Target level of study
Master's degree
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Presentation
The Master's degree in Biology-Agrosciences (BA) is a jointly accredited program between the University of Montpellier and the Institut Agro de Montpellier. At the national level, it is the only program offering Master's degrees that cover all areas of life sciences applied to the broad field of agrosciences, including plant biology, the biology of microorganisms and their interactions with all types of hosts, biotechnology, and food sciences.
The structure of the program, divided into seven tracks, covers the various scientific and technological fields mentioned above:
- Four courses in Plant Sciences: Plant Biology for the Agro-Environment (BiPa), Plant-Microorganism Interactions (IPM), Biotechnology and Tropical Plant Improvement (BAPT), and Plant Experimentation Management (MEV).
- Microorganism-Host-Environment Interactions (IMHE) Course,
- Career path in biotechnology: Biomolecular Engineering and Nanotechnology (Ibion-Tec),
- Engineering science course for sustainable food design: Engineering for Eco-Design of Food (ICOA).
This training program (the seven tracks and the courses offered in each track) is presented on the Master's in Biology and Agrosciences website: https://bioagro.edu.umontpellier.fr/
Teaching is based on research training thanks to the number and quality of laboratories in Montpellier in all the fields covered, with a strong focus on public and private research sectors in the BiPa, IPM, BAPT, and IMHE programs. The MEV, Ibion-Tec, and ICOA programs, while relying on the site's laboratories, involve a stronger partnership with professionals from private companies.
The entire program develops innovative teaching methods (collaborative and cross-disciplinary practical work, project-based learning, innovative projects in partnership with companies, organization of scientific events by students, collaborative scientific production, interdisciplinary learning laboratory, etc.).
The Master's in Biology-Agrosciences offers two mandatory internships during the program, one lasting 3 to 5 months in M1 and one lasting 5 to 6 months in M2. Depending on the students' preferences and the track they follow in the Master's program, these internships may be more research-oriented or business-oriented. For those interested in research, these internships provide high-level training through research. Montpellier's wealth of laboratories in the fields covered by the program (Montpellier is the leading research center in these scientific fields in France) allows students to find internships that meet their expectations in terms of their areas of interest and professional goals. Thanks to the international networks it has built up, the teaching team also enables students to undertake internships in laboratories in Europe, North America, Latin America, Australia, Asia, or Africa.
For a limited number of students (two to three per program, selected on the basis of academic excellence) wishing to acquire additional skills in project management, a joint degree with the Montpellier Institute of Business Administration (IAE Montpellier) may be offered.
Objectives
The Master's degree in Biology and Agrosciences at Montpellier trains executives for research and the research and development sector in fields ranging from biological sciences for the agro-environment to biotechnologies and the valorization of agroresources. Graduates will have a solid scientific and technical foundation and will have acquired initial professional experience. The aim of this Master's degree is to train project managers for companies involved in plant breeding and/or protection, biotechnology, and agri-food. It also aims to train scientific executives to develop and lead fundamental or applied research in public or private laboratories in France and abroad.
Thanks to the quality of its teaching, the variety of courses on offer, its extremely strong links with research, partnerships with professionals in the private sector, and its international collaboration networks, the Master's degree in Biology and Agrosciences at Montpellier offers students numerous opportunities to build their career plans in line with their aspirations in a motivating environment. The teaching teams provide students with assistance in choosing internships that are consistent with their career plans.
Know-how and skills
Knowledge:
- Acquire in-depth knowledge, particularly in the areas chosen by the student,
- Master the major research strategies used to address scientific issues at the heart of the student's chosen course of study.
- Have a good understanding of the tools and concepts of related disciplines that can be used to understand how living organisms function or how they can be exploited (physics, chemistry, computer science, etc.).
- Acquire the management and project management skills necessary for executive training.
Know-how:
- Know how to use concepts and tools from different disciplines to set up an experiment, analyze results, and draw conclusions and/or operating models.
- Know how to identify questions asked at different levels of integration (molecule, cell, whole organism, organism in relation to its environment) and integrate them into a multi-scale reflection.
