A new department of land sciences at the South East Technological University (SETU) will be formally launched next week.

The department will focus exclusively on delivering degree and post-graduate courses in agriculture and land sciences.

Programmes such as agriculture, horticulture, food, agricultural science and forestry were formerly based in the department of science.

The land sciences department will be spread across SETU’s campuses at Waterford, Carlow and Wexford, and will include courses run in collaboration with Teagasc at its colleges in Kildalton and Dublin’s Botanic Gardens.

Enrolled

Approximately 600 students are enrolled in the various agriculture-related programmes, but the establishment of the land sciences department is likely to deliver extra resourcing that will support the intake of more students.

It will also facilitate the delivery of additional courses, said land sciences department head Dr Eleanor Kent.

“We are currently working on a new offering in the area of sustainability, which will build on and complement current courses. The area of smart agri/tech is also on the agenda. We have recently submitted an EOI to offer a new degree in veterinary medicine,” Dr Kent said.

SETU’s department of land sciences will be officially launched on Monday 5 December by Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Senator Pippa Hackett.