COURSE INFORMATION

• With UNE's Bachelor of Agriculture, you will gain practical, production-oriented, specialist skills. You will have the paddock-ready skills and knowledge to solve problems and adapt to future challenges as a professional. Choose a major from one of three production-based options — animal, plant, and mixed farming — to gain a specialisation allowing you to enter the agricultural industry with expert knowledge and a technical skillset in the productive management of agriculutral landscapes.

• With a Bachelor of Agriculture from UNE you will be well positioned to gain employment across a range of agricultural industries, and fit for the future.

Why study the Bachelor of Agriculture with UNE?

UNE's three-year Bachelor of Agriculture will equip you with the sought-after knowledge and practical skillset that agricultural industries need in a rapidly changing world. You will develop a solid understanding of science-based agricultural systems and essential practical skills to manage farm enterprises towards success within the industry

High achievers within the Bachelor of Agriculture have the option of undertaking a year of research in the Bachelor of Science with Honours in an area relevant to Animal Science and/or Agronomy. Honours students complete a research project and dissertation. Graduates have the opportunity to continue research through a research master's degree or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

Studying an agriculture-based course at UNE offers you the opportunity to:

• Gain formal practical experience in agricultural enterprises and apply coursework theory to workplace situations during your studies to improve your employability as a graduate.

• Access the latest agricultural techniques and technology at our innovative SMART Farms. With eight properties covering 3,655 hectares, including farms within minutes of campus and a commercial scale feedlot, the UNE SMART Farms are diverse and valuable teaching and research resources that you will utilise during your course. The farms support a range of disciplines including grazing and intensive livestock, cropping, pastures, poultry, genetics, and precision agriculture.

• Further develop your knowledge through field trips to our commercial partners.

• Learn hands-on through our world class facilities including our state-of-the-art glasshouses and animal housing and handling facilities to learn skills and techniques that you will use throughout your working life.

What makes our course different?

UNE's Bachelor of Agriculture offers you the opportunity to:

• Study a broad selection of science-based agriculture units to give you specialist skills and knowledge required by the agricultural industry.

• Choose your major from three production-based options — Animal Production, Plant Production, Mixed Farming.

• Learn from world-leading and ground-breaking researchers and teaching staff in areas including agronomy, soil science, animal production, genetics, and plant production.

• Develop the technical skills and expert knowledge to work in agriculture now and in the future.

• Provide paddock-ready solutions to solve agricultural problems.

• Participate in an international exchange program or complete a short-term overseas study experience and count it towards your degree.

• Study in class sizes that are small enough to provide great support from academic mentors, but large enough for peer-to-peer group work with other students.

• Study flexibly either on campus or online. On campus classes give you the opportunity to interact and engage face-to-face with your peers and academic staff, and gain essential practical skills. If you choose to study online, some units include mandatory intensive schools on campus.

• Complete your course in three years (full time) or up to ten years (part time)

We’re highly rated – year after year, students award UNE 5-star ratings in The Good Universities Guide for Overall Experience and Student Support, so when you study with us, you know you are in good hands.

Study on campus

• Many of our Bachelor of Agriculture students choose to take advantage of the on-campus lifestyle in Armidale, in the beautiful New England region, with access to unparalleled support, accommodation in our residential colleges and sporting facilities. These students are often starting their first degree and have left school recently. Through access to academic and career support they get a fantastic start to their careers.

COURSE STRUCTURE

• When unit choice is given in Majors, Minors and/or Electives ensure overall compliance with Course Requirements: 'that the candidate must pass not more than 60 credit points at 100-level, at least 36 credit points at 300-level and not more than 12 credit points at 400-level

• To qualify for the award a candidate must pass units to the value of 144 credit points with not more than 60 credit points at 100-level, at least 36 credit points at 300-level and not more than 12 credit points at 400-level.

• Fundamentals of Agriculture

• Agricultural Plants: Adaptation and Physiology 

• Sustainable Agricultural Systems I 

• Sustainable Agricultural Systems II 

• Animal Production Systems and Products 

• Introduction to Biology: Cells and Life

• Organisms to Ecosystems 

• Introduction to Breeding and Genetics

• Foundational Quantitative Methods for Environmental and Rural Sciences 

• Soil Science

COURSE OUTCOMES

• broadacre agronomy

• intensive and extensive animal production

• soil science

• agricultural consultancy

• breeding and genetics

• agribusiness

• farm management

• teaching and education (via our Master of Teaching (Secondary)).

COURSE AIMS

• The three year Bachelor of Agriculture seeks to produce graduates who have a practical agricultural production focus underpinned by science. Through close links with industry application and mandatory work integrated learning, graduates have a solid base for applying scientific knowledge and practical skills to the sustainable management of agricultural systems, be they plant, soil or animal. Graduates have the ability to provide clear and accurate descriptions and analysis of agricultural science problems from both a local and global perspective.

LEARNING OUTCOMES 

• demonstrate a coherent understanding of agriculture by articulating its role and the major biophysical, economic, environmental, social and policy drivers that underpin agricultural practice and development for producers, processors and consumers that are contestable and testable by further inquiry

• exhibit depth and breadth of agricultural knowledge by demonstrating well-developed knowledge in agricultural production;

• critically analyse and solve agricultural problems by gathering, synthesising and critically evaluating information from a range of sources, designing and planning an investigation, selecting and applying practical and/or theoretical techniques or tools in order to conduct an investigation and collecting, accurately recording, interpreting and drawing conclusions from data

• be an effective two-way communicator of agriculture through verbal, written and visual communication of scientific results, information or arguments, to a range of audiences, for a range of purposes and using a variety of modes; and

• be accountable for their own learning and scientific work by being independent and self-directed learners; working effectively, responsibly, ethically, culturally appropriately, and safely in the handling of animals, chemicals and biological materials; and demonstrating knowledge of the regulatory frameworks relevant to their disciplinary area and personally practising ethical conduct.

GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES

• Knowledge of a Discipline

• Communication Skills

• Problem Solving

• Information Literacy

• Ethical Conduct and Social Responsibility

• Lifelong Learning

• Independence and Collaboration