BSc Agriculture vs BTech Agricultural Engineering

Are you aspiring to study a degree in Agriculture? A career in Agriculture is filled with promising opportunities in research and development as well as agribusiness, entrepreneurship, food technology, amongst others. While exploring undergraduate programs in Agriculture and its several specialisations, students are often confused between whether to pursue BSc Agriculture or BTech Agricultural Engineering which are the most sought-after courses in this field. So, we are here to clear all your doubts regarding these two programs. Read this blog to know about the difference between BSc Agriculture vs BTech Agricultural Engineering and which is the better option for you.

Differences Between BSc Agriculture vs BTech Agricultural Engineering

Course	BSc Agriculture	BTech Agricultural Engineering
Degree	Bachelor of Science	Bachelor of Technology
Duration	3 Years	4 Years
Eligibility	10+2 in Science stream	10+2 in Science Stream (preferable PCM)
Entrance Exams	For India: ICAR AIEEA, GSAT, UPCATET, OUAT, MP PAT For abroad: SAT/ACT	For India: JEE Main, BITSAT, JEE Advanced, SRMJEE, GCET For abroad: SAT/ACT
Admission Process	Based on Merit/Entrance Exam; SOP & LORs required by universities abroad	Based on Merit/Entrance Exam; SOP & LORs required by universities abroad
Fees	India: 2 Lakhs to 3 Lakhs Abroad: 11 Lakhs INR to 39 Lakhs INR	India: 1 Lakh to 5 Lakhs Abroad: 3.5 Lakhs INR to over 25 Lakhs INR
Colleges in India	Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwavidyalaya,  Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology,  Amity Institute of Organic Agriculture,  SGT University	Sharda University Bannari Amman Institute of Technology Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences GIET University
Universities Abroad	University of Alberta  McGill University The University of Melbourne Humboldt University	Montana State University  Queen’s University Belfast  Oklahoma State University Virginia Polytechnic and State University
Jobs	Agriculture Specialist, Farming Counsellor, Agricultural Officer, Plantation Manager, Farm Manager	Agricultural Engineer, Agricultural Crop Engineer, Agriculture and Food Researcher, Soil Scientist, Plant Scientist
Salary	5 Lakhs to 14 Lakhs p.a.	3 Lakhs to 7 Lakhs p.a.
Top Recruiters	Government Research Institutes State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) Food Technology Companies Rural Banks	Pharmaceutical Companies, Government Research Institutes Food Technology Companies Agricultural Research Universities

Overview

The most prominent difference between these two is that BSc Agriculture is a degree program in the vast subject while BTech Agricultural Engineering is a specialized degree program in an interdisciplinary specialization of Agriculture and Engineering. The course duration of BSc Agriculture is generally 3 years while BTech Agricultural Engineering is a 4-year degree program.

Studying a BSc degree in Agriculture, you will get to know about the fundamentals of agricultural science as well as various methods and techniques that are used in farming. On the other hand, BTech Agricultural Engineering focuses more on equipping students with the knowledge and skills of designing and developing agricultural technologies for various aspects such as farming, processing, manufacturing, food science and technology amongst other production-related technologies.

Syllabus and Subjects 

The major subjects and course offerings are also a key point of difference between BSc Agriculture vs BTech Agricultural Engineering. While BSc Agriculture will holistically cover all the aspects of this field of study, from agricultural science to technologies as well as business and management aspects, BTech Agricultural Engineering will be more focused on exploring the technical aspects of Agricultural technologies, their design and development and how they can enhance the different aspects of farming, crop production, food processing and manufacturing, livestock, amongst others. Here is a list of major subjects you will get to study in BSc Agriculture vs BTech Agricultural Engineering:

Due to the different orientation of courses, you will be studying a variety of different subjects. Yet there will be some core subject which will be common to both the courses. As Agricultural engineering will brush your skills to perform technical roles in the industry, BSc in Agriculture will strengthen your command over the detailed knowledge of the field. Tabulated below are the major subjects of both the courses which will help you have a better understanding of these programs- 