- Knowing how to search for relevant scientific information to address a given problem, prioritize this information, compare it, synthesize it, and develop working hypotheses for further research.
- Ability to communicate clearly and accurately while adapting to the audience, through oral or written presentations.
- Know how to lead a project within a group, identify and develop collaborations with researchers or professionals who can contribute related skills and expertise.
Soft skills:
- Knowing how to work independently,
- Knowing how to work in a team, develop and implement a joint project
- Comply with legal, ethical, and scientific rules and standards related to experimentation, publication, and use of documents, sharing of biological resources, and partnerships.
Program
The Master's in Biology and Agricultural Sciences is structured into seven tracks, covering all of the scientific and technological fields within the program:
1/ The Plant Biology program is divided into four tracks. In order to provide all students with strong skills in plant biology, many courses are shared, but some courses are specific to each track to offer students true specialization and allow them to refine their career plans. The four tracks are:
- Plant Biology for the Agro-Environment (BiPa)
- Plant-Microorganism Interactions (PMI)
- Biotechnology and Tropical Plant Improvement (BAPT)
- Plant Experimentation Management (MEV)
2/ The Microorganism-Host-Environment Interactions (IMHE) program offers training in microbiology and all aspects of ecology and adaptive interactions between microorganisms, their hosts (plants, invertebrates, higher animals, humans), and their natural or anthropized environments.
3/ The Biomolecular Engineering and Nanobiotechnology (Ibion-Tec) program is a multidisciplinary course (biology, physics, chemistry, electronics, etc.) that places students in real-world situations through projects that train designers and managers of R&D projects in biotechnology and nanobiotechnology dedicated to applied molecular diagnosis and detection methods.
4/ The Food Eco-Design Engineering (ICOA) program incorporates food design and development tools, taking into account the environmental impact of processes and processing chains. At the interface between life sciences (biology/biotechnology) and process engineering, this program opens the door to careers in the agri-food industry (production, R&D) and, more broadly, in sectors dedicated to the processing and valorization of agri-resources (materials, energy, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, etc.).
This training offer and the teaching programs for the seven courses are presented on the Master's in Biology and Agrosciences website: https://bioagro.edu.umontpellier.fr/master-biologie-agrosciences/
Select a program
Plant Biology for Agro-Environment (BiPa)
The Plant Biology for Agro-Environment (BiPa) program offers multidisciplinary training focused on knowledge generated from major study models such as Arabidopsis thaliana, but also from cultivated plants that are now establishing themselves as true models (rice, corn, etc.). Our program covers all plant-related topics (plant adaptation to climate change, developmental biology, mineral nutrition, ecophysiology, plant-microorganism interactions). In addition to traditional approaches to biology, we also emphasize modeling and bioinformatics, disciplines that are currently essential for leveraging the massive amounts of data generated on a daily basis.
For more information about this course and its content, visit https://bioagro.edu.umontpellier.fr/biologie-des-plantes/biologie-des-plantes-pour-lagro-environnement/.
Plant-Microorganism Interactions (PMI)
Plants are directly and indirectly the basis of our food chain. In their environment, plants are constantly associated with microorganisms that make up their microbiota. Some of these microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc.) seriously damage crops, while others improve their overall health (nutrition, development, or disease resistance). Therefore, one strategy for meeting the challenges of both production and animal and human food safety is to understand how plants react, adapt, and potentially benefit from the presence of microorganisms in their environment.
For more information about this course and its content, visit https://bioagro.edu.umontpellier.fr/biologie-des-plantes/interactions-plantes-microorganimes/.
Biotechnology and Tropical Plant Improvement (BAPT)
The Biotechnology and Tropical Plant Improvement (BAPT) program is based on teaching units (UE) common to the BiPa, IPM, and MEV programs, designed to provide students with a foundation of fundamental knowledge in the fields of genetics and genomics, cellular and molecular biology, plant biology (development, ecophysiology, basics of interactions with microorganisms, etc.), and the tools required for a scientific approach (statistics, bioinformatics, critical analysis, project management, etc.). This core curriculum also includes an internship in M1 and M2, which allows students to contribute to the development of a research project in a laboratory at a public institute or private company.
