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Study agriculture and horticulture , Ākona te ahuwhenua me te ahuone

Study agriculture or horticulture at Massey to improve the growth, health and quality of animals and plants – and to help feed the world.

Need help or know what you want to study?

Top for agriculture

QS World University Rankings place Massey first in New Zealand for agriculture, second in Australasia and 34th in the world.

In the club

Massey has New Zealand's largest Young Farmers club. Learn skills, share knowledge, get connected and keep in touch.

The industry nod

Mixing practical work and theory, Massey's horticultural science degree has been co-designed with industry experts.

Learn by doing

Get hands-on experience in labs, field trips, and practical projects that focus on solving real-world problems.

Overview

Dig into food, farming and agribusiness at Massey – we know how to turn out in-demand graduates. We've taught agriculture and horticulture degrees since 1927. In global university ratings, we rank first in New Zealand for agriculture and 34th in the world.

Learn farming from world-class lecturers and researchers with specialisations such as plant breeding and Māori agribusiness. Master new skills at on-site farms and state-of-the-art laboratories. Gain work experience with potential employers. Explore new developments during field trips and study tours. Graduate work-ready, with degrees co-designed with industry.

Agriculture or horticulture is a good fit if you:

  • enjoy sciences or technology
  • want to work with animals or plants, or learn farming
  • like to combine hands-on work and analytical thinking.

Learn farming

Courses across agriculture and horticulture may cover:

  • agribusiness and international markets
  • business skills such as finance, marketing and supply chain management
  • breeding and genetics
  • food industry
  • sustainability.

Agriculture courses

With a mix of theory and practical work, students gain the skills and knowledge needed in farms and agribusinesses large and small, in New Zealand and overseas. Our degrees include at least 26 weeks' paid employment in agriculture. Plus we run New Zealand's largest Young Farmers Club.

Our farming courses include:

  • farm production systems
  • field trips to learn from farmers
  • real-world case studies
  • sheep and cattle, including wool, dairy and beef farming.

Horticultural courses

Ours is New Zealand's only horticultural degree co-designed with industry, with a mix of practical work and theory.

It includes:

  • field trips and study tours
  • food production
  • government policies and regulations
  • plant genetics and plant growth
  • Treaty of Waitangi Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations.

How to study agriculture and horticulture

Discover what we offer if you’re interested in agriculture and horticulture – whether you’re coming to university for the first time, changing direction or returning to advance your study or career.

Undergraduate study

An undergraduate qualification is generally the first thing you’ll study at university.

Bachelor's degrees

Degrees are the standard qualifications you do at university – the most common is called a bachelor’s. Degrees give you enough time to explore your interests, and also focus on specific subjects.

Undergraduate certificates

If you want to study at university, but aren't sure if you want to commit to a degree, try an undergraduate certificate.

Graduate certificates

Graduate certificates let you study in a subject you're interested in without doing a second bachelor's degree. Or you can use it as a bridge to postgraduate study if you already have an undergraduate degree.

Undergraduate diploma

Undergraduate diplomas let you try university study before you commit to a degree. They’re also useful if you need to advance your career.

Graduate diplomas

Graduate diplomas can help you advance to postgraduate study or research in a subject you haven’t majored in for your undergraduate study.

Relevant undergraduate subjects to major or specialise in

When you apply to study at Massey, for some undergraduate qualifications you can choose what subject you’d like to specialise in. You can usually change your mind after you get to university, depending on the courses you enrol in.

Postgraduate study

Once you’ve graduated with a bachelor’s degree – or have equivalent experience – you’ll be ready to take on postgraduate study.

Master's degrees

A master's degree normally builds on a main subject of study from your undergraduate degree.

Postgraduate certificates

Postgraduate certificates give you an introduction to postgraduate-level study. They’re shorter than postgraduate degrees. If you’re successful, you may be able to use the credits towards a postgraduate diploma

Postgraduate diplomas

Postgraduate diplomas are postgraduate-level qualifications that are longer than a postgraduate certificate. If you’re successful, you might be able to use the credits towards the longer master’s degree.

