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Rolling deadline. Open until all places have been filled. Early application is advised.
Non-EU Closing Date
Open until all places have been filled or no later than 15 June. Early application is advised.
Start Date
8 September 2025
Course Outline
Our MSc in Sustainable Development, Agri-Food and Co-operatives is offered by the Cork University Business School (CUBS) at University College Cork. Our focus is on a deeper understanding of co-operatives, sustainable development, and agri-food systems.
Our MSc is the only course of its kind in Ireland that fully integrates co-operative approaches into the study of sustainable development and agri-food. The course was recently recognised by The Education Awards 2024 where we were voted the 'Best Masters Programme' in Ireland.
This is a unique course, with a very strong practical emphasis and will equip participants with the organisational and management skills needed to make innovative contributions to the development of local economies, with particular emphasis on co-operatives, social enterprises, and food businesses in Ireland and overseas. It is aimed at graduates from a wide range of disciplines who wish to pursue careers in sustainable development and innovative practice leading to positions in the food sector (ranging from local food enterprises to large multi-nationals), local and international rural development, shared and collaborative economy, NGOs, innovative community businesses including co-operatives and social enterprises, local and regional enterprise development, corporate social responsibility, policy formulation, and analysis.
The MSc Sustainable Development, Agri-Food and Co-operatives is delivered over 12 months and includes a placement opportunity.
FE6308 Practice-Based Research Project (30 credits): Students complete a practice-based research project in collaboration with a relevant partner organisation.
Academic Programme Catalogue
See the Academic Programme Catalogue where you can search for the complete and up-to-date content for this course. Note that the modules for all courses are subject to change from year to year. For complete descriptions of individual modules, see the Book of Modules.
Course Practicalities
This is a full-time 12-month course. In Part I, you will need to be available to attend classes and seminars from Monday to Friday (inclusive). During Part II of the programme, you will complete a Practice-Based Research Project which will include supervision from an academic mentor.
Assessment
You will be assessed by continuous assessment and examinations and will complete a practice-based research project.
Who Teaches MSc in Sustainable Development, Agri-Food and Co-operatives?
I chose the MSc in Cooperatives, Agri-Food and Sustainable Development as it casts a solution focussed lens over some of the social and environmental challenges that we all face...
"I chose the MSc in Cooperatives, Agri-Food and Sustainable Development as it casts a solution focussed lens over some of the social and environmental challenges that we all face.
The practical element of the Masters was also a key factor in my decision. I have always learned by doing, and through my placement with Change by Degrees, I was fortunate to find a programme and a company that afforded me the opportunity to put classroom theory into real-world practice.
For me, that was huge, because after I completed my undergraduate degree, I couldn’t see a natural path into sustainability or social enterprise in Ireland without having my own bright idea as there were few career opportunities.
As a result, I spent three years working in management consulting in Dublin. While I worked with exciting businesses and developed a skillset in project and change management, it wasn’t what I really wanted to do.
So, I jumped at an opportunity to move to Australia and work on a change management project with the Victorian Government, who were implementing a social procurement platform at the time in their Parks and Wildlife Department. I helped them with developing communication and training material to help their employees adjust to a new way of doing things. Through my role, I experienced the devastation of the bushfires in Australia firsthand, and after Covid-19 began to take hold in the country, I decided to move home.
At that point, I wanted to develop my expertise in sustainability and felt that the MSc in Cooperatives, Agri-Food and Sustainable Development would provide the best platform to achieve that goal.
Through my placement, I learned so much about how companies develop and implement sustainability strategies and how they communicate those objectives, both internally and externally. I was also given the opportunity to play a key role in delivering client work throughout my placement and provided with the time to study and write my final research paper. On completing the placement, I joined Change by Degrees as a Project and Change Manager, and I now work on sustainability projects with a range of clients from local authorities to large corporates."
What I love about my job is the joy that the project brings to people. It generates confidence, boosts self-esteem, and provides so many mental health benefits...
Motivated by a desire to tackle rural isolation, Sheila Kelleher works to facilitate connections between people with disabilities and farmers so as to provide opportunities for inclusion and personal growth.
A graduate of the MSc Co-operatives, Agri-Food and Sustainable Development at Cork University Business School, Sheila’s role centres around bringing two very different but, at times, equally isolated groups of people together.
Working as a facilitator with IRD Duhallow, Sheila works with farmers so that people with disabilities can experience and enjoy working on farms. It’s a role that brings Sheila into contact with a variety of people from a multitude of backgrounds.
''What I love about my job is the joy that the project brings to people. It generates confidence, boosts self esteem and provides so many mental health benefits. Farmers who may have been apprehensive about getting involved are now hugely passionate about what we’re trying to achieve. It’s really inspiring to see how the project is helping to forge lasting relationships through farming.''
