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AgInnovation: Agricultural Innovation & Entrepreneurship (MSc)

MSc in AgInnovation (Agricultural Innovation & Entrepreneurship)

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Course Overview

The MSc in AgInnovation (Agricultural Innovation & Entrepreneurship), or AgInnovate for short, is a one-year MSc programme offered along with TechInnovate in the School of Engineering that equips adult learners with the skills needed to develop new products or businesses to enhance Irish agriculture and strengthen rural communities. You can apply at: https://springboardcourses.ie/details/15235

From 2018 to 2021, AgInnovate focused on training individuals to develop technical solutions for the agri-tech industry. Going forward, we intend to provide the skills needed to address the labour-market challenges facing farmers and rural communities in both the West and nationally. According to the Western Development Commission, there has been a ‘huge decline in the numbers working in agriculture. In 1996, 17.19% of people at work in the Western Region overall were employed in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing... Contrast this with Census 2022 where 5.23% of the population at work in the Region is now employed in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing, less than a third of the 1996 figure.’ As highlighted in FoodVision 2030, this decline is largely driven by the limitations faced by primary producers in ‘their ability to make a decent livelihood and return for their endeavours, but also in helping to deliver on environmental and social sustainability.’ Our approach to teaching innovation skills aligns with Mission 2 of FoodVision 2030, which emphasises equipping primary producers with ‘the best tools for improving economic viability and resilience... [as well as the] approaches and technologies that they and others in the agri-food chain can implement to improve their overall economic standing.’ (p. 91).

To attract individuals to the agri-food sector and support the economic viability and sustainability of rural communities, we provide adult learners with:

  • The ability to develop and test new products based on customer needs;
  • An innovation mindset;
  • The financial planning, communications, and marketing knowledge needed for launching a new business.
  • The communications, marketing, and financial planning knowledge for launching a new business.

To ensure our curriculum remains relevant, we actively consult with agri-food enterprises such as Farmeye, Castlemine Farm, McHale, AgriSpread, and Dairymaster. Our advisory board includes representatives from the IFA, Erne Foods, Fiorbhia Farm, and Galway Wool Coop. Additionally, Enterprise Ireland, Galway LEO, and UCD’s AgTech Accelerator provide insights into the growing demand for innovators in the sector.

By equipping students with the skills to address national challenges, AgInnovate attracts participants from across Ireland. Last year, we welcomed students from 15 different counties. Women have made up between 27% and 41% of our last three cohorts. In addition to farming, students bring expertise in business, engineering, law, and arts. Each year, we recruit 30-35 adult learners through features in agricultural journals, radio interviews, and even parish newsletter announcements. Our graduates go on to launch startups, secure roles in agri-tech companies, develop social services for their communities, and, most importantly, apply innovations that revitalise family farms.

Closing Date

Since the programme is supported by Springboard+ with funding from the Government of Ireland and the European Union, applications are normally due before or around mid-August annually. However, if warranted, the application deadline can be extended until the programme commences in the third week of September. You can apply at: https://springboardcourses.ie/details/15235

Applications and Selections

Who Teaches this Course

Programme Director: Professor John G Breslin is a Personal Professor in Electronic Engineering at the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Galway. John has taught electronic engineering, computer science, innovation and entrepreneurship topics at the University over the past 25 years. He is Co-Founder of boards.ie (Ireland's largest discussion forum website) and adverts.ie (classified ads website). John is also Co-Founder and Non-Executive Director of the PorterShed (Galway City Innovation District), and serves on the Steering Group of Scale Ireland. He undertook the Entrepreneurship Development Program with Bill Aulet at MIT in 2017. John co-authored the Irish bestseller Old Ireland in Colour (Christmas #1 in Ireland 2020, Best Irish-Published Book Award 2020).

