Master

Master of Science Program in Agronomy

Master of Science (Agronomy) — M.S. (Agronomy)

  • Programme code 25490021107151
  • Programme year 2569
  • Programme type Revised programme
  • Total credits 36 credits
  • Duration 2 years
  • Study plans 3 study plans
  • Programme lecturers 18 lecturers
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Programme philosophy

Plan 1 (A1) and Plan 1 (A2)
To produce graduates with expertise in agronomy who are academically prepared, ethical, and skilled in research on plant breeding and field crop production — integrating research knowledge to create innovation that responds to global change and drives sustainable agricultural development.

Plan 2
To produce graduates with expertise in agronomy grounded in analytical thinking and the application of knowledge in plant breeding and field crop production, guided by academic principles and ethics, and able to respond appropriately to change in the agricultural sector at national and international level.

About the program

The Department of Agronomy was founded together with the Faculty of Agriculture and Kasetsart University in 1943. The Master of Science Program in Agronomy has been offered since academic year 2510 (1967) and was most recently revised in B.E. 2569 (2026) to respond to stakeholder needs in English, problem solving, teamwork, and project management.

Three plans are offered: Plan 1 (A1) — thesis only, 36 credits; Plan 1 (A2) — coursework plus a 12-credit thesis; and Plan 2 — coursework plus a 6-credit independent study. All plans require not fewer than 36 credits in total.

The 2026 revision opens 5 new courses, revises 11, and closes 3, adding weight to big-data management, artificial intelligence, modern seed technology, and plant-breeding business management. Effective from the first semester of academic year 2569 (2026).

Programme information

Programme objectives

  1. 1Plan 1 — To produce graduates able to plan, conduct, and manage research projects in field crop production or breeding in line with the context of global change.
  2. 2Plan 1 — To produce graduates able to think creatively to solve field crop production problems in accordance with academic principles and research ethics.
  3. 3Plan 1 — To produce graduates with leadership, communication skills, and teamwork.
  4. 4Plan 2 — To produce graduates able to search, compile, and analyse information to solve production problems and manage agronomy projects in accordance with academic principles and the context of global change.
  5. 5Plan 2 — To produce graduates with leadership, communication skills, critical thinking, and teamwork.
Programme information

Programme learning outcomes

  • PLO1 Plan 1 Conduct research projects on field crop production or breeding in line with the context of global change. Plan 2 Analyse field crop production or breeding in line with the context of global change.
  • PLO2 Plan 1 Solve field crop production problems using creative thinking and research, following academic principles and research ethics. Plan 2 Solve field crop production problems by searching, compiling, and thinking critically, grounded in academic principles and research ethics.
  • PLO3 Manage plant breeding or field crop production projects by integrating knowledge from multiple disciplines.
  • PLO4 Communicate and present academic content appropriately using information technology in Thai and English.
  • PLO5 Perform effectively as a leader and as a team member, with responsibility and commitment to results.
Program structure

Credit structure

Plan 1 (A1) ไม่น้อยกว่า 36
Major (non-credit) ไม่น้อยกว่า 5
— Seminar 2
— Required major 3
Thesis ไม่น้อยกว่า 36
Plan 1 (A2) ไม่น้อยกว่า 36
Major ไม่น้อยกว่า 24
— Seminar 2
— Required major 10
— Elective major ไม่น้อยกว่า 12
Thesis ไม่น้อยกว่า 12
Plan 2 ไม่น้อยกว่า 36
Major ไม่น้อยกว่า 30
— Seminar 2
— Required major 13
— Elective major ไม่น้อยกว่า 15
Independent study 6

Study plan

Thesis only (36 credits); the required major course and seminars are taken without credit.

Year 1 First semester 9 credits
01003591 Research Methods in Agronomy Non-credit 3(3-0-6)
01003599 Thesis 9
Year 1 Second semester 9 credits
01003597 Seminar Non-credit 1
01003599 Thesis 9
Year 2 First semester 9 credits
01003599 Thesis 9
Year 2 Second semester 9 credits
01003597 Seminar Non-credit 1
01003599 Thesis 9

At least 24 credits of coursework plus a 12-credit thesis.

