Bachelor of Science in Crop Science with Plant Genomics
Climate change is outrunning the pace of conventional breeding, and the crops that matter most to African food security — banana, cassava, millet, sorghum, beans — receive a fraction of the global breeding investment given to temperate cere...
Employment thesis
What this programme is designed to produce
Forward publishes the destination of every programme before you enrol. If the thesis stops holding, the programme is reviewed and, where necessary, retired. Next review: 2031.
Roles
- Plant breeder
- seed systems officer
- genomics and molecular breeding technician
- agronomy research officer
- seed quality and certification inspector
- variety development manager
- soil and crop scientist
- seed enterprise founder.
Employer types
- National agricultural research organisations
- international crop research centres
- seed companies and multiplication enterprises
- regulatory and certification agencies
- universities
- plantation and estate research units
- development programmes
- and seed ventures.
Target outcomes we hold ourselves to
- Sustained research and seed industry demand with clear progression to postgraduate research and strong regional and international mobility.
Compulsory · The Forward Core
How the Core works →Every Forward programme, including this one, carries the same five cross-cutting requirements. They are graded, not optional.
- AI Fluency
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Ethics and African Context
- Human-Advantage Skills
- Enterprise
Includes 12 months paid work-integrated learning
Am I eligible?
Check yourself against the published requirements
7 questions written specifically for Bachelor of Science in Crop Science with Plant Genomics. Every answer is checked against a requirement Forward has published, and the result tells you which page that requirement comes from. Indicative only, the admissions office decides on your full file.
What is the highest qualification you hold or are completing?
Curriculum structure
The same degree, in both pathways
Every Forward programme is published in both pathways: Path One, the term plan of two six-month terms, and Path Two, the block sequence of twelve four-week blocks. Same competencies, same assessments, same award. Toggle to see this programme in each.
Path One term plan shown
Path One · The Term Model
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 101 | AI Fluency I: How Intelligent Systems Work Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| AFT 110 | Botany and Plant Physiology Performance | 5 | 2-2-4 |
| AFT 111 | Soil Science and Fertility Performance | 5 | 2-2-4 |
| AFT 112 | Mathematics and Statistics for Crop Science Objective | 4 | 3-2-0 |
| AFT 113 | Field Practice and Crop Husbandry I Performance | 4 | 1-0-6 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 102 | Quantitative Reasoning and Evidence Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| AFT 130 | Principles of Genetics Both | 5 | 3-2-2 |
| AFT 131 | Crop Production Systems of East Africa Both | 5 | 3-2-2 |
| AFT 132 | Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Performance | 5 | 2-2-4 |
| AFT 133 | Agricultural Meteorology and Crop Water Relations Both | 3 | 1-2-2 |
| COP 190 | Workplace Immersion (4 weeks, recess term) Performance | 0 | 0-0-0 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 201 | Ethics, Society and the African Context Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| AFT 210 | Plant Breeding Principles and Methods Both | 5 | 3-2-2 |
| AFT 211 | Experimental Design and Biometry Both | 5 | 3-2-2 |
| AFT 212 | Plant Pathology and Entomology Performance | 5 | 2-2-4 |
| AFT 213 | Molecular Breeding Laboratory Practicum Performance | 3 | 1-0-4 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 202 | Human Advantage: Argument, Writing and Teams Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| COP 290 | Co-operative Education Placement I Performanc | 10 | 0-0-0 |
| AFT 230 | Field Trial Management Practicum Performance | 6 | 1-0-10 |
| AFT 231 | Plant Tissue Culture and Micropropagation Performance | 2 | 1-0-4 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 301 | AI Fluency II: Building, Evaluating and Auditing Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| AFT 310 | Quantitative Genetics and Genomic Selection Both | 5 | 3-2-2 |
| AFT 311 | Bioinformatics for Plant Genomics Performance | 5 | 2-2-4 |
| AFT 312 | Seed Science, Production and Certification Performance | 4 | 1-2-4 |
| AFT 313 | High Throughput Phenotyping and Imaging Performance | 4 | 1-2-4 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 302 | Enterprise, Employability and Financial Literacy Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| COP 390 | Co-operative Education Placement II Performanc | 10 | 0-0-0 |
| AFT 330 | Research Station Placement Performance | 6 | 0-0-0 |
| AFT 331 | Biosafety, Biodiversity and Genetic Resources Objective | 2 | 1-2-0 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 401 | AI Fluency III: Domain Deployment, Governance and Assurance Both | 3 | 1-2-0 |