Lecturer: Martina O'Grady

Administrator: Arline Broder

Requirements and Assessment

Applications are submitted via the Springboard+ website. They are first reviewed by the Programme Administrator to verify eligibility and to confirm required documentation. The Programme Manager/Director then assesses the applicant’s education and experience, with particular focus on their ability to work independently. The additional required documents are as follows:

  • Transcript
  • CV
  • Letter of Interest

In your CV and/or Letter of Interest, tell us what makes you an innovator. Help us understand what drives you, what you have achieved, and why you are excited about this opportunity. We are especially interested in hearing about:

  • Your ability to work independently and take initiative;
  • Any experience in agriculture, rural life, or community-based projects; and
  • Qualities that show your entrepreneurial spirit such as creativity, resilience, risk taking, leadership, strategic thinking, curiosity, or your ability to build strong relationships and promote ideas.

The Programme Administrator regularly checks the Application Management System to ensure that information for enrolled students is accurate.

Key Facts

Entry Requirements

Applicants should hold:

  • An undergraduate degree, 1st or 2nd Class Honours in any discipline, along with three years of relevant experience in agriculture, rural life, community-based projects, or similar; or
  • An Ordinary or 3rd Class Honours undergraduate degree, along with five years of relevant experience in agriculture, rural life, community-based projects, or similar.

Additional Requirements

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Candidates who do not meet the minimum entry criteria may be interviewed to ascertain their suitability for the programme through the University's Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process. In the past three years, about one third of the students selected for the programme came through the RPL, illustrating how AgInnovation is reskilling and upskilling individuals.


Applicants applying through the Recognition of Prior Learning process must submit a portfolio outlining their education and experience. They then undergo an interview with the Programme Director/Manager, who evaluates their readiness for a Level 9 course.

Duration

1 year, blended delivery

Next start date

September 2025

A Level Grades ()

Average intake

30

QQI/FET FETAC Entry Routes

Closing Date

Closing date for the current round of applications: 11/08/2025


You can apply at: https://springboardcourses.ie/details/15235

NFQ level

9

Mode of study

Blended Learning

ECTS weighting

90

Award

MSc in AgInnovation

CAO

Course code

MSC-AGI

Course Outline

Grounded in MIT’s Disciplined Entrepreneurship and Stanford’s Design Thinking, our adult learners explore a different key question in each module:

  • In TechInnovate I, they investigate WHO are the customers and stakeholders for their idea. They do so by conducting interviews and surveys to identify customer needs and preferences;
  • In TechInnovate II, our students answer the question WHAT and define the functions and features of their product or service;
  • AgInnovate III takes up the issue of HOW--how will they deliver their product or service to their target market? In this module, the students prepare a 7500-word business plan modelled on what they would submit to Enterprise Ireland. They also create a brochure, logo, and tagline describing their business;
  • Finally, in AgInnovate IV, students address the question WHY--why would people want their product or service? They answer this by drawing on their research from throughout the programme and writing a 7,500-word minor dissertation. This dissertation is structured as an article suitable for submission to a professional journal.
  1. EE5113 TechInnovate I: Needs Finding to Concept Generation, 10 ECTS
  2. EE5114 TechInnovate II: Concept Development and Implementation, 10 ECTS
  3. AI500 AgInnovate III: Innovation Project, 40 ECTS
  4. AI501 AgInnovate IV: Minor Dissertation, 30 ECTS

The programme is delivered in a blended format. During each month, students attend a weekly online session for two hours [Thursday 6-8 PM] and come to campus one Saturday for eight hours of classroom instruction. Hence, on a monthly basis, instruction is 50% online and 50% classroom.

•    Online: Thursday evenings from 6-8 PM
•    In-person, University of Galway campus: One Saturday per month from 9-4 PM (September to June)

Curriculum Information

Curriculum information relates to the current academic year (in most cases).
Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Glossary of Terms

Credits
You must earn a defined number of credits (aka ECTS) to complete each year of your course. You do this by taking all of its required modules as well as the correct number of optional modules to obtain that year's total number of credits.
Module
An examinable portion of a subject or course, for which you attend lectures and/or tutorials and carry out assignments. E.g. Algebra and Calculus could be modules within the subject Mathematics. Each module has a unique module code eg. MA140.
Optional
A module you may choose to study.
Required
A module that you must study if you choose this course (or subject).
Semester
Most courses have 2 semesters (aka terms) per year.

