Degrees in agriculture and environment in Chile
Veterinary, agronomy, environmental engineering, forestry engineering and environmental sciences: they are agriculture and environment degrees you can study in Chile.
If you are drawn to animals, the south with its forests and rivers, or what happens with water in a farming area, that interest already says a lot.
How agriculture and environment is studied in Chile
The options are not only in Santiago: there are programs in Valdivia, Talca, Rancagua, Concepción or Coyhaique, near the forests, farms and agricultural areas where field trips take place. Choosing a degree here is also choosing a city.
Some focus on production, like Agronomy; others on preventing and reducing harm to the environment, like Environmental Engineering. The Comisión Nacional de Acreditación reports which institutions and degrees are accredited, useful information for comparing.
The agriculture and environment degrees in Chile
Among those studied in Chile are Veterinary, which deals with the health of pets and farm animals, and Forestry Engineering, which focuses on managing and conserving forests.
Veterinary cares for animal health; Agronomy, crops; Forestry Engineering, forests; Environmental Engineering and Environmental Sciences, water, soil and air. If you are drawn to the technical side, also look at the engineering degrees in Chile; if you are drawn to research, the science ones.
Where to study agriculture and environment in Chile
Universidad Austral de Chile (UACh)Valdivia · PrivateAgronomyEnvironmental EngineeringVeterinary MedicineEnvironmental SciencesForestry Engineering
Universidad de Chile (UChile)Santiago · PublicVeterinary MedicineAgronomyEnvironmental EngineeringForestry Engineering
Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales de la Universidad Austral de Chile (FACFOREN)Valdivia · PrivateForestry EngineeringEnvironmental Engineering
Universidad Iberoamericana de Ciencias y TecnologÃa, UNICIT (UNICIT)PrivateVeterinary MedicineAgronomy
Universidad Santo Tomás (UST)Santiago · PrivateAgronomyVeterinary Medicine
Universidad Andrés Bello (UNAB)Santiago · PrivateVeterinary Medicine
Universidad de Aysén (UAysén)Coyhaique · PublicAgronomy
Universidad de Concepción (UdeC)Concepción · PrivateVeterinary MedicineHow to choose between them
Think about what you do when no one asks you to: whether you take care of animals, whether you go camping or hiking in the hills, whether drought or forest fires worry you, whether you enjoy working with your hands more than in front of a screen.
Then decide whether you see yourself in the field, in a laboratory or in a team that plans and proposes solutions, and whether you are more drawn to living things or to what surrounds them.
If you are torn between Veterinary and Agronomy, ask yourself whether you are more interested in animal health or what happens in a crop, and compare the curricula in each profile. The career test matches your answers with these degrees.
To read before choosing
Frequently asked questions
How do I check the accreditation of an agriculture program in Chile?
Look it up on the Comisión Nacional de Acreditación, which publishes the accreditation of institutions and degrees, and ask at the campus how many years it is accredited for.
What test do you take to get into Agronomy or Veterinary Medicine?
At many universities you get in with the PAES, which is run by the DEMRE of the Universidad de Chile, along with your high school grades. Each degree weights the science and math tests differently: check it in the program.
Do I have to move to study Forestry Engineering?
It depends on where you live. Several campuses in this field are in cities in the center and the south, close to the forests, so first check where it is taught and if you can see yourself living there.
Is Veterinary Medicine only about pets?
No. It trains you to prevent and treat diseases in animals in general, including farm animals too. Each program emphasizes different species and areas.
How long do these degrees last in Chile?
Veterinary Medicine, Agronomy and Forestry Engineering are the longest in the field; Environmental Engineering is somewhat shorter, and Environmental Sciences is the shortest.