Thanks to specific course units, including a specialized thematic school and a choice of options offered in M1 and M2, the Biotechnology and Tropical Plant Improvement program focuses on the acquisition of biotechnology tools and knowledge of plant improvement practices, targeting in particular the main food and cash crops of Mediterranean and tropical environments. A specific M1 module shared with the IBION-Tec program provides an introduction to engineering approaches aimed at producing phytomolecules of interest.
One of the major challenges of development, given the global population growth predicted for the coming years, is to support increased agricultural production in southern countries in a context of global warming. The two specific modules of the M2 program allow students to work in small groups on a project focusing on a research question aimed at improving a crop in response to environmental changes (water deficit, poor soil, etc.). To do this, students are required to draw on their knowledge to analyze plant phenotypes and adaptive strategies, model them, and propose an improvement objective (ideotype). The thematic school "Functional Genomics of Tropical and Mediterranean Plants" aims to illustrate, through case studies, how knowledge acquired on model species and the use of genomic data on species that have not yet been extensively studied can be used to design conventional or biotechnological improvement strategies adapted to the stress resistance of the main tropical species. This school, which facilitates exchanges between master's students, doctoral students, and researchers, also illustrates the structures and tools for partnerships that enable the development of international and inter-institutional collaborative research aimed at development aid. Through the options available to them, students can refine their training and either go further by working on the adaptation of plants to climate change or their resistance to biotic stresses, or open up to the human and social dimensions of plant breeding. Finally, drawing on the international campus in Montpellier, which is Europe's leading center for plant science research dedicated to the improvement of Mediterranean and tropical crop species, thanks in particular to the presence ofthe IRD (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement) and CIRAD (Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement), students will have access to a wide range of internships in France or abroad, giving them the opportunity to explore the practical aspects of conducting research on a tropical crop species and/or a research project in the South in partnership with a national or international research institute.
In addition to this specialization, skills that complement scientific expertise are considered essential in all Biology and Agrosciences Master's programs and are fully integrated into the Biotechnology and Tropical Plant Improvement program. These include documentary research, database management and use, scientific communication, and project planning, management, and implementation.
For more information about this course and its content, visit https://bioagro.edu.umontpellier.fr/biologie-des-plantes/biotechnologie-et-amelioration-des-plantes-tropicales/.
Plant Management and Experimentation (MEV)
The vast majority of plant-based foods are produced through intensive agriculture. This form of agriculture was introduced in France after World War II. It perfectly met the socio-economic demands of the time by enabling food to be produced in large quantities and at low cost. The development of intensive agriculture was only possible thanks to fundamental research in various fields such as biology and plant physiology, genetics, and agronomy. It is now widely accepted that half of the progress made in crop yields is due to agronomy and half to genetics. This past experience suggests that a multidisciplinary approach based on intensive scientific research is necessary to develop a new type of agriculture.
Intensive agriculture does not only have positive qualities. It relies on the massive use of inputs (fertilizers and plant protection products), which are a source of environmental pollution and cause health problems. It therefore seems important to radically change agricultural practices in order to limit the use of inputs and move towards a model of sustainable agriculture. This shift in agricultural practices began some 20 years ago, but has been accelerated by the ECOPHYTO plan, which aims to reduce the use of plant protection products by 50% in 2018. This agricultural reform must also be carried out under the pressure of an additional challenge: climate change. In order to develop more environmentally friendly agriculturein the context of climate change, it is necessary to adopt multidisciplinary approaches combining genetics (development of varieties that make better use of nitrogen and water, are resistant to existing diseases, etc.),agronomy/physiology/ecology (adapting crop management practices, introducing microorganisms, natural defense stimulators, etc.), and phytopathology (development of biocontrol, etc.). Plant experimentation, which drives changes in agricultural practices, therefore requires managers capable of drafting, implementing, and evaluating projects.
While the challenges of developing sustainable agriculture are important for developed countries, they are crucial for many countries in the South, which cannot afford fertilizers or plant protection products anyway. CIRAD and IRD have developed partnerships with research centers in southern countries. Seed and production companies (e.g., sugar, etc.) in the South need high-quality senior managers.