Year 1 (90 Credits)

RequiredEE5113: TechInnovate I: Needs Finding to Concept Generation


Semester 1 | Credits: 10

The course encompasses the entire process from identifying domain-specific needs, validating those needs, brainstorming, and concept creation for new technology products.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Demonstrate awareness of the process for innovating technologies
  2. Demonstrate awareness of how to identify an important unmet domain need taking into consideration domain, scientific and market knowledge
  3. Demonstrate appreciation of concept generation and brainstorming
  4. Acquire significant experience of teamwork in a multidisciplinary setting
  5. Have utilised appropriate approaches to evaluate the concepts
  6. Be able to reflect on your experience
  7. Have completed a consulting report on your specific need
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers & Administrators

Click a name to search for their researcher profile. Note: Only teachers publish research profiles.

Reading List
  1. "Disciplined Entrepreneurship" by Bill Aulet
    ISBN: 9781118692288.
    Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
  2. "Disciplined Entrepreneurship Workbook" by Bill Aulet
    ISBN: 9781119365792.
    Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
  3. "Technology Entrepreneurship" by Natasha Evers,James Cunningham,T. Hoholm
    ISBN: 9781137020109.
    Publisher: Red Globe Press
  4. "The Four Steps to the Epiphany" by Steve Blank
    ISBN: 9780989200509.
  5. "Business Model Generation" by Alexander Osterwalder,Yves Pigneur
    ISBN: 9780470876411.
    Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
  6. "Founders at Work" by Jessica Livingston
    ISBN: 9781590597149.
    Publisher: Apress
  7. "Blue Ocean Strategy" by W. Chan Kim,Renée Mauborgne
    ISBN: 9781591396192.
    Publisher: Harvard Business Press
  8. "Getting to Plan B" by John Walker Mullins,Randy Komisar
    ISBN: 9781422126691.
    Publisher: Harvard Business Press
The above information outlines module EE5113: "TechInnovate I: Needs Finding to Concept Generation" and is valid from 2024 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

RequiredAI500: AgInnovate III: Innovation Project


Semester 1 and Semester 2 | Credits: 40

In this innovation project, students will work in teams on identifying a real-world problem in the agricultural domain that requires an insightful technology solution, inventing and implementing the solution, demonstrating its validity and commercial viability, and developing pitches for angel and venture capital funding to allow commercialisation.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Demonstrate awareness of the process for innovating in the agtech space
  2. Demonstrate awareness of how to identify an important unmet agricultural need taking into consideration agricultural, scientific and market knowledge
  3. Demonstrate appreciation of concept generation and brainstorming
  4. Have utilised appropriate approaches to evaluate the concepts
  5. Demonstrate appreciation of legal affairs and go-to-market strategy
  6. Demonstrate appreciation of development of an operational business plan
  7. Have completed a project report on the implementation plan
  8. Acquire significant experience of team and project work in a multidisciplinary setting
  9. Be able to reflect on the experience
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers & Administrators

Click a name to search for their researcher profile. Note: Only teachers publish research profiles.

Reading List
  1. "Disciplined entrepreneurship" by Bill Aulet, Senior Lecturer, MIT Sloan School of Management Managing Director, Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship ; illustrated by Marius Ursache.
    ISBN: 9781118692288.
    Publisher: New York; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
  2. "Disciplined Entrepreneurship Workbook" by Bill Aulet
    ISBN: 9781119365792.
    Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
The above information outlines module AI500: "AgInnovate III: Innovation Project" and is valid from 2024 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