BSc Agriculture Subjects	BTech Agricultural Engineering Subjects
Livestock and Poultry Management	Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Introduction to Soil and Water Conservation	Soil and Water Conservation Engineering
Farm Machinery and Power	Farm Machinery
Livestock and Poultry Management	Land Surveying and Levelling
Principles of Food Science and Nutrition	Dairy and Food Engineering
Principles of Organic Farming	Food Processing and Quality
Importance of Manures Fertilizers and Soil Fertility	Farm Power
Principles of Agribusiness	Agricultural Business and Marketing
Farming System and Sustainable Agriculture	Soil Mechanics
Fundamentals of Horticulture, Microbiology, Agriculture, Plant Pathology, Life Sciences	Water Resource Management
Advantages of Organic Production	Agricultural Machinery

Top Universities for BSc Agriculture

The following are the top universities for BSc Agriculture in India and Abroad:

India

University Location
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Coimbatore
Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana
Khalsa College Amritsar
Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya Raipur

Abroad

University Location
University of California, Davis USA
Cornell University USA
ETH Zurich Switzerland
University of California, Berkeley USA
China Agricultural University China

Top Universities for BTech Agriculture

The following are the top universities for BTech Agriculture in India and Abroad:

India

University Location
Integral University Lucknow
Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research Chennai
ITM University Gwalior
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Coimbatore

Abroad

University Location
University of Arizona USA
Iowa State University USA
University of Georgia USA
University of Maryland USA

Eligibility Criteria 

The eligibility requirements for BSc Agriculture vs BTech Agricultural Engineering also vary in terms of the entrance exams you need to qualify for admission into any of these programs. Let’s take a look at the eligibility criteria for these two courses:

BSc Agriculture	BTech Agricultural Engineering
Must have completed 10+2 in science stream (PCM or PCB)	Must have passed 10+2 in science stream with Physics, Chemistry and Maths (PCM)
For universities/colleges in India: -ICAR AIEEA -GSAT -OUAT	For universities/colleges in India: -JEE Main -GCET -SRMJEEE -BITSAT etc.
For Universities abroad,  –SAT or ACT exam scores -English language proficiency scores of IELTS, TOEFL, etc.  along with LOR and SOP	For Universities abroad,  –SAT or ACT exam scores -English language proficiency scores of IELTS, TOEFL, etc.  along with LOR and SOP

Jobs after BSc Agriculture vs BSc Agricultural Engineering 

Considering the career scope of BSc Agriculture vs BTech Agricultural Engineering is also essential to find the right one as per your requirements and interests. Here are some of the top career opportunities you can explore in these two courses:

BSc Agriculture	BTech Agricultural Engineering
Farming Counsellor	Agricultural Engineer
Agriculture Development Officer	Agronomist
Agricultural Specialist	Agriculture Crop Engineer
Research Assistant	Survey Research Agricultural Engineer
Agriculture Specialist	Environmental Controls Engineer
Farm Manager	Agriculture Specialist
Agricultural Research Scientist	Food Technologist

Scope

Here are the major postgraduate programs you can pursue after any of these programs:

• MSc Agriculture
• MBA in Agriculture
• MTech Agricultural Engineering
• MBA Agribusiness

Government Jobs after BSc Agriculture vs BSc Agricultural Engineering

There are numerous opportunities available for BSc Agriculture and BSc Agricultural Engineering graduates in the government sector. Here are the top government exams you can apply for after these programs:

• UPSC-IFSC (Indian Forest Services) Exam
• IBPS SO Exam
• State Forest Exam
• UGC-NET Exam
• NABARD Grade A Exam

Apart from these, here are the best research institutes in India and research centers which hire Agriculture and Agricultural Engineering students:

• Indian Agricultural Research Institute
• Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
• Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
• State Farm Corporation of India
• National Dairy Development Board
• NABARD and other banks
• Agricultural Finance Corporations
• Food Corporation of India (FCI)
• National Seeds Corporation Limited
• North Eastern Region Agricultural Marketing Corporation

FAQs

Thus, we hope that this blog has familiarized with crucial differences between BSc Agriculture vs BTech Agricultural Engineering. Unsure about finding the right university to pursue a degree in Agriculture? Our Leverage Edu experts are here to guide you in selecting a suitable university as per your interests and preferences! Sign up for a free session with us today! Call us immediately at 1800 57 2000 for a free 30-minute counselling session.