This master's program has been designed to be taken on a work-study basis. A number of students will have the opportunity to obtain a double master's degree: MEV (offered by the Faculty of Sciences) and Management (offered by the IAE).
For more information about this course and its content, visit https://bioagro.edu.umontpellier.fr/biologie-des-plantes/management-de-lexperimentation-vegetale/.
Microorganism-Host-Environment Interactions (MHEI)
The IMHE(Microorganism-Host-Environment Interactions)program is unique in the region, offering students both theoretical and research-based training in environmental and applied microbiology. Environmental microbiology here encompasses the study of microorganisms (prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and viruses) in ecosystems that may or may not be associated with humans and animals.
The IMHE master's program aims to provide in-depth knowledge of microbial systems using an integrative approach, covering both the study of microorganisms as cells, populations, and communities in their environment, and their interactions with their hosts (humans, animals, plants) and vectors. The program covers interactions at the molecular, cellular, and microbial community levels, as well as the effect of biotic and abiotic factors on these interactions. It explores the role of microorganisms in the functioning of natural and anthropized ecosystems. The practical and applied aspects of microbiology are also covered, including the applications of biomass and microbial diversity in the fields of agriculture, the environment, health, and biotechnology.
Combinations of Teaching Units (UE) make it possible to offer two profiles, one focused on "Fundamental Research" (profile 1), while the other is more focused on "Research & Development" (profile 2). This program thus offers students the opportunity to pursue a variety of professional goals, with a high placement rate for doctoral students (40 to 50%) or professional opportunities in companies directly after graduation. The program is open to apprenticeships.
This program draws on the strong regional research community in the field of microorganism studies and relies on the strong involvement of researchers, teacher-researchers, and industry professionals from this community based in Montpellier and more broadly in the Occitanie region.
Keywords: Microorganisms, Environmental microbiology, Microbial ecology, Microbiota, Emergence, Resistance, Adaptation, Symbiosis, Parasitism, (Meta)genomics, Microbial valorization, Bacteria, Archaea, Viruses, Fungi, Eukaryotic microorganisms.
Website: https://bioagro.edu.umontpellier.fr/interactions-microorg-hotes/
Biomolecular Engineering and Nanobiotechnology (IBION-Tec)
The IBION-Tec program offers students the opportunity to acquire skills at the interface between engineering sciences and life sciences. This Master's specialization is clearly positioned at the intersection of biology, physics (electronics), and chemistry. It broadens students' skill sets to include innovative and effective techniques in biotechnology and nanobiotechnology, facilitating their integration into research centers and industry. This specialization provides a foundation of skills dedicated to the field of biomolecular detection applied to diagnostics.
Its strength lies in covering a wide range of professions in research and development, in the fields of diagnostics and traceability, from the molecular scale to the industrial process scale.
This Master's program focuses on the design of innovative tools dedicated to diagnostics and traceability. This "design component" of the program takes place over the two years of study, offering students access to various technology platforms and practical work rooms. The goal is to collectively complete a project through to feasibility, or even to develop a prototype for one innovation per year in the field of detection techniques.
The quality of life of citizens is at the heart of the training program, which takes into account food security and healthcare security in the context of sustainable development.
IBION-Tec's objective is to acquire diagnostic and detection tools for traceability (medical, agronomic, food, etc.) in accordance with European regulations.
For more information about this course and its content, visit https://bioagro.edu.umontpellier.fr/ibion-tec/.
Food Engineering and Eco-Design (ICOA)
The Engineering for Eco-design of Food (ICOA) program, an initial training or apprenticeship integrated into the Biology and Agrosciences major, is co-accredited by the University of Montpellier and the Institut Agro de Montpellier (National Higher Education Institution for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment). It is positioned at the interface between process engineering and life sciences and offers an integrated approach to food design, combining knowledge of processes (physical and biological) and mastery of the organoleptic and nutritional quality of products as part of an approach to reducing the environmental impact of the sectors.