| AFT 410 | Climate Resilient Crops and Stress Physiology Both | 5 | 3-2-2 |
| AFT 411 | Variety Development, Testing and Release Both | 5 | 3-2-2 |
| AFT 412 | Soil Health, Microbiome and Conservation Agriculture Performance | 5 | 2-2-4 |
| AFT 413 | Specialisation Elective I Objective | 3 | 2-2-0 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 402 | Capability Portfolio and Day One Preparation Both | 3 | 1-2-0 |
| AFT 430 | Crop Science Capstone: Breeding or Agronomy Research Project Performance | 9 | 0-2-16 |
| AFT 431 | Seed Enterprise and Commercial Both | 4 | 2-2-2 |
| AFT 432 | Horticulture and Perennial Crop Systems Performance | 5 | 2-2-4 |
| AFT 433 | Professional Practice, Ethics and Scientific Writing Objective | 4 | 3-2-0 |
Total credit units: 178
Curriculum source
Forward University Curriculum Compendium
Assessment
Coursework + project + integrated exam
Work-integrated learning
12 months paid co-operative education
Your week at Forward
A typical week on Bachelor of Science in Crop Science with Plant Genomics
Path One, the Term Model: your own pace across a six-month term, one live session a week, short flexible lessons, and assessment on demand.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Curriculum explorer
Drill into the degree, step by step
Choose a study path, then a year, then a term or block, then a course. Credit totals add up as you go, and every course shows what comes before it and what it unlocks.
Step 1, choose a year
Step 2, choose a term
TERM 1 (SIX MONTHS) | FORMERLY YEAR 1, SEMESTER 1
Year 1 · this step is worth 22 CU
Cumulative
22
Programme total
176
22 CU of 176 CU completed by the end of this step (13%)
Step 3, choose a course
Pick a course to see the detail
Credits, assessment, prerequisites and what each course unlocks later.
The twelve Forward capabilities
What this programme develops in you
Every Forward degree develops the same twelve cross-cutting capabilities. The profile below is the level this programme is designed to develop and verify by graduation, on the four-level scale in Part B2 of the Curriculum Compendium. Every claim above Level 2 is verified by someone other than the teaching lecturer.
- C1Intelligent Systems Fluency CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C2Quantitative and Evidential Reasoning CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C3Ethical and Contextual JudgementLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C4Communication and PersuasionLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C5Disciplinary Mastery CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C6Technical Production and CraftLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C7Problem Framing and Systems ThinkingLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C8Collaboration and Multidisciplinary TeamingLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C9Enterprise, Value and Commercial LiteracyLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C10Professional Conduct and Workplace PerformanceLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C11Learning to Learn and Adaptive CapacityLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C12Stewardship and Public Contribution CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
Critical capabilities for this programme: Intelligent Systems Fluency · Quantitative and Evidential Reasoning · Disciplinary Mastery · Stewardship and Public Contribution. A graduate cannot pass out of this programme below the stated level on any capability marked critical.
Programme Learning Outcomes
What you will be able to do
Each outcome is assessed, and each is tagged with the Forward capabilities it is verified against.
- PLO 1Apply crop physiology, agronomy and soil science to production and experimentation.
- PLO 2Design, execute and analyse field trials with valid experimental design.
- PLO 3Apply quantitative and molecular genetics to plant improvement.
- PLO 4Use genomic and phenotypic data for selection decisions.
- PLO 5Operate tissue culture, marker assisted and modern breeding laboratory methods.
- PLO 6Manage seed production, quality assurance and variety release processes.
- PLO 7Apply biosafety, biodiversity and genetic resource governance appropriately.
Why this programme exists
Climate change is outrunning the pace of conventional breeding, and the crops that matter most to African food security — banana, cassava, millet, sorghum, beans — receive a fraction of the global breeding investment given to temperate cere...
Admission requirements
UACE with two principal passes in Biology and Chemistry, or Biology and Agriculture, plus UCE with five passes including Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and English. Alternative pathways: Foundation Year, diploma entry with advanced standing, mature age entry and recognition of prior learning, all governed by Part A5 and Part G. Online applicants additionally complete the compulsory Digital Readiness orientation under Part D6.
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