Agriculture dominates New Zealand’s economy - generating billions in export earnings every year. The future of this industry is bright with international demand predicted to grow rapidly.
Agriculture dominates New Zealand’s economy - generating billions in export earnings every year.
Massey’s world-class Bachelor of AgriScience programme focuses on the overlapping areas of agriculture, management and technology, enabling you to come up with innovative solutions to the challenges our primary industries face today.
The Bachelor of AgriScience degree gives you an understanding of agricultural systems within the wider context of the economy and society. Your study will focus on the key areas of agriculture systems - for example soils, plant and animals, economics and agricultural systems and management. Your study will also give you an insight into the environmental impact and sustainability of these systems.
You will also learn key skills in communication, information technology, creativity, innovation, problem solving, teamwork and analysis. These are essential for your future career and will make you a sought-after employee.
Many of our students have jobs even before they graduate and are going on to great careers.
Massey is world-ranked and New Zealand’s No 1 university in agriculture according to the QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) rankings. Our proud record dates back to 1927 when we offered New Zealand’s first degrees in agriculture and horticulture. As a student, you will benefit from our internationally-recognised capability and leadership in this area.
Massey’s Manawatu campus hosts the only multi-function teaching laboratories in Australasia.
The labs, built in 2010, won a Best Practice Award for Innovation at the Association for Tertiary Education Management conference in Australia and were shortlisted for the international UKS-Lab awards.
The facility is unique in Australasia in that it allows each laboratory to be tailored to accommodate a variety of disciplines. Technicians can do preparation in the dedicated technical area before moving this into the lab, which means students can spend more time doing lab practical work.
Massey aligns its world-ranked agriculture programmes to agribusiness industries throughout the world - ensuring our students graduate with the skills and industry knowledge employers want today, and in the future.
Our Student Exchange Programme provides an international experience with the chance to study courses at overseas universities and cross-credit them back to a Massey qualification. You’ll pay the same tuition fees while abroad and it’s a great chance to gain the overseas experience and knowledge that many employers value. Some of the top science universities available within the exchange programme are the University of Calgary, Canada, Wageningen University, The Netherlands and the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
One of the best things about this degree is the variety of study. You’ll learn about animals and agriculture, soils and plants, be introduced to agribusiness and physical geography. You’ll also study economics, chemistry, physics and ecology.
As part of this programme, you’ll need to do at least 26 weeks of full-time work in an area related to your major. This is usually done during the summer when work is readily available on farms and with rural businesses. To ensure you get the most from this experience, you'll provide a report on your activities which will be assessed.
There are hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of scholarships available for students who are studying in the areas of agriculture and horticulture. Massey has close connections with all the major agricultural organisations in New Zealand, many of whom provide scholarships for Massey students. In 2016 $540,000 worth of scholarships were distributed to students in this area.
“Currently I am the South Waikato Agri Manager for Ravensdown; achieving this position would not have been possible without the study I undertook at Massey University…”
I completed a Bachelor of AgriScience degree majoring in agriculture. During my three years of study I gained valuable knowledge and experience in a range of different agricultural fields which gave me the tools and confidence to pursue a career as a rural professional.
I was able to gain my field job with Ravensdown because I had the scientific and general agricultural knowledge required for the role. The AgriScience degree helped me get straight onto the road where I was able to apply the knowledge and skills gained during my time at Massey helping farmers increase the productivity of their farms.
The industry is made up of a huge range of organisations, including farming, processing and marketing produce, logistics of product supply, as well as the associated service industries such as banking, company representatives and consultants. That means there is a huge range of careers on offer for those with the right skills.
Industries where agriscience skills are utilised include:
There are many scholarships provided by industry and agricultural companies - nearly $500,000worth - for students studying agriculture.
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