Science and Tech

Master in Rural Development UACh: almost 40 years in the development of rural areas

Master in Rural Development UACh: almost 40 years in the development of rural areas


The program is characterized by its antiquity and interdisciplinarity, since being composed of two faculties, it integrates both visions, creating specialized professionals with an integrating and complementary perspective.

Millaray Mariqueo, Science in Chile.- This master’s degree is one of the oldest at the Universidad Austral de Chile, it was created in 1984 by professors Lucía Lorca and Carlos Amtmann from the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and the Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities, respectively. Thanks to this union, the program brings together the interests and visions of both areas for rural development.

“I would say that this is the peculiarity of our program, that it has a transversal perspective that occurs precisely due to the fact that it is shared by two faculties. The Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities takes a more social look from an anthropological and humanist point of view, and the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences takes a more technical look focused on the agricultural sector, “both elements complement each other and students can receive training quite transversal and inclusive, that is, it is not focused on productive technical aspects, nor is it focused on social aspects, but rather it is a mix between the two disciplinary areas”, highlighted Rodrigo Echeverría, Director of the program.

The main objective of the postgraduate course is train specialists with an interdisciplinary perspective capable of analyzing the dynamics of local and regional Latin American rural development, taking into account the particularities of each territory in the dimensions of territorial, sociocultural, economic and environmental order.

The Master is made up of three lines of research: Agrarian and rural economy, Rural territorial development and sustainability and Actors and transformations of the rural world, those that adjust to the current situation and needs of society, considering factors such as environmental and economic sustainability.

Currently the program is accredited but as a result of the pandemic the accreditation was extended and today the visit of peer reviewers is on the way within the year, as a result of which improvements and analysis of the operation of the program and its results are being made.

To enter the Master’s degree, the general requirement is to have a Bachelor’s degree or a professional title whose level and contents are equivalent to those required to obtain a Bachelor’s degree. However, there are no restrictions related to the area of ​​discipline. Thanks to this, the program has had students from the area of ​​health, engineering, agronomy, humanities, and others.

The application date for the second semester of 2023 is from June 6 to July 30. And the dates for the first semester of 2024 will open during the second semester of 2023.

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