Overview
Join the growing agribusiness sector
The number of jobs in the agribusiness sector are growing and those with both agriculture and management skills will be sought-after.
Level
- Postgraduate, NZQF Level 9
Campus
- Manawatū
Distance learning
- Available
Duration
- 1.5 year(s) full-time. Available part-time.
Agribusiness is about understanding the different disciplines, issues and solutions across the whole of the food and fibre value chain. It is about the interdependence of the huge variety of companies and institutions that work in, or influence the agricultural sector.
The Master of Management (Agribusiness) is a relevant, contemporary qualification, with a unique core of courses that focus on the key business skills of communication, understanding current issues in business and on the fundamentals of agribusiness.
Sought after by employers
New Zealand’s primary industries are growing rapidly. Current estimates expect upwards of 50,000 additional employees will be needed in New Zealand by 2030 across all levels. Many of these will be at managerial level.
Industry have been consulted widely to develop this major, so your learning will be relevant.
What will you learn?
Management involves both being able to work independently and make management decisions, but also being able to work with and direct teams of people. Those people could be within your organisation, or external clients and stakeholders.
As well as gaining in-depth insights into the discipline that you choose, this qualification will also teach you transferable communication and investigative skills.
You will also learn how to work independently and in teams and to interact effectively with colleagues, clients and other professionals in the field.
Learn from leading business experts
The Massey Business School is one of the country’s leading and largest business schools and is AACSB accredited. Our proud record in agriculture dates back to 1927 when we offered New Zealand’s first degrees in agriculture and horticulture.
The Master of Management is a rigorous programme, where students are expected to achieve at a high level. This is reflected in the quality of our graduates, and contributes to the reputation of the qualification. It is a professional qualification.
You will learn from our business experts – Massey University has the largest and one of the most highly respected management schools in New Zealand.
Careers and further study
Careers
The Master of Management can facilitate your progress into a management role. Or it can help you progress to a higher level of management.
Current estimates expect upwards of 50,000 additional agribusiness employees will be needed in New Zealand by 2030 across all levels. Many of these will be at managerial level, expected to both understand agriculture and have the business and management skills to help it operate effectively.
Sought after by employers
International trends are for employers to reward postgraduate study well, especially in larger enterprises. The skills you learn are increasingly recognised as setting you apart from other potential employees.
Earn more
A 2017 Ministry of Education publication The post-study earnings and destinations of young domestic graduates found that in New Zealand:
- young master’s graduates earn more than one and a half times more than the national median (five years after study)
- earnings and employment rates increase with the level of qualification completed
- five years after completion, the median earnings of young master’s graduates are 15% higher than for those with a bachelor’s degree.
Further study
If you want to progress to a PhD
If you wish to progress to a PhD upon completion, Massey’s research-based Master of Agribusiness or Master of Business Studies are more appropriate pathways to a doctorate.
Entry requirements
University admission
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
Programme admission
Required
To enter the Master of Management you will have:
- been awarded or qualified for a relevant bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification, having achieved a grade average of at least B- in the highest level courses, or
- been awarded or qualified for a Postgraduate Diploma in Business and Administration with a B- grade average, or equivalent.
You will need to provide verified copies of all academic transcripts for studies taken at all universities other than Massey University.
English language requirements
To study this programme you must meet Massey University's English language standards.
Prior learning, credit and exemptions
For information on prior learning, exemptions and transfer of credit or other questions:
- review the Recognition of Prior Learning regulations
- contact us through the Enquire button on this page.
If you do not have the entry requirements
English language and foundation courses
If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, we have courses and programmes that may help.
Courses and planning
Credit summary
180 credits
From the Schedule to the Degree including:
- Completion of Part One and Two
- Compulsory course
- Completion of a subject
- At least 60 credits at 800 level
Schedule A: Core courses
Core courses
Schedule B: Subjects
Part One Subject courses
Part Two Professional Practice course
A specialisation (subject) is compulsory and requires 150 credits. This includes compulsory subject courses and a 60 credit professional practice course.
Advanced entry: Those who have already completed specified qualifications in advance of the minimum entry requirements may be able to complete this degree in 120 credits.
Attend field trips, contact workshops, studios, workshops, tutorials, and laboratories as required.
There are regulations around completion of Part One before progressing to Part Two.
See ‘Courses for this programme’ below for schedules of courses.
Courses for this specialisation
Part One
Compulsory Courses
| 60 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 178740 | Global Food Markets and Trade | 15 |
| 178742 | Environmental Economics for Non-Economists | 15 |
| 178743 | Contemporary Agribusiness Management | 30 |
Subject Courses
| 30 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 112702 | International Agri-Food Marketing Strategies | 15 |
| 112743 | Cooperative Governance and Management | 15 |
| 119731 | Topics in Agricultural Extension and Consultancy | 15 |
| 125700 | Managerial Finance | 30 |
| 152702 | Advanced Strategic Management | 30 |
| 152707 | Leading and Changing Organisations | 30 |
| 152725 | Building Export and Import Businesses | 30 |
| 156700 | Essentials of Marketing | 30 |
| 188751 | Advanced Zero Waste for Sustainability | 30 |
| 235702 | Māori Resource and Environmental Management - Whenua | 15 |
Part Two
| 60 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 152894 | Professional Practice | 60 |
Planning your programme
Planning overview
If you study full-time, you’ll take 120 credits per year or 60 credits per semester.
If you have a Postgraduate Diploma in Business, or equivalent, with a B- grade average, and gain admission to the 120 credit version of the Master of Management, you will complete 120 credits from one subject. These 120 credits will consist of 60 credits from Part One and 60 credits of Professional Practice.
Maximum time limits for completion
There are time limits to complete postgraduate qualifications. If you do not complete within the maximum time, you may be required to re-apply for the programme if you wish to continue your studies.
