Your Academic Journey
Building skills, knowledge, and experience year by year
RICA is a full-time, three-year, accredited undergraduate academic program offering Bachelor of Science degrees in conservation agriculture. RICA combines classroom learning with in-the-field experience. Each year of the program is different, enabling students to build knowledge and experience at every step along the way.
Year 1
In the first year, students run their own smallholder farming operations, exposing them to the challenges that small-scale farmers face and creating opportunities to learn about conservation agriculture from the ground level. Students also receive classroom and laboratory instruction across a range of foundational courses, including classes that emphasize One Health principles, communications, entrepreneurship, and leadership.
Year 2
In year two, students choose a specialization and begin operating commercial-style enterprises, alongside their academic coursework. Students can select their focus area from six different enterprises – Row and Forage Crops, Mechanization and Irrigation, Poultry and Swine, Dairy, Food Processing, and Vegetable and Tree Fruits.
Year 3
In their final year, students dive deeper into their enterprise specialties and academic coursework, and they also complete an internship in their preferred fields. Internship opportunities span across Rwanda’s food and agriculture value chain – in the past, students have interned for agribusiness companies, farmer cooperatives, food processing businesses, agricultural extension services, nonprofit organizations, and more.