The major disciplinary fields on which the courses are based are engineering sciences, namely biotechnology, food science, physical chemistry, green chemistry, and sustainable process engineering. This highly multidisciplinary program prepares students for careers in all areas of the agri-food industry (production, R&D, quality control) and, more broadly, in all sectors dedicated to the valorization of agricultural resources (materials, energy, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, etc.).
The two years are punctuated by an internship (minimum 3 months and 5 months in M1 and M2 respectively) that students can identify from a very wide range of available internships or by soliciting the active network of alumni from the program.
For a limited number of students (2 to 3 selected on the basis of their academic record and career plans) wishing to acquire additional skills in project management, a joint degree with the Montpellier Institute of Business Administration (IAE Montpellier) may be offered. By choosing an additional 5 ECTS course unit related to management topics, students can obtain a double master's degree: Master ICOA and Master in Technology and Science Management.
For more information about this course and its content, visit https://bioagro.edu.umontpellier.fr/ingenierie-pour-leco-conception-des-aliments/.
IDIL - Plant and Microbiological Sciences for Agro-environment
The "Plant and Microbiological Sciences for the Agro-environment" program offers research-based training in the fields of plant sciences and microbiology. The program covers the study of plants and microorganisms at the molecular, cellular, and organism levels in interaction with their agro-environment.
The program draws on a network of laboratories that is unique in the world, conducting research on a wide range of topics within these broad disciplinary fields. The student's training project is developed at the beginning of the Master's program between the student, the teaching team, and a research team, allowing for the customization of a specialized course of study in plant sciences or microbiology.
Examples of teaching units:
- Mineral nutrition and plant adaptation to abiotic stresses
- Microbial ecology
- Roles of microorganisms in ecosystems
Course page: https://bioagro.edu.umontpellier.fr/plants-microbes-programme-idil/
Admission
Admission requirements
Applications for the Master's in Biology and Agrosciences must be submitted via the Mon Master and e-Candidat applications on the Faculty of Science website:
https://candidature.umontpellier.fr/candidature/
Applicants must submit all the required documents; incomplete applications will not be evaluated.
Each application is reviewed by an admissions committee specific to the program for which the student is applying.
Registration procedures
Successful applicants must complete their administrative registration as soon as possible, at the beginning of September, and then proceed with their academic registration, indicating the courses they have chosen for the semester.
Target audience
The Master's degree in Biology and Agricultural Sciences is open to students who hold a Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences or equivalent (University Bachelor's degree in Biological Engineering), with minimum knowledge specific to the Master's program in question.
Mandatory prerequisites
These differ from one program to another, and students are encouraged to read the "prerequisites" section for the program they wish to apply for.
As a general rule, proven knowledge of biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, and microbiology at the bachelor's degree level is required. In addition, a minimum level of English proficiency sufficient to read scientific texts in English is required.
In addition to these prerequisites, basic knowledge of plant physiology is required for the BiPa, IPM, BAPT, and MEV programs; microbiology for IMHE; biotechnology, immunology, and organic chemistry for Ibion-Tec; and engineering sciences and process engineering for ICOA.
Recommended prerequisites
They differ depending on the program. A minimum level of proficiency in statistics and computer science is a plus for all programs.
And after
Continuing education
For those who wish to do so, the Master's degree in Biology and Agrosciences opens up opportunities to pursue a PhD after completing the Master's degree, either in France or abroad, where graduates of this Master's program are highly sought after.
Some students supplement their training in biology or biotechnology in the Master's program in Biology and Agrosciences with training in management to pursue entrepreneurship, or in bioinformatics to strengthen their skills at the interface between experimental biology and computer science.
Continuing studies abroad
Thanks to the exceptional network of international collaborations maintained by the laboratories in Montpellier and the numerous links between the Master's teaching teams and foreign laboratories, both M1 and M2 internships can be carried out abroad (mainly in Europe and North America, but also in Asia, Africa, and Latin America). This gives students the opportunity to pursue a PhD in the host laboratory or to join international PhD programs. This opportunity is not limited to students completing their Master's internship abroad, but is also widely open to those completing their internships in Montpellier or other research centers in France.
Professional integration
- Doctoral Contracts
- National and international research organizations
- Research and Development Sector in Private Enterprise