
                     Coolmore, Godolphin, The Irish Field, Horse
                     Racing Ireland, Horse Sport Ireland and Spy                                                                               Vera O’Callaghan
                     Coast Farm. These organisations provide
                     ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunities for work                                                                              Bluegrass Horse Feeds
                     placements and graduate internships
                     which help young people develop their
                     employability skills ‘in the real world’ under
                     the guidance of a supportive employer.
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EQUINE COURSES                                                                                                                                                HE PROSPECTUS

Equine
                                                                          Racehorse trainers                               Technical sales representatives

                                                                          The racing industry requires highly skilled      Due to the changes and developments within
                                                                          people to work as racehorse trainers.            the equine market there are a number of

career prospects                                                          Successful racehorse trainers require well
                                                                          developed business management and people
                                                                          skills as well as excellent horsemanship.
                                                                                                                           companies supplying materials and
                                                                                                                           equipment to the industry. These can vary
                                                                                                                           from feed merchants and equipment
                                                                                                                           retailers, to bloodstock sales companies and
                                                                          Riding instructors                               businesses selling alternative therapies. Sales
Enniskillen Campus has built up an extensive                                                                               representatives must have a thorough
                                                                          A teaching vocation within the equine
database of contacts, which helps students find                           industry will offer a challenging career and a
                                                                                                                           knowledge of their products and the ability
                                                                                                                           to establish a positive rapport with customers.
work placements to broaden their experience                               high level of job satisfaction. Riding
                                                                          instructors need to be enthusiastic,             Equine lecturers
and sense of perspective. Students enter the                              confident, patient and articulate with a sense
                                                                          of humour and good communication skills.         There is a number of equine related
equine industry at different levels depending                                                                              education and training job opportunities for
on their qualifications and experience.                                   Service industries                               graduates. Equine lecturers require good
                                                                                                                           technical knowledge, the ability to transfer
                                                                          A variety of industries within the service       specialist expertise and good communication
The skills and knowledge gained through Enniskillen Campus courses        sector, such as insurance brokers and the        skills.
are also relevant to careers outside the equine industry. The following   tourism industry, employ people with equine
are some of the typical careers available to equine graduates.            related backgrounds to provide a service to      Equine business owners/managers
                                                                          their clients.
                                                                                                                           To successfully manage an equine business,
                                                                          Administration                                   people require technical and practical
                                                                                                                           competencies and the ability to make sound
                                                                          Opportunities also exist with governing          business decisions in a changing environment.
                                                                          bodies such as Weatherbys, the Jockey Club
                                                                          and Show Jumping Associations. There are         Technical advisers
                                                                          other posts within industry involved in
                                                                          handicapping, marketing and development.         Technical advisers help equine owners to
                                                                                                                           identify and deal with problems and also
                                                                          Competition and stud grooms                      assist and advise on business development.
                                                                                                                           Advisers need sound technical and business
                                                                          Grooms should be in excellent health,            management knowledge, as well as the
                                                                          physically fit, hard working, skilled and        ability to assess the impact of new
        Students enter                                                    motivated. Some grooms also ride and             information and technology. They also
                                                                          compete in their chosen industry. Progression

                                                94%
      the equine industry                                                 to head groom or travelling groom usually
                                                                                                                           require an innovative outlook and good
                                                                                                                           communication skills.
       at different levels                                                comes with experience.

         depending on                                                     Riders
                                              of students go on
      their qualifications                    to work or study.
                                                                          There are a number of jobs worldwide for
                                                                          lightweight, experienced work riders.
        and experience.                                                   Talented, dedicated riders can progress in
                                                                          their area of expertise to become
                                                                          competition riders or jockeys.

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EQUINE COURSES                                                                                         HE PROSPECTUS

Our equine
facilities
Equine courses offered at Enniskillen Campus incorporate
a strong practical dimension and the philosophy of
‘learning by doing’ is applied throughout all programmes.

Specialist amenities                                skills including maintaining detailed physical
                                                    and financial records. The units also provide
The campus was founded in 1967 and has              students with the opportunity to gain hands
provided over 50 years of high quality              on experience in the daily care and handling
education and training with equine courses          of broodmares, horses and youngstock.
being offered since the early 1990s. The            There is a range of broodmares in the
combination of excellent equestrian,                campus breeding unit including Flat and
teaching and residential facilities at the          National Hunt Thoroughbred and Sporthorse
campus enables students to develop their            mares. Students are involved in a range of
practical and academic competencies in a            activities including preparation for foaling,
pleasant environment. The students receive          monitoring mares around foaling, stallion
excellent support from members of the local         selection and preparation of the
equine industry. The campus has been                Thoroughbred foals for the sales.
redeveloped to provide an impressive range
of indoor and outdoor facilities. There are         In addition to completing their formal
stabling facilities for student livery horses,      academic studies, students participate in a
horse walkers, an indoor arena and a                wide range of activities throughout the
number of outdoor arenas.                           academic year, which complement formal
                                                    course work. These activities include the
Hands-on experience                                 Campus Racing and Riding Clubs.
The campus racing enterprise provides
students with invaluable experience in
handling and riding racehorses in training. A
specialist breeding unit enables students to                     The campus
gain experience in managing a yard and
participate in the events within the equine                   racing enterprise
stud calendar. The equitation unit provides                   provides students
first class facilities for training the horse and              with invaluable
rider. Students also have the opportunity to
contribute to the management of the equine                      experience in
units at the campus. This helps students to                     handling and
develop management and organisational
                                                              riding racehorses
                                                                  in training.

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