Year 1 First semester 10 credits
01003541 Research Techniques and Modern Tools in Agronomy 3(2-2-5)
01003591 Research Methods in Agronomy 3(3-0-6)
01003592 Colloquium in Agronomy 1(1-0-2)
X9999991 วิชาเอกเลือก 3
Year 1 Second semester 13 credits
01003542 Statistics and Coding for Agricultural Research 3(3-0-6)
01003597 Seminar 1
01003599 Thesis 3
X9999991 วิชาเอกเลือก 6
Year 2 First semester 9 credits
01003599 Thesis 6
X9999991 วิชาเอกเลือก 3
Year 2 Second semester 4 credits
01003597 Seminar 1
01003599 Thesis 3

At least 30 credits of coursework plus a 6-credit independent study.

Year 1 First semester 10 credits
01003541 Research Techniques and Modern Tools in Agronomy 3(2-2-5)
01003591 Research Methods in Agronomy 3(3-0-6)
01003592 Colloquium in Agronomy 1(1-0-2)
X9999991 วิชาเอกเลือก 3
Year 1 Second semester 10 credits
01003542 Statistics and Coding for Agricultural Research 3(3-0-6)
01003597 Seminar 1
X9999991 วิชาเอกเลือก 6
Year 2 First semester 12 credits
01003532 International Agriculture 3(3-0-6)
01003595 Independent Study 3
X9999991 วิชาเอกเลือก 6
Year 2 Second semester 4 credits
01003595 Independent Study 3
01003597 Seminar 1
Programme information

Courses and descriptions

Factors affecting pasture production under tropical conditions, pasture species adaptation, roles of lay pasture, arid zone pasture ecology and management, techniques in pasture research and tropical pasture seed production.

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Production and marketing of industrial field crops in Thailand and the world. Limitations of the physical, biological, and socio-economic environment in production. Appropriate technology for production efficiency. Strategies for increasing competitiveness in the world market. Adding value to products. Managing to add economic value to products. Waste management in industrial field crop production. Product and production standards.

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Changes of microclimate and biophysical system in crop production, influence of microclimate on crop response, application of microclimate in crop production.

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Strategies, policies, and principles of crop production. Planning and management of field crop production. Management of resources and environment in agroecosystems. Carbon neutrality. Net zero emissions. Quality control. Utilization and marketing for sustainability in field crop production. Case study. Field trip required.

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Agricultural policy and management studies. International agricultural development. Sources and use of data or information. Agricultural operation under international agricultural policy. International trade regulations related to climate change and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Field trip required.

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Ecology of the grazing animals, the management and uses of pastures. Effects of animal grazing and treading, and nutrient recycling on pasture production. Nutritive value of pastures and techniques of research in pasture utilization.

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Collection and management of big data. Analysis of agricultural data using software or applications. Data visualization and communication. Data security and privacy management. Data-driven strategic decision-making. Case studies, practical applications, and development of agricultural big data projects.

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Importance of business in crop breeding. Principles of crop breeding. Production and supply chain management. Marketing and value addition in crop business. Related laws and regulations. Organizational management in crop business. Finance and investment in crop breeding business. Use of technology and innovation in crop business. Case studies and development of entrepreneurial skills in crop business.

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Laboratory skills. Field techniques. Sampling. Measurement techniques for greenhouse gas exchange. Physiological and agronomic measurements. Plant protection techniques. Seed technology. Breeding procedures and tools. Biotechnology application. Technologies and modern tools in agronomy. Agricultural drone. Agricultural standards for field crops.

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Role of statistics in agricultural research. Concepts and theories of experimental design. Analysis and interpretation. Regression and correlation analysis. Coding for statistical analysis and data visualization. R language and packages.

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Analyses and interpretations of quantitative genetics and statistics in plant breeding using computer packages.

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Modern artificial intelligence tools. Ethics and responsibility in their use. Analysis and synthesis of research. Experimental design. Writing research articles. Creating images and graphics. Quality control of manuscripts. Application of artificial intelligence in plant management and production systems. Analysis of agricultural photographs. Case studies. Presentation of projects related to use of artificial intelligence in research.