Sheila secured her role with IRD Duhallow after her placement with Kerry Social Farming, a locally-led, community-based, shared service that provides farming and social inclusion opportunities to people with intellectual disabilities and acquired brain injuries. Through the placement, Sheila got the opportunity to explore how locally-led initiatives are promoting inclusion and community development. It was through this process that Sheila gained invaluable insights into social farming and how it can help to enhance people’s lives.
''Because I wanted to work in the rural development space, I was really drawn to the MSc Co-operatives, Agri-Food and Sustainable Development. As the events officer for UCC Macra na Feirme, the 10-credit module on rural development really spoke to my interests and it allowed me to discover social farming. I really got to know how social farming works through my placement with Kerry Social Farming and I have brough those learnings with me to IRD Duhallow. It’s a real privilege to work in this space and to see the impact of our work.''
The knowledge and expertise Sheila developed at Kerry Social Farming is benefitting communities around Duhallow, where people with disabilities are being welcomed onto working farms where they learn new skills, connect with their communities, and build meaningful relationships. Sheila has also seen how social farming can improve the well-being of isolated or elderly farmers, who might often work alone for long periods of time.
As such, Sheila believes that social farming has the potential to transform the lives of many people and hopes to be in a position to offer support as her career progresses at IRD Duhallow.
...I’m working on farms, which is something that I have always wanted to do, on community-driven projects, and on conservation and restoration schemes...
Michael O’Connor, MSc Graduate, Agricultural Ecologist
How Michael O’Connor Has Forged a Values-Led Career in Rural Development
One year after graduating with first-class honours from the MSc Co-operatives, Agri-Food and Sustainable Development at Cork University Business School, Michael O’Connor finds himself working on a number of rural development projects with IRD Duhallow.
A science graduate with ambitions of working in sustainable agriculture, Michael knew that he would need to understand the fundamentals of business if he was to break into an industry that was about to enter a period of unprecedented growth.
"After completing my undergraduate degree, I knew that I would need to better understand the economics of agriculture, policy and rural development if I wanted to become an agricultural ecologist. It might sound obvious, but all those things are linked. You can’t just talk about sustainable agriculture without understanding social and economic sustainability. That’s what drew me to, and what I gained from, the MSc Co-operatives, Agri-Food and Sustainable Development".
Having grown up on a farm in west Limerick, Michael is keenly aware of the potential that exists in rural communities and their ability to become leaders in Ireland’s transition toward a green economy. That leadership is being provided by an array of interwoven stakeholders from across a multitude of groups and organisations whose ambition is to bind social and economic progress.
"Rural development is such a fascinating area to work in at the moment. You can really sense the vibrancy that exists around some of the programmes that are being rolled out. In the past, it may have been difficult to generate engagement and interest, but now people from across rural Ireland are getting involved in programmes that aren’t just about embedding green practices, they’re also monetising sustainability. From my perspective that’s huge. In the past, I may have had to look abroad to begin a career in agroecology before coming home with years of experience. I’m getting that experience in Ireland with IRD Duhallow and the industry is only going to continue growing as we all embrace sustainability".
The growing appetite for sustainable change has enabled Michael to align his job with the specific areas and fields that he’s passionate about. That has enabled Michael to begin forging a values-led career that is built around concepts connected with agriculture, community and rural sustainability.
"I’m extremely lucky. I couldn’t have dreamed up this job if I had been given the opportunity to write the spec. It really combines a lot of what I learned as a science and business graduate. I’m working on farms, which is something that I have always wanted to do, on community driven projects, and on conservation and restoration schemes. For me, being an agricultural ecologist is a pretty incredible job and I’m thankful that IRD Duhallow have given me this opportunity. Maybe in a few years I’ll begin to specialise in a specific field in the rural conservation space, but for now I’m only too happy to whet my feet in a few different areas".
I wanted to be in a position where I could return to India with ideas that lead to practical solutions...
Komal Kansagra, MSc Graduate, Environmental Research Institute
Determined to work and learn about sustainable development, Komal Kansagra made the decision to enroll in the MSc Co-operatives, Agri-Food and Sustainable Development at Cork University Business School for further exposure to global practices and innovations in the agriculture and food sector.
Intellectually curious, Komal had already completed a postgraduate degree programme and was quickly navigating a career as an environmental engineer with the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board. Although Komal’s burgeoning career was bringing her into contact with some of India’s leading agencies and corporations, she was also observing how inequality focussed on industrialisation and urbanisation which was indirectly contributing to the degradation of the environment in one of India’s most significant agricultural regions.
“I was really committed to my job and the career path that I was following. However, as I progressed, I could see how we were focussing on economic development rather than trying to create a sustainable economy. Intensive farming practices and industrialisation couldn’t fully cover the true meaning of sustainability which makes a huge difference to improve water quality, soil conditioning and ecological wellbeing. The situation that I was encountering encouraged me to investigate postgraduate programmes that would help me to understand sustainable development a little more”.