RequiredAI501: AgInnovate IV: Minor Dissertation


12 months long | Credits: 30

The overall goal is for the student to display the knowledge and capability for independent research work on agricultural innovation at postgraduate level. The dissertation enables the student to acquire deeper knowledge, comprehension, abilities and perspectives needed for conducting and completing independent long-term research projects.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Identify and conceptualise a critical research problem in agricultural innovation and translate this into a well designed, applied and academic research project of investigation and understanding
  2. Plan and organise the different stages involved in designing and executing the research work (project management)
  3. Conduct a search and review of relevant literature for the agricultural innovation project and devise research questions based on this review
  4. Describe any ethical implications of the research project where appropriate
  5. Demonstrate the ability to undertake data collection/collation and/or data processing mechanisms and procedures
  6. Implement research contributions using appropriate agriculture, engineering or business methodologies and models
  7. Evaluate research work using quantitative and/or qualitative analyses as appropriate to the methodology employed for the project, including assessment and interpretation of the results
  8. Communicate and critically discuss in a scientific manner all new knowledge obtained including the research questions, methodologies employed, and results
Assessments
  • Research (100%)
Teachers & Administrators

Click a name to search for their researcher profile. Note: Only teachers publish research profiles.

Reading List
  1. "Succeeding With Your Master's Dissertation" by John Biggam
    ISBN: 9780335242252.
    Publisher: Open Univ Pr
  2. "The research student's guide to success" by Pat Cryer
    ISBN: 9780335221172.
    Publisher: Maidenhead, England ; Open University Press, 2006.
  3. "How to Write: Successful Essays, Dissertations, and Exams" by Chris Mounsey
    ISBN: 9780199670741.
    Publisher: Open University Press
  4. "Literature Review" by Diana Ridley
    ISBN: 9781446201435.
    Publisher: Sage
  5. "Your Research Project" by Nicholas S R Walliman
    ISBN: 9781412901321.
    Publisher: Sage Publications Ltd
  6. "Planning Your Dissertation" by Kate Williams
    ISBN: 9781137327949.
    Publisher: Palgrave
The above information outlines module AI501: "AgInnovate IV: Minor Dissertation" and is valid from 2024 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

RequiredEE5114: TechInnovate II: Concept Development and Implementation


Semester 2 | Credits: 10

The course focuses on concept selection, development of an intellectual property strategy, evaluation of legal and go-to-market strategy, financing, and operational planning.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Demonstrate awareness of the process for innovating technologies
  2. Demonstrate awareness of how to develop a solution to a specified need taking advantage of the power of the creative group process and prototyping
  3. Demonstrate appreciation of legal affairs and intellectual property and go-to-market strategy
  4. Demonstrate appreciation of development of an operational business plan
  5. Acquire significant experience of teamwork in a multidisciplinary setting
  6. Have utilised appropriate approaches to transform the idea into a prototype
  7. Be able to reflect on your experience
  8. Have completed a consulting report on your role in the commercialisation process
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers & Administrators

Click a name to search for their researcher profile. Note: Only teachers publish research profiles.

Reading List
  1. "Disciplined Entrepreneurship" by Bill Aulet
    ISBN: 9781118692288.
    Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
  2. "Disciplined Entrepreneurship Workbook" by Bill Aulet
    ISBN: 9781119365792.
    Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
  3. "Technology Entrepreneurship" by Natasha Evers,James Cunningham,T. Hoholm
    ISBN: 9781137020109.
    Publisher: Red Globe Press
  4. "The Four Steps to the Epiphany" by Steve Blank
    ISBN: 9780989200509.
  5. "Business Model Generation" by Alexander Osterwalder,Yves Pigneur
    ISBN: 9780470876411.
    Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
  6. "Founders at Work" by Jessica Livingston
    ISBN: 9781590597149.
    Publisher: Apress
  7. "Blue Ocean Strategy" by W. Chan Kim,Renée Mauborgne
    ISBN: 9781591396192.
    Publisher: Harvard Business Press
  8. "Getting to Plan B" by John Walker Mullins,Randy Komisar
    ISBN: 9781422126691.
    Publisher: Harvard Business Press
The above information outlines module EE5114: "TechInnovate II: Concept Development and Implementation" and is valid from 2024 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

