Еducational programs on breeding, seed production and biotechnology in the RSAU–MTAA

Educational programs in breeding, seed production and biotechnology in the FSBEI of Higher Education Russian Timiryazev State Agrarian University includes basic training of bachelor's graduates for professional activities in public and private breeding organizations, as well as for in-depth training in master's and postgraduate studies in the «Breeding, seed production and biotechnology». At the university, 160–200 undergraduate students are studying at the specialization of «Breeding, genetics and biotechnology of horticultural crops», «Genetics and breeding of agricultural crops», 40–60 master's students in the programs «Technologies of accelerated plant breeding» and «Plants Breeding and genetics' within the framework of two directions «Horticulture» and «Agronomy». The four-year educational program of the bachelor's degree is represented by general educational disciplines taught in the 1st–2nd year, the block of special disciplines that form the professional competencies of breeders begins from the 3rd year. The total volume of specialized disciplines and practices (educational and industrial) as part of the undergraduate educational program, excluding related agronomic disciplines, is 70 credits or 30% of the entire volume of the educational program. The theoretical knowledge and practical skills acquired by undergraduate students allow graduates to confidently represent themselves in the labor market or continue in-depth studies in the master's program. Two-year master's programs include mainly disciplines that form the professional competencies of the graduate, and research work within the framework of industrial practice, which occupies 40 credits or 1/3 of the total labor intensity of the educational program of the master's program, allows master students to develop their professional skills in any of the areas of science and practice that are of interest to them, for example, in the field of molecular breeding, cell and tissue culture, genetic engineering or traditional breeding and seed technologies. The university is implementing a cycle of additional educational programs to improve the skills of specialists of various levels in the field of breeding and seed production. The implementation of educational programs is carried out by professional practitioners using equipped with modern equipment facilities of University and Federal Research Centers.

Key words: educational programs, breeding, seed production, biotechnology, bachelor, master, postgraduate study