Studies & Degrees in Agricultural Engineering
Agricultural Engineering Study Programs
Agricultural engineering applies engineering to farming, food production and the rural environment. Agricultural engineers design and manage irrigation and drainage systems, farm machinery, greenhouses, livestock buildings and food-processing plants, and they deal with water use, waste and pollution on farms. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics sums up the work as solving problems of power supplies, machine efficiency, structures and facilities, environmental issues, and the storage and processing of agricultural products.
The first years of a degree are those of any engineering course: mathematics, physics, chemistry, drawing and computing. Students then add biology, soil science, crop and animal production, hydraulics, rural construction, machinery, food technology and farm economics, and finish with a design project. In many countries the subject is now taught as agricultural and biological engineering or biosystems engineering.
Qualifications and levels
Spain regulates the field as two professions, each with its own official university degree.
- Bachelor's degree (grado): the profession of Ingeniero Técnico Agrícola requires an official bachelor's degree of 240 ECTS credits, normally four years. A ministerial order fixes 60 credits of basic training, 60 credits common to the agricultural branch, a 48-credit block of specific technology and a 12-credit final project. The specific technologies are horticulture, fruit growing and gardening; crop and livestock farms; agricultural and food industries; and mechanisation and rural construction. Universities use different names for these degrees, such as the Grado en Ingeniería Agrícola at the Universidad de Almería.
- Master's degree: the profession of Ingeniero Agrónomo requires an official master's degree taken after such a bachelor's degree. The master's has at most 120 ECTS credits, and bachelor's and master's together must total at least 300. The Universidad de Almería links both degrees in a successive programme, in which students can enrol in the Máster en Ingeniería Agronómica before finishing the last credits of the bachelor's degree, although the master's degree is awarded only after the bachelor's.
- Specialised master's programmes: the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza (CIHEAM Zaragoza) runs two-year Master of Science programmes of 120 ECTS credits in areas such as water management, plant breeding, animal nutrition and agri-food marketing. According to the institute, Spain recognises this title as equivalent to an official Spanish master's degree. Each programme admits students only every two years.
- United States: the usual route is a Bachelor of Science. Purdue University offers majors in Agricultural Engineering, Biological Engineering, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, and Agricultural Engineering Technology and Management. The University of Florida offers a Bachelor of Science with specialisations in Biological Engineering and Agricultural Operations Management.
- Vocational training: in Spain, vocational training (FP) in the agricultural family prepares technicians, not engineers; the TodoFP portal of the education ministry lists the courses.
Where to study it
SpainExchange lists 69 active schools for agricultural engineering. Spain has the most, with 19, followed by Brazil and the United States with five each and Ecuador and Colombia with three each. Australia, Mexico, Ghana, Chile and Argentina have two each.
In Spain the subject is taught at public and private universities across the country, among them the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, the Universidad de La Rioja, the Universidad Católica de Ávila and the Universidad de Almería, whose bachelor's degree carries the EUR-ACE engineering label. Teaching is mainly in Spanish. In Latin America the list includes the Universidade Federal da Paraíba in Brazil, the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral and the Universidad de Cuenca in Ecuador, the Universidad de Sucre in Colombia and the Universidad de Guadalajara in Mexico, where the degree is usually called Ingeniería Agronómica or Ingeniería Agrícola and is taught in Spanish or Portuguese.
For admission, universities expect a science and technology background from secondary school. The Universidad de Almería recommends a basic grounding in mathematics and physics.
Careers
Graduates work in irrigation and water management, farm and greenhouse design, agricultural machinery, the food industry, rural development, environmental consultancy and public administration. The Universidad de Almería lists three main outlets for its graduates: the public administration, private companies in farming, rural works and distribution, and independent practice preparing projects, reports and valuations.
In the United States the occupation is small. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, agricultural engineers held about 1,500 jobs in 2025, and employment is projected to grow 7 percent from 2025 to 2035. The largest employer was professional, scientific and technical services, with 27 percent of jobs. Engineers who trained abroad and want to practise a regulated profession in Spain need official recognition of their degree.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Ingeniero Técnico Agrícola and Ingeniero Agrónomo in Spain?
They are two regulated professions. The first requires an official bachelor's degree of 240 ECTS credits; the second requires an official master's degree on top of it, with at least 300 credits in total.
How long does it take to become an agricultural engineer?
In Spain, four years for the bachelor's degree and one to two more years for the master's degree. In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics states that agricultural engineers typically need a bachelor's degree in an engineering field.
Is agricultural engineering the same as agronomy?
Not quite. Agronomy concentrates on crops and soils. Agricultural engineering adds the engineering side: machinery, buildings, irrigation, energy and food processing.
Which subjects do I need at school?
Mathematics and physics above all, together with chemistry and biology. Spanish universities recommend a science and technology profile.