PhD and other doctoral degrees

Doctoral degrees, including PhDs, are the highest degrees we award. They’re very demanding and their entry criteria reflect this.

Relevant research areas at Massey

Discover research expertise, projects and initiatives relating to agriculture and horticulture at Massey.

Agriculture and horticulture research

What our students say

“My degree has been crucial, allowing a smooth transition into the first year of my career. It set me up with subjects like the soil science, GIS mapping, plant diseases, statistics, financial business analysis and – of course – plant biology that I have needed in my graduate role.”
Leander Archer

Bachelor of Horticultural Science

“I have always believed that there is real value in workplace experience as it gives students the ability to apply their learning. The opportunity to work with i4 lead me to work on various projects and has exposed me to new challenges, ideas and initiatives. It has also taught me new soft skills, and broadened my career aspirations.”
Brooke Maddison

Bachelor of Agricommerce (International Agribusiness)

“Upon completion of my degree I found it very easy to get a job. There is high demand for agriculture students in general, but more so for rural valuation students.”
Cameron Walker

Bachelor of AgriCommerce (Rural Valuation)

Our facilities

You'll have access to a wide range of first-class facilities when you study with us.

Massey horticultural units

Purpose-built facilities for teaching and research in plant science and production include:

  • 7 hectare orchard
  • 25 glasshouses
  • six temperature-controlled rooms
  • growth cabinets.

Plantings include apples, pears, green and gold kiwifruit, and vegetable trials of traditional Māori crops.

Location: Manawatū campus, Palmerston North

Contact: Mark Osborne

Email: m.a.osborne@massey.ac.nz

Massey Farms

Students and researchers can access 2,000 hectares at our six working farms, including:

  • dairy farms
  • sheep and beef farms
  • deer breeding unit
  • mixed enterprise and cropping unit.

Location: Manawatū campus

Jobs in agriculture and horticulture

Our graduates go everywhere from farms to food companies, from orchards to vineyards, from laboratories to exporters. Job prospects are good, as agribusiness and food are important to New Zealand and its economy.

Many Massey agribusiness students get jobs before they graduate.

Agriculture and horticulture careers include:

  • agribusiness consultants
  • animal or plant scientists, who specialise in areas such as breeding, food production or disease control
  • farm managers
  • rural property valuers, who work for banks, insurers or real estate firms
  • viticulturists, who grow grapes for the wine industry.

Annual salary ranges for jobs

Salary ranges disclaimer

Indicative pay rates are:

Which agriculture or horticulture qualification?

Examples of where our qualifications may take you.

Table showing jobs and what you could study to enter them.
Jobs Examples of what you could study
Agribusiness manager, consultant or other leadership role Master of Management (Agribusiness)
Master of Agribusiness
Animal scientist or consultant Bachelor of Animal Science
Bachelor of Agricultural Science
Agricultural/horticultural manager or consultant Bachelor of Agribusiness (Farm Management)
Bachelor of Horticultural Science
Bachelor of Agricultural Science
Plant scientist or consultant Bachelor of Horticultural Science
Bachelor of Agricultural Science
Rural property valuer Bachelor of Agribusiness (Rural Valuation)

Accreditations and rankings

ShanghaiRanking - agricultural science

Massey University is ranked No.1 in New Zealand for agricultural science by ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.

Learn more

QS Ranking - Agriculture and Forestry

Massey is world-ranked and New Zealand’s No 1 university in agriculture according to QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) rankings.

Learn more

Global Farm Platform

Massey's Dairy 1 farm is part of the Global Farm Platform, an international group for optimisation of grazing livestock production systems.

Learn more

Get an information guide

Download our guides to find out more about studying agriculture and horticulture at Massey.

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