Department of Equine Science

The Department of Equine Science was founded in 1996, evolving from an agricultural education program at Hólar where courses in equine studies were offered as far back as 1960. The department revised its programme setup in 2010 and again in 2018 and pro-vides a unique, specialized program to educate specialists in Icelandic Horsemanship.

The Department focuses its efforts towards providing a unique, specialized program to educate specialists in Icelandic Horsemanship, increasing knowledge of the Icelandic horse through research and developing innovative approaches towards equestrianism, riding instruction, taming and horsemanship. Thus, the departments objectives are to contribute to the increased profitability of the equine industry in Iceland, the spread of Icelandic horsemanship and animal welfare.

The department is the official centre in Iceland for research and education in its field, serving Icelandic horse enthusiasts around the globe, and the student body is international. The curriculum is blended, with theoretical and practical education contributing equally to provide a rounded education in the field of Icelandic equestrianism.

The department offers both an undergraduate and graduate program.

Current programs include:

Diploma in horse training (120 ECTS). Students who graduate with this diploma can apply a portion of their credits (106 ECTS) towards the B.Sc. programme in riding and riding teaching.
B.Sc. in riding and riding instruction (180 ECTS).
B.Sc. in equine science (180 ECTS). Joint degree with the Agricultural University of Iceland.
M.Sc. in equine science (120 ECTS). A research-based degree, aimed at recruiting specialists in equine science capable of creating new insights and knowledge, and contributing to the development of equine sciences as a field of research.

Admission qualifications