After researching a series of different courses at a number of international universities, Komal realised that her ambition aligned with what the MSc Co-operatives, Agri-Food and Sustainable Development at CUBS offered students and graduates. As someone who had developed a great deal of hands-on experience in biotechnology and the environmental field, Komal was specifically drawn to the programme’s practice-orientated approach, which aims to equip graduates with the organisational and management skills needed to make innovative contributions to the development of local economies.
“I didn’t want a programme that would overload me with theory. I wanted a programme that would allow me to begin to make an immediate contribution. That’s what encouraged me to apply for the course. I wanted to be in a position where I could return to India with ideas that lead to practical solutions”.
Komal’s insistence on selecting a practice-inspired course was rewarded when the programme directors offered her the opportunity to undertake her placement in UCC’s Environmental Research Institute, where she investigated the conversion of waste into energy through anaerobic digestion. Such was Komal’s impact that the ERI offered her a role as a research assistant after graduating, where she honed her skills and developed new knowledge around the co-operative management of anaerobic digestion plants.
“I jumped at the opportunity to work at the ERI. They were working on an anaerobic digestion project, and I immediately saw how relevant it could be for rural India. It was really interesting to learn about how the co-operative model can manage and support anaerobic digestion. I wasn’t just learning about the theory, I was developing an understanding of the governance models and the subsidy schemes that have made anaerobic digestion successful in some parts of Europe. It’s the kind of practical knowledge that I can bring home with me in the future”.
Having gained insights and developed her research, laboratory, and management skills, Komal was able to land a role in laboratory operations and quality control systems with WHC Lab. There, she leads a team that is looking to improve processes around testing and quality control. Komal hopes that the technical skills that she is developing with WHC Lab will act as a platform for her to break into the food or pharma industry before being able to bring that knowledge and experience back to Rajasthan.
This is the only one-year Masters of its kind which fully integrates cooperative approaches into the study of sustainable development and agri-food. It is especially practical, both in work placements and in the skills you learn. It will prepare you to work in organisations that deal with current and future socio-economic and environmental challenges including climate change, collaborative economies, and sustainable rural communities.
We were delighted to be voted first in the 'Best Masters Programme' category.
Placement or Study Abroad Information
Participants can complete their Practice-Based Research Project either in Ireland or abroad, depending on their interests.
Skills and Careers Information
Graduates of this course can expect to work in a variety of areas: our graduates are employed in co-operatives and other third sector organisations (e.g. social enterprises, voluntary organisations, charities); international, non-governmental (NGOs) and business development organisations; Rural development policy and support; consultancy (in agri-food, rural development, third sector); local economic development/enterprise development staff through local authorities and consultancies; local food marketing and branding; corporate social responsibility roles in food and other industries such as local development agencies (e.g. LEADER).
Requirements
A minimum Second Class Honours in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) or equivalent, in a wide range of disciplines. Consideration under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) may be given to applicants who do not hold a second class honours degree but who have sufficient relevant experience, subject to approval by the Cork University Business School (CUBS).
For Applicants with Qualifications Completed Outside of Ireland
Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements. For more information see our Qualification Comparison page.
International/Non-EU Applicants
For full details of the non-EU application procedure visit our how to apply pages for international students.
In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.
Note that not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above. For more information contact the International Office.
English Language Requirements
Applicants who are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university-approved English language requirements. Visit our PG English Language Requirements page for more information.
The MSc Sustainable Development, Agri-Food and Co-operatives has been included by Irish Aid in their directory of eligible courses for Irish Aid Fellowships. Please visit the Irish Fellows Programme page for more information.
How To Apply
1. Check dates
Check the opening and closing dates for the application process in the yellow fact file boxes at the top of this webpage. The UCC online application portal usually opens around mid October.
2. Gather documents
Scanned copies of supporting documents have to be uploaded to the UCC online application portal and include:
Original qualification documents listed on your application, including transcripts of results from institutions other than UCC.
Any supplementary items requested for your course, if required.
3. Apply online
Apply online by clicking the red 'Apply Now' button below. Note most of our courses have a non-refundable €50 application fee.
Please note you will be required to provide additional information as part of the online application process for this programme. This will include the following:
You may enter the details of professional or voluntary positions held. We strongly encourage you to complete this section with all relevant work experiences that will support your application.
In addition to your previously declared qualifications, please outline any additional academic courses, self-learning, and professional training relevant to this programme.
Please describe your motivation and readiness for this programme.
Please upload your CV.
Please enter the names and email addresses of two referees.
The closing date for non-EU applications is Open until all places have been filled or no later than 15 June. Early application is advised.