Time limits for Honours, Distinction and Merit
Where your qualification is completed within the stated time limit and to a high standard, you may be able to graduate with a class of Honours, or Distinction or Merit.
- Look for information under ‘Student Progression’ in the General Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas and Postgraduate Certificates.
- Contact us through the Enquire button on this page if you have any questions.
Fees and scholarships
Fees and finance
Fees, student loans and free fees scheme
Your tuition fees may be different depending on the courses you choose. Your exact fees will show once you have chosen your courses.
There will also be some compulsory non-tuition fees and for some courses, there may also be charges for things such as study resources, software, trips and contact workshops.
Already know which courses you're going to choose?
If you already know which courses you are going to take, you can use our fees calculator to get an estimate of your fees.
Student loans (StudyLink) and Fees Free scheme
You may be eligible for a student loan to help towards paying your fees.
The New Zealand Government offers fees-free tertiary study for eligible domestic students. Find out more about the scheme and your eligibility on the Fees Free website. To use the site's eligibility checking tool, you will need your National Student Number.
Current and returning Massey students will find their National Student Number on their student homepage.
- Student loans (StudyLink)
- Fees Free
- Student homepage login
A good fit if you:
- have an undergraduate degree (not necessarily in business)
- would like to change or progress a management career
- are interested in a qualification that is primarily taught and practice-based.
Meet our lecturers
Nicola Shadbolt is a Professor of Farm & Agribusiness Management and the DairyNZ Chair in Farm Business Management. She holds board positions in the International Food & Agribusiness Management Association, Fonterra Cooperative and various farming entities. Her research includes a specific focus on strategic management, farm business analysis and risk and resilience in farming systems. Parallel research related to off-farm strategies has focused on collective action by landowners, in particular through the formation, management and governance of cooperatives.
Nicola Shadbolt
Professor of Farm & AgriBusiness Management
Accreditations and rankings
Massey Business School is rated in the top 5% of global business colleges by AACSB International.
Key information for students
Compare qualifications and academic information across different New Zealand institutions.
Regulations
Review this important information before you apply for this programme. This gives you full details of the rules and regulations about what you need to study and what you must achieve in order to graduate with this qualification. That includes structure, courses and requirements. These regulations should be read in conjunction with all other Statutes and Regulations of the University including the below.
Postgraduate regulations
General Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas and Postgraduate Certificates.
Applying and enrolling
Applying for the programme
Check you are ready
If you are ready to apply, have a look at our application checklist. It will help you get prepared with what you need. Please also check the entry requirements carefully before you apply.
Choose your programme and click on Apply now
You will apply for the programme using the Apply now button on this page. You’ll also choose your specialisation (major, subject or endorsement) if applicable.
Some programmes have additional requirements such as the submission of a portfolio or CV. Click on Apply now and you will be able to submit those documents as part of the application process.
Receive and accept an Admission Offer of Place
You will receive an Admission Offer of Place when you have been accepted into the programme. You need to accept this before you can enrol in your courses. International students also need to pay their fees at this point.
Enrolling in courses
You’ll then get access to your own student homepage (also known as the student portal). This is where you can enrol in courses. Any updates on your application or enrolments will also be on your student homepage. Make sure you check this regularly.
When you choose courses, ensure you check for any requirements that apply including:
- prerequisites (courses you have to do before the one you are enrolling in)
- corequisites (courses you have to do at the same time as the one you are enrolling in)
- restrictions (courses that you cannot enrol in if you are completing or have completed another identified similar course)
- location – for instance some distance-based courses still have an on-campus element, so double check that the way the course is taught is suitable for your situation.
Each of our courses has its own webpage where you can find this information. You can use our course search to find course pages.
More information on courses is in the ‘Courses for this programme’ section on this page.
You can find information on application due dates and semester dates on the key dates page.
We look forward to welcoming you to Massey!
If you have any questions, contact us through the Enquire button on this page.
What are courses and credits?
What are courses and credits?
Each Massey programme is made up of courses (in some tertiary institutions they are called ‘papers’).
You will have some compulsory courses and some you can choose from.
Each course is worth a certain amount of credits (often 15 credits, but this does vary). You must gain a set number of credits to be able to graduate from this programme.
There may also be some rules about which courses you need to pass to progress to the next year, or stage, of your study (known as progression). There are also courses you must pass to graduate with a specialisation.
- See the ‘Courses for this programme’ section for the list of courses.
- Courses search
Understanding course numbers
The first three digits of our course numbers show you which subject the course is about.
The second three digits show you the level and course ID number. For instance:
- sub-degree courses are '0' (i.e. xxx.0xx)
- undergraduate study begins at 100-level, (i.e. xxx.1xx)
- as you progress through 200- and 300-level courses this number changes to 2 and 3 respectively. The higher the number that starts the second three digits, the higher the level of study.
| 1 | 6 | 2 | . | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
| Subject area | Level | Course ID number | |||||
Workload and time management
Use this tool to help determine how much time you will need each week to complete your studies.
Returning students
For returning students, there may be changes to the majors and minors available and the courses you need to take. Go to the section called ‘Transitional Provisions’ in the Regulations to find out more.
In some cases the programme or specialisation you enrolled in may no longer be taking new enrolments, so may not appear on these web pages. To find information on the regulations for these programmes go to the Massey University Calendar.
Please contact us through the Enquire button on this page if you have any questions.
Scholarships and awards
Scholarships related to this programme
- Fuji Xerox Global Student Exchange Scholarship
- Fuji Xerox Postgraduate Bursary
- Joe Walding Memorial Bursary
- Lovell and Berys Clark Scholarships
There are a number of scholarships available for new and current students. They could relate to your situation, achievement or interest.