This course is structured to prepare students to become professionals ready to start up new businesses oriented towards the development of productions with specific quality traits. The current international economic system together with the evolution of food culture are gradually getting more and more oriented towards those business activities that back up the integration and coordination of productive and organisational activities aiming to enhance product specificity and quality as well as food safety.

The aim of this two-year course is to provide competences in the following fields: post harvest processing of agricultural products, plants and processes for agro-industrial transformation, defence and prevention against pathogenic agents and possible contamination. Some of the courses have an interdisciplinary character and are truly oriented towards the integration of different competences. The educational programme covers the economic aspects of companies, markets and international agro-food policies as well as specific economic, quality and certification aspects. Students achieve a deep understanding of logistics, packaging and labelling technologies, and of the sociological traits of consumer behaviour and of the perception of quality through integrative subjects included in the educational programme.

The course also provides for:

 - Elective activities which are oriented towards a systemic and integrated view on agro-food issues;

 - Professional practice in companies or institutions, aiming at professional qualifications in the field of certification;

 - Final dissertation preparatory activities. The final exam consists of a public discussion of an original dissertation in front of the Faculty Board, which can be integrated by professionals from the agro-food industry.

Graduates may find professional opportunities in the agro-food system as managers or consultants; some may start businesses as entrepreneurs in the agro-food production, transformation and distribution; others may find employment in the public administration, work as freelance agronomists or carry out research and teaching activities.

Graduates of this course will possess the following specific competences:

 - Quality control and typicality characterisation;

 - Design and management of production and transformation processes;

 - Design and management of production systems with low environmental impact;

 - Management of agro-food production, transformation and distribution companies;

 - Research and development of processes and products;

 - Business consulting.