The purpose of the Master’s Program is the advancement of knowledge, the development of research and the arts, as well as the fulfillment of the educational, research, social, cultural, and developmental needs of the country. In particular, the aim of the Program is to educate highly qualified scientists capable of excelling in both theoretical and applied areas of agricultural science, and more specifically in the fields of Agricultural Hydraulics, Soil Science, and Agricultural Engineering. These scientific areas are directly related to fundamental and applied research in the management of water and soil resources, biosystems engineering, and the utilization of alternative energy sources in agriculture, within the framework of sustainable development and the protection of the rural environment.
The learning outcomes and qualifications of graduates who successfully complete the Program include the ability to provide technically sound solutions and services in the thematic areas of soil science, water resources, and agricultural engineering. These extend to the protection and rational use of water and soil, the proper use of fertilizers, the prevention and mitigation of soil degradation, the sustainable management of waste (such as manure, sewage sludge, etc.), the efficient use of energy resources, actions to mitigate climate change or to adapt agriculture to it through the assessment of water and carbon footprints of crops, life-cycle analysis, carbon sequestration in soils, the use of by-products, waste, residues and other raw materials for the purposes of the circular bioeconomy, as well as the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural activities. All of the above are combined with farm modernization, the improvement of sustainability, and the promotion of competitiveness and innovation.
Graduates of the Program will also acquire skills related to automation in agriculture, satellite monitoring of agricultural resources through Earth observation tools and their spatial analysis with geoinformatics techniques, applications of sensor networks and artificial intelligence in precision agriculture, supply chain management, agricultural machinery and mechanized harvesting, energy conservation through renewable resources and in agricultural applications and constructions, the design of modern greenhouse installations, the design and construction of livestock buildings, the planning and operation of irrigation and drainage networks, the utilization and management of groundwater, the study of land reclamation works and hydraulic projects in agriculture, the modeling of movement and pollution of surface and groundwater, the integrated management of water resources, and the development and application of watershed-scale hydrological models. Furthermore, they will be trained in the integration of modern optimization methodologies and advanced spatial and temporal monitoring technologies in irrigation and water resources management, the design of small-scale wastewater treatment systems for agricultural effluents, the use of hydroinformatics methods in the simulation and optimization of water systems, the use of industrial by-products and wastes for soil fertility improvement, the integrated management of soil nutrients, the study and protection of soil biodiversity, and the exploitation of soil microorganisms in agriculture.
More broadly, they will be capable of producing and transferring knowledge, expertise, methodologies, tools, and research results in the scientific field of agricultural sciences. They will also be able to provide high-level scientific services to private companies, Greek public services (e.g., Ministry of Rural Development and Food, regional authorities), as well as to other national and European organizations involved in soil science, water resources, energy, and the rural environment.
In addition, the Program will prepare its graduates for doctoral studies, thereby enabling them to pursue a wide range of research topics.