Bachelor of Agriculture

This degree produces graduates with skills in increasing demand in the rural sector.

A practically orientated degree, students are provided with the tools necessary to understand the implications of land use and management change on agricultural productivity.

Once armed with the basic knowledge to understand agricultural systems, graduates are able to continue on to further study in specific areas of interest.

This degree suits students who are more interested in management of agricultural landscapes in contrast to the scientific, agricultural systems focus of other agricultural based degree programs offered at UNE.

The major completed will appear on the academic record and testamur.

Course Aims

The Bachelor of Agriculture degree seeks to produce graduates who have an excellent science base for the application of scientific knowledge to agricultural practice. Students will have developed an appreciation of the science contributing to the main components of the agricultural system as well as good knowledge of practical agriculture. The degree provides a basic scientific background to allow students to interpret and apply scientific principles to the management of agricultural systems, be they plant, soil or animal.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: demonstrate a coherent understanding of agriculture by articulating the methods of agriculture and explaining why current agricultural knowledge is both contestable and testable by further inquiry and by explaining the role and relevance of agriculture in society; exhibit depth and breadth of agricultural knowledge by demonstrating well-developed knowledge in at least one disciplinary area and by demonstrating knowledge in at least one other disciplinary area; 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 effective communicators of agriculture by communicating agricultural 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 and safely in an individual or team context, demonstrating knowledge of the regulatory frameworks relevant to their disciplinary area and personally practising ethical conduct.

Graduate Attributes

Knowledge of a Discipline Students will develop a strong scientific understanding of practical and theoretical aspects of agricultural science and management, and a well-developed capacity for analysis. They will obtain knowledge from lectures, reading materials and by direct experience in practicals and field excursions. Students will be expected to know key terms and concepts to the extent that they can demonstrate and apply them in assessments. Knowledge will be assessed in examinations for some units and in online tests, practical tasks, oral presentations, essays and reports. Agricultural systems are part of the biosphere, the global perspective is drawn upon in all areas involved with understanding, applying and evaluating agricultural information. Knowledge is built upon from information gathered from agricultural systems throughout the world. Thus teaching will draw upon case studies and examples from a range of countries. Students develop the global context of the discipline and its ability to minimise or solve problems. Interaction with students from all over Australia and overseas will assist in developing students' understanding of global issues. Communication Skills Students are taught and assessed on a range of different communication types appropriate to science graduates. There is emphasis on the ability to provide clear and accurate descriptions of agricultural science issues; on writing reports of technical and scientific investigations; and on presenting critical reviews of knowledge. Within the core and prescribed units communication tasks address a range of different audiences and use oral, written and electronic presentation. Problem Solving Problem solving is taught in the scientific context of researching the background to a problem, formulating one or more hypotheses in agricultural science to be tested, and drawing conclusions from the results of those tests. Many practical assignments are based around this approach. Problem solving skills are also developed in field and laboratory settings where students decide the best approach to performing tasks. This will prepare students for dealing with and solving real-world problems that arise in agricultural science and management. Information Literacy Students will be taught how to access the literature (especially online resources), how to evaluate the robustness of literature sources (discrimination skills) and how to critique available information. Students will then practise these skills through the generation of reports and oral presentations in relation to agricultural science. Ethical Conduct and Social Responsibility Students are taught ethical practices in relation to the discipline, including respecting intellectual property rights, ethical behaviour in fieldwork and assessment tasks, and honesty and trust as the basis of the cooperative endeavour of science. Students will be encouraged to act ethically and be socially responsible. These are underlying principles of the discipline of agricultural science which enable the production of food and fibre at the same time as protecting the environment. Legal obligations and responsibility will also be integrated into the teaching content. Lifelong Learning Students gain confidence in their ability to search for and find sources of information relevant to the discipline. Students will develop the ability to identify, evaluate and implement personal learning strategies and/or study skills in pursuit of ongoing personal and professional development. Independence and Collaboration Students are encouraged and taught to develop independence of thought and action. Teamwork is used in classes at all levels, especially in practical work in the field and laboratory. Students develop the skills to work cooperatively to define and achieve common goals, to take initiative and to assume responsibility for tasks. Students will learn in a professional forum to discuss, calmly and rationally, ideas and concepts, sometimes controversial and sometimes from different points of view. This, in addition to the ability to use the language of the discipline in reasoned argument, is one of the aims of online discussions.