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Physiology responses of crops to physical factors affecting on seedling vigor, growth and yield, light interception, plant population, plant spacing and photosynthetic rate relationship, competition, accumulation of food substances. Advanced technologies in crop physiology and production.

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Functions of plant nutrients, nutrient uptake mechanisms, plant nutrients accumulation and partitioning, influence of plant nutrients on physiological processes and crop yield.

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Groups of herbicides and their mode of action, absorption, translocation, physiological and biochemical behavior of herbicides in plants.

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Laboratory for herbicide physiology, absorption, translocation, translocation and physiological and biochemical behavior of herbicides in plants.

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Principles of crop evolution and speciation. Origin of crop species. Domestication of plant from various genetic resources. Principles of crop adaptation to environmental factors under diverse climates. Application of crop adaptation for yield improvement in cropping system and plant breeding.

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Crop physiology under stress from temperature, water, solar radiation, chemicals, and mechanicals. Mechanisms of plant acclimation. Integration of genetics and plant breeding approaches to develop crop varieties tolerant to environmental stresses. Study cases for the application of crop physiological management and breeding strategies to enhance crop resilience and productivity in critical environments.

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Germplasm exploration and collection, genetic characterization and evaluation for genebank and utilization of plant breeding.

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Statistical procedures for estimation of genetic parameters selection index and analysis of interaction between genetic and environment for plant breeding.

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Genetics of cells and chromosomes. Plant tissue culture. Gene cloning. Mutations. DNA sequencing analysis. Genetic engineering. Application of DNA markers. Gene editing and omics technology for enhancing production efficiency and plant breeding. Literature review of current research and research presentation.

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Important theoretical and genetical approaches related to crop improvement in both self-pollinated and cross-pollinated crops. Genetic variability, population structure, biotechnological approaches, artificial crossing and selection, field testing, cultivar increase and release, and regulations related to plant breeding.

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Inheritance of resistance to diseases and insects; breeding procedures for improving crops resistant to diseases and insects.

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Genetic markers and plant genetic analyses. Marker-assisted selection. Genome-wide association mapping. Genomic selection and multi-omic analysis in plant breeding for quantitative and qualitative traits.

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Physiology of seed development and maturation. Germination, dormancy, vigor, and deterioration. Relation of seed quality to growth and development of plants.

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Post harvest management of cereals, legumes, root and tuber crops and field crops. Conditioning, processing, packaging and storage. Aflatoxin and other toxin contaminations in cereals and legumes.

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Application of sensors and artificial intelligence in seed quality testing. Destructive and non-destructive evaluation of seed quality. Seed inventory management, packaging, logistics, and seed industry.

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Research principles and methods in agronomy. Problem analysis for research topic identification. Data collection for research planning. Sampling design and research techniques. Analysis, interpretation, and discussion of results. Research report writing for presentation and publication.

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Critical reading, interpretation, and discussion. Application of artificial intelligence tools for academic exchange in agronomy.

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Independent study on interesting topic at the master's degree level and compile into a written report.

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Selected topics in agronomy at the master's degree level. Topics are subject to change each semester.

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Presentation and discussion on current interesting topic in agronomy at the master's degree level.

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Research at the master's degree level and compile into a thesis.

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วิชาเอกเลือก

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Programme information

Programme lecturers

Programme-responsible lecturers 4

Programme lecturers 12

Instructors 2

Admission requirements

Admission follows the graduate study regulations of the Graduate School, Kasetsart University, and the admission announcement for each semester. The programme admits both Thai and international students and is taught in Thai and English.

Career paths

  • Educator or lecturer in institutions teaching agronomy and related disciplines.
  • Academic or researcher in public and private organisations, in Thailand and internationally.
  • Entrepreneur or mid-level professional across the agricultural and related industries.

Programme information

Programme code
25490021107151
Programme year
2569
Programme type
Revised programme
Total credits
36 credits
Duration
2 years
Study plans
3 study plans
Programme lecturers
18 lecturers
Degree awarded
M.S. (Agronomy)
Approved by KU Council
23 February 2026

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