A Bachelor of Agriculture is your opportunity to use science, technology and business to tackle critical sustainability issues and build a career with lasting impact. If you’d like to understand how to harness natural processes to sustainably feed our growing population, improve natural resource management and contribute to Australia’s growing agricultural industry, the Bachelor of Agriculture is an ideal choice. Graduates with a degree in agriculture are highly sought after in Australia, with an employment rate of over 92 per cent.

FIRST YEAR

Develop a solid foundation in agricultural science by studying a common curriculum, designed in consultation with industry and employers. You’ll complete eight core subjects to gain a broad understanding of agricultural science with studies in biology, natural environments, agricultural production and life sciences.

• Learn about sustainable agriculture and how we can use it to adapt to a changing climate
• Find out how science is applied in the real world and its applications in the agricultural industry
• Understand Australia’s agricultural context locally and globally.

SECOND YEAR

In your second year, you’ll choose a major –  a sequence of subjects you complete throughout your degree that indicates you are a specialist in that discipline.

• Agricultural Economics: learn how to analyse and advise on the business management and financial sustainability of agricultural enterprise
• Plant and Soil Science: understand the science of using plants for food, fuel, fibre and land reclamation and to address issues in plant health and sustainable agriculture
• Production Animal Science: prepare for a career in animal health and production, animal welfare or biosecurity. Learn about animal production industries, animal behaviour and disease, and how management strategies can optimise growth and welfare.

Dookie semester

You can choose to spend Semester 2 of your second year living and studying at the Dookie campus, where you’ll practice your new skills in a hands-on environment. Get the opportunity to observe a wide variety of farming activities first hand, including cropping, livestock and dairy management, horticulture and viticulture, as well as support industries such as irrigation management, logistics and food processing operations.

Scholarships are available to facilitate the move to Dookie and accommodation costs are low compared to a similar standard of accommodation in the city.

THIRD YEAR

You’ll focus on further developing your specialised major knowledge and work with your peers from other specialisations to prepare for your career. You can choose to spend part of this year based at the Dookie campus.

• Work individually and in small groups with your peers from other majors to apply your range of knowledge in value chain analysis, animal health and nutrition, plant growth or water management, and make improvements relevant to the industry
• Develop your skills in gathering and interpreting evidence, teamwork, and oral and written communication
• Learn how to apply a ‘systems thinking’ approach to problems – considering the complete context of an agricultural enterprise, including relevant scientific, environmental, economic, social and political factors.

Your course plan is based around compulsory core subjects, major subjects that let you specialise in the field that interests you, and elective subjects that supplement your skills, interests and experience.

This degree requires the successful completion of 300 points – with subjects usually worth 12.5 points each. You will complete eight subjects, or 100 points of study, in each year of full-time study

Honours

Honours is an optional fourth year of study that gives you the opportunity to draw together your previous studies and focus your knowledge, skills and intellect on an exciting piece of original research. Honours can further prepare you for employment, or a research higher degree.

Our graduates find work all along the value chain of agriculture and its supporting industries and agencies in Australia and around the world, in roles involving:

• Sustainable practice
• Water management improvement
• Responsible fertiliser use
• On-farm advising
• Food and fibre production increase
• Disease-resistant crop development
• Animal welfare
• Biosecurity
• Post-farm processing and marketing
• Agribusiness management and agricultural finance
• Government and industry policy.

In recent years, our graduates have joined employers including Agriculture Victoria, NAB, ANZ, UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, Fonterra, Murray Goulburn, Warakirri Cropping, Rural Bank, Rabobank, Stock and Land, BASF and Perfection Fresh.

Completed secondary education recently (within the past two years); Completed some or all of a higher education qualification; Completed some or all of a VET qualification; Applicants with wo

TOEFL Internet-based test: total score of at least 79 and scores of 21 for writing, 18 for speaking, 13 for reading and 13 for listening; IELTS: total score of at least 6.5 in the Academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS), with no bands less than 6.0; Pearson Test of English Academic : overall score of at least 58 and no PTE communicative skills score below 50; Cambridge English, Advanced/Certificate in Advanced English (CAE): Cambridge English Score of at least 176 with no skill below 169; C2 Proficiency (previously called Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) examination): Cambridge English Score of at least 180 with no skill below 180.