ECTS credits ECTS credits: 3
ECTS Hours Rules/Memories Student's work ECTS: 49.5 Hours of tutorials: 1.5 Expository Class: 12 Interactive Classroom: 12 Total: 75
Use languages Spanish, Galician
Type: Ordinary Degree Subject RD 1393/2007 - 822/2021
Departments: Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Science
Areas: Animal production
Center Faculty of Veterinary Science
Call: First Semester
Teaching: With teaching
Enrolment: Enrollable
Future veterinarians must integrate the economic perspective into their professional approach, within the framework of sustainable development, and be aware of the significance of humankind's use of scarce resources in all production activities, including livestock farming, which are subject to the laws of the market economy. Rental animals are exploited for exclusively economic purposes, and the profitability of livestock businesses is a sine qua non for their survival.
Future veterinarians must, therefore, understand the main economic concepts and use the corresponding terminology appropriately. They must be able to understand the behavior of economic agents involved in demand and supply in the market, thanks to the help of microeconomic models.
They must also understand the main aspects related to the marketing of agricultural products, master the basic concepts of livestock business accounting and sectoral accounting through the analysis of the main agricultural macro-scales, and become familiar with the general objectives and main mechanisms of the Common Agricultural Policy.
Theoretical class program using a lecture-based teaching method combined with student participation (13 hours):
- Agricultural and livestock markets. Interpretation of reports (1.5 sessions).
- Reference sources for production costs: Price observatories. Management groups. Rengrati (1.5 sessions).
- Marketing through PDOs/PGIs/Organic/100% Native Breeds (1 session).
- Agricultural and livestock insurances. Basic concepts. Agroinsurance (2 sessions).
- Integration models in livestock production (1 session).
- Strategic plan and Business plan (2 sessions).
- The Market Economy: Introduction. Economic activities, exchange, production, and consumption. Goods, factors of production, output, and income. Organization of the economy (1 session).
- Management in veterinary clinics (2 sessions).
Program of practical computer classes using an interactive teaching method and case/problem solving (OR1 to OR5, 18 hours):
- Agricultural Accounting Exercise. Analysis of assets and preparation of the opening balance sheet for the fiscal year. Management of the accounts of money considering income and expenses during the fiscal year. Determination of the results of the accounting period. Preparation of the final balance sheet for the fiscal year and the income and expense account. Closing the fiscal year. Profit, losses and gains, gross and net margin, and other items. Calculation of various ratios for business analysis.
- Agricultural Macroeconomics: data management. Structural analysis of the accounts of the Spanish and Galician agricultural sectors. Preparation of the composition and distribution table for agricultural production. Analysis of economic indicators. Analysis of agricultural foreign trade data.
- Study of milk price.
Basic Bibliography:
- LLOPIS GILLABERT B. 2022. Economía Agraria: Concepto, elementos y tipología. Editorial Civitas, Pamplona.
- Boletíns anuales de prácticas de Economía Agraria.
- CALDENTEY ALBERT P. y de HARO GIMÉNEZ T. 2004. Comercialización de productos agrarios. Editorial Agrícola Española S.A., Ediciones Mundi-Prensa, Madrid.
- VANDENBERGHE N. 1995. Breve teoría del mercado para la Economía Agraria. Editorial Acribia S.A., Zaragoza.
- VANDENBERGHE N. and CEULAR VILLACÉ A. 2006. Elementos de Contabilidades para Veterinaria. Unicopia Artes Gráficas, Lugo.
Additional Bibliography:
- Web portal of Agroseguro.
- Web portal of Alimentos de España.
- Web portal of Agencia Gallega de Calidad Alimentaria (AGACAL).
- Web portal of Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE).
- Web portal of Consellería de Medio Rural de la Xunta de Galicia.
- Web portal of Consejo Regulador de Agricultura Ecológica de Galicia (CRAEGA).
- Web portal of Asociación Profesional Española da Producción Ecológica (ECOVALIA).
- Web portal of Galicia Calidade.
- Web portal of International Farm Comparison Network (IFCN).
- Web portal of Instituto Gallego de Promoción Económica (IGAPE).
- Web portal of Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación (MAPA).
- Web portal of Organización Mundial de Comercio (OMC).
- Web portal of Organización de las Naciones Unidas (ONU).
- Web portal of Unión Europea (UE).
- Teoría Económica y Economía Agraria: https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/2495781.pdf.
- Plan General de Contabilidad: https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2007-19884.
The use of both basic and complementary internet resources specified in the Bibliography section is recommended, as well as the electronic bibliography available at the USC Library (https://www.usc.gal/es/servicios/area/biblioteca-universitaria). It is also encouraged to search scientific journals and e-books (using USC credentials) through Portal (http://sfx.bugalicia.org/san/az) and EZproxy (https://iacobus.usc.gal/discovery/search?vid=34CISUG_USC:VU1). For specific topics, faculty members may provide open access articles or recommend searching through PubMed or Google Scholar.
Competences outlined in the Veterinary Science Degree Memory from the University of Santiago de Compostela:
*(GVUSC) Generic Competences:
- GVUSC02. Analytical and synthetic skills.
- GVUSC03. General knowledge of the work area.
*(CEDVUSC) Disciplinary Competences:
- CEDVUSC11. Knowledge of the basics of the operation and optimization of animal and plant production systems and their impact on the environment.
- CEDVUSC13. Knowledge of the organizational, economic, and management aspects in all fields of the veterinary profession.
*(D1VUSC) Professional Competences:
- D1VUSC11. Assess and interpret the productive and health parameters of an animal group, considering economic, environmental, and welfare aspects, seeking their optimization.
- D1VUSC15. Technical and financial consulting and management of veterinary companies within a sustainable context.
*(CEAVUSC) Academic Competences:
- CEAVUSC01. Analyze, synthesize, solve problems, and make decisions in veterinary professional fields.
- CEAVUSC08. Be aware of the need to maintain updated knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to professional competencies through ongoing training.
*(CTVUSC) Transversal Competences:
- CTVUSC01. Reasoning and argumentation skills.
- CTVUSC07. Ability to solve problems through the integrated application of knowledge.
- The lecture schedule is evenly distributed among the various topics in the program. Lectures on Agricultural Economics comprise 13 hours of interactive lectures in which students' attention and participation are required to achieve an effective understanding of the subject (students may interrupt the lectures at any time to ask questions and request clarification). Each student is expected to actively participate in these lectures and directly gather information for the preparation of personal notes.
During the expository sessions of the subject, the learning objective will be for students to be able to "Understand the economic context: describe the basic aspects of economic theory that affect the primary sector" of the competences on Day 1 contemplated in 1.3 "Demonstrate basic knowledge of the organization, management and legislation related to veterinary practice. Understand the economic and emotional context in which the veterinarian operates". Evaluable (not eliminatory).
- Lectures are supported exclusively by the projection of images, figures, charts, and tables, indicating their source in each case to facilitate their location and use for understanding the subject. Class notes are complemented by the creation of personal notes and consultation of the bibliography indicated for each topic. In his way, students can pay better attention in class without having to worry about copying the projected material, since they are fully aware of the source.
- The practical teaching consists of 18 hours spread over four 4-hour sessions (PRACTICES OR1 G1-G6, OR2 G1-G6, OR3 G1-G6 and OR4 G1-G6) and one 2-hour session (PRACTICE OR5 G1-G6), all in person. These sessions are dedicated to an interactive approach to various elements of business accounting, different agricultural macro-measures and elements of national accounting, and the main instruments of the Common Agricultural Policy. A study on the price of milk is also planned.
During the practical sessions the learning objectives will be for students to be able to "Understand the economic context: analyze the accounting documents of an agricultural-livestock company according to the General Accounting Plan", "Understand the economic context: analyze the economic accounts of the agricultural sector (agricultural income: agricultural macromagnitudes)" and "Understand the economic context: calculate the structure of the formation of the price of livestock products at origin, and of income (study of milk price in the livestock farms of the sector)" of the competences on Day 1 contemplated in 1.3 "Demonstrate a basic knowledge of the organization, management and legislation related to veterinary practice. Understand the economic and emotional context in which the veterinarian operates." Evaluable (not eliminatory).
- This expository and interactive teaching schedule is complemented by an additional hour of tutoring (primarily face-to-face, although virtual tutoring may be scheduled, respecting the time slots listed in the approved schedule for the academic year) during which students can express any questions or concerns about the subject and its teaching.
- All teaching will be carried out with the support of ICTs and the systematic use of the Virtual Campus as a teaching aid.
- Regular attendance at the lectures and scheduled practical activities. To sit the exam, students must attend 100% of the practical sessions, including the completion of the assigned work.
- The final student assessment will be based on an in-person exam covering all content taught in the lectures (50% of the final grade). This written exam will include the learning objective "Understand the economic context: describe the basic aspects of economic theory that affect the primary sector" from the Day 1 competences covered in 1.3: "Demonstrate basic knowledge of the organization, management, and legislation related to veterinary practice. Understand the economic and emotional context in which the veterinarian operates." Non-eliminatory summative evaluation
- The tasks and/or tests related to the practical sessions (continuous assessment) will account for 50% of the final grade. These test (which includes questions on economic management of farms and agricultural macro-magnitudes) will assess the learning objectives "Understand the economic context: analyze the accounting documents of an agricultural company according to the General Accounting Plan," "Understand the economic context: analyze the economic accounts of the agricultural sector (agricultural income: agricultural macro-magnitudes)," and "Understand the economic context: calculate the structure of price formation of livestock products at source and income (study of milk price in the sector's livestock farms)" from the Day 1 competences covered in 1.3 "Demonstrate basic knowledge of the organization, management, and legislation related to veterinary practice. Understand the economic and emotional context in which the veterinarian operates." Non-eliminatory summative evaluation
- A minimum of 5 points (out of 10) is required in each section (exposition and practical) to calculate the final grade. If only one part (theory or practical) is passed, the pass mark will be retained until the second opportunity exam.
- Grades for practical and continuous assessment will be retained for one academic year.
- Attendance at lectures and practical sessions is mandatory, and their assessment will be continuous; therefore, attendance cannot be waived.
- In cases of plagiarism, fraud, or misuse of technology, the provisions of the "Regulations on the Evaluation of Students' Academic Performance and Grade Review" will apply.
Due to regulatory requirements, an estimated 32 hours of student work time is required for various assignments and a total of 43 hours of personal work. However, these numbers should be taken with caution, as these concepts are difficult to quantify in reality. It should also be noted that students' study and work needs vary greatly depending on their personal circumstances.
FACE-TO-FACE WORK IN THE CLASSROOM
Lectures: 13 h
Computer practices: 18 h
Tutoring in small group or individually: 1 h
Total hours of face-to-face work: 32 h
STUDENT PERSONAL WORK
Individual study: 32 h
Reports elaboration: 4 h
Case/problem solving: 4 h
Taking exams: 3 h
Total hours of individual work: 43 h
TOTAL TIME: 75 h
Students are encouraged to attend classes actively and consistently, paying attention to all explanations given by the professors, studying additionally for the time necessary to fully understand the concepts of the subject, and completing the various assignments requested in a timely manner.
Margarita Rico Gomez
- Department
- Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Science
- Area
- Animal production
- marga.rico.gomez [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: University Lecturer
Francisco Javier Dieguez Casalta
- Department
- Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Science
- Area
- Animal production
- Category
- Professor: University Lecturer
Ana Isabel Roca Fernandez
Coordinador/a- Department
- Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Science
- Area
- Animal production
- Phone
- 982822415
- anai.roca [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: Intern Assistant LOSU
| Tuesday | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00-13:00 | Grupo /TI-ECTS05 | Spanish | Classroom 2 |
| 12:00-13:00 | Grupo /TI-ECTS08 | Spanish | Classroom 2 |
| 12:00-13:00 | Grupo /TI-ECTS11 | Spanish | Classroom 2 |
| 12:00-13:00 | Grupo /TI-ECTS03 | Spanish | Classroom 2 |
| 12:00-13:00 | Grupo /TI-ECTS06 | Spanish | Classroom 2 |
| 12:00-13:00 | Grupo /TI-ECTS09 | Spanish | Classroom 2 |
| 12:00-13:00 | Grupo /TI-ECTS12 | Spanish | Classroom 2 |
| 12:00-13:00 | Grupo /TI-ECTS01 | Spanish | Classroom 2 |
| 12:00-13:00 | Grupo /TI-ECTS04 | Spanish | Classroom 2 |
| 12:00-13:00 | Grupo /TI-ECTS07 | Spanish | Classroom 2 |
| 12:00-13:00 | Grupo /TI-ECTS10 | Spanish | Classroom 2 |
| 12:00-13:00 | Grupo /TI-ECTS13 | Spanish | Classroom 2 |
| 12:00-13:00 | Grupo /TI-ECTS02 | Spanish | Classroom 2 |
| Wednesday | |||
| 16:00-20:00 | Grupo /CLIL_01 | Spanish, Galician | Subject Seminars |
| Thursday | |||
| 09:00-10:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Spanish | Classroom 2 |
| 16:00-20:00 | Grupo /CLIL_02 | Galician, Spanish | Subject Seminars |
| Friday | |||
| 09:00-10:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Spanish | Classroom 2 |
| 16:00-20:00 | Grupo /CLIL_03 | Galician, Spanish | Subject Seminars |
| 01.16.2026 09:00-11:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom 1 |
| 01.16.2026 09:00-11:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom 2 |
| 01.16.2026 09:00-11:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom 3 |
| 06.12.2026 09:00-11:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom 1 |
| 06.12.2026 09:00-11:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom 2 |