The University of Galway is deeply committed to advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as reflected in its designation as a national SDG Champion for 2023-2024 by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The AgInnovate instructors share this commitment and will integrate SDGs into their programme by drawing on their experience of developing related modules in the past. In previous design thinking-related modules, students were asked to develop technological solutions that would help a specific group in their local community implement one of the 17 SDGs.  Similarly, next year’s AgInnovate students will be required to design their products and business solutions around one or two SDGs, explicitly articulating their relevance in business plans and presentations. They will be asked to discuss their selected SDGs as they consult with customers and stakeholders in the course of their research. To further highlight their impact, students will be encouraged to showcase their projects during the University’s annual SDG Week. We welcome the opportunity to introduce the SDGs into AgInnovate because it will permit our adult learners to think rigorously about innovations that are not only technically feasible and economically viable, but also socially desirable and environmentally sustainable.

Why Choose This Course?

Career Opportunities

We aim to create the job creators of the future both as new venture creators and innovators within agri-food and rural organisations. Key words in job titles that graduates would develop skills in are:

  • Micro-entrepreneur (microenterprise)
  • Founder
  • Innovation manager
  • Head of innovation
  • Business manager
  • New product development
  • Design thinking
  • Sales

Who’s Suited to This Course

FoodVision 2030 (p. 113) estimates that 34% of Irish farms rely on grants and off-farm employment to remain viable, highlighting the strong demand for programmes that equip farmers with the skills needed to achieve profitability and self-sufficiency.

Our target cohort also includes unemployed individuals from rural communities, who have accounted for 21–30% of our last three cohorts.

Learning Outcomes

  1. EE5113 TechInnovate I: Needs Finding to Concept Generation, 10 ECTS
  2. EE5114 TechInnovate II: Concept Development and Implementation, 10 ECTS
  3. AI500 AgInnovate III: Innovation Project, 40 ECTS
  4. AI501 AgInnovate IV: Minor Dissertation, 30 ECTS

Transferable Skills Employers Value

The third module, AgInnovate III, includes a job readiness component. This project-based module requires students to develop a business plan, logo, and advertising brochure - practical materials that can be used to secure funding or launch a business. Eighty percent of the 40 ECTS in AgInnovate III are allocated to these tasks, and the most recent cohort [2023-2024] created 30 new businesses.

Students also use the minor dissertation prepared in AgInnovate IV to advance their careers through upskilling. In some cases, the dissertation concerns a product that a student's employer is planning to introduce and so the dissertation leads to the student getting a promotion so the company can launch the product. In other cases, the student is planning to pursue a PhD and submits the dissertation to the professors with whom she or he would like to work.

In addition, the University of Galway's Career Development Centre (CDC) offers a comprehensive range of services to students, including CV preparation, interview skills training, career guidance, and opportunities for direct engagement with employers. These services are designed to equip students with the confidence and skills necessary to thrive in a competitive job market.

Work Placement

Study Abroad

Related Student Organisations

IdeasLab is the University of Galway's student innovation hub.

Consultants & Entrepreneurs Society is a student-led organisation that fosters interest in consulting and entrepreneurship.

Course Fees

Fees: EU

€8,750 p.a. (including levy) 2025/26

Fees: Tuition

€8,890 p.a. 2025/26

Fees: Student levy

€140 p.a. 2025/26

Fees: Non EU

€26,500 p.a. (€26,640 p.a. including levy) 2025/26

This course is supported by Springboard+, a Government initiative offering free and heavily subsidised courses, co-funded by the Government of Ireland, via the National Training Fund, and the European Union.

Check your eligibility: https://springboardcourses.ie/eligibility

You can apply at: https://springboardcourses.ie/details/15235

Find out More

E: john.breslin@universityofgalway.ie

Postgraduate Scholarships

Other postgraduate scholarships available

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