Agricultural engineer

You can do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in:

• agricultural engineering
• agricultural technology
• mechanical, electrical or electronic engineering

These courses are offered by land-based engineering institutions .

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• at least 1 A level, or equivalent, for a foundation degree

• between 1 and 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a higher national diploma or degree

More Information

• equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
• student finance for fees and living costs|https://www.gov.uk/student-finance
• university courses and entry requirements|https://www.ucas.com/

You could do a college course to learn some of the skills and knowledge you'll need to find a trainee engineer role.

Courses include:

• agricultural engineering
• land-based technology
• T Level in Agriculture, Land Management and Production

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

More Information

• equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
• guide to T Levels|https://www.tlevels.gov.uk/
• funding advice|https://www.gov.uk/further-education-courses/financial-help
• search for agricultural colleges|https://nlbc.uk/partners/members/

You may be able to apply for a place on a Land-Based Service Engineering Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.

This takes around 2 years to complete and combines on-the-job training and time spent with a learning provider.

Once working, you would go on to further training to become an engineer.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

More Information

• equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
• guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide

You could work as an agricultural engineering technician and train on the job to become a qualified engineer.

Career Tips

As well as traditional engineering and design skills, agricultural engineers often use newer technologies to improve farming sustainability like:

• development of robotic systems and machinery
• GPS data and satellite imaging
• artificial intelligence tools

Further Information

You can get more advice about careers in agricultural engineering from:

• We are land-based engineering
• Institution of Agricultural Engineers
• Landbased Engineering Training and Education Committee
• The Institute of Agriculture and Horticulture

As an agricultural engineer, you could:

• assess the environmental impact of agricultural production methods
• supervise projects like land drainage, reclamation and irrigation
• solve engineering problems, like designing vehicles for all ground and weather conditions
• inspect and diagnose equipment faults and fix them
• test and install new machinery, like harvesters and crop sprayers
• plan service and repair programmes for machinery and equipment
• use GPS, weather data and computer modelling to advise farmers on land use

You could work in an office, on a farm or in a workshop.

Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers.