Overview
You will be in demand
At Massey many of our agribusiness students have jobs before they even graduate.
Level
- Undergraduate, NZQF Level 7
Credits
- 360
Duration
- 3 year(s) full-time. Available part-time.
Other
- Previously called the Bachelor of AgriCommerce. Some distance courses contain compulsory contact workshops.
From running large farm-based agribusinesses right through to international food trade, you will gain the skills and sound business knowledge to help progress the future of New Zealand’s primary production sector.
Join industry at a senior level
New Zealand’s economy is dominated by agriculture and food. The industry generates close to $37 billion in export earnings a year and international demand is predicted to continue to grow.
Massey’s agribusiness programme aligns itself with agribusiness industries throughout the world. This ensures our graduates have the skills and industry knowledge employers need.
What will you learn?
This three-year world-class programme will:
- teach you about farm production systems, supply chain management, marketing, food economies, and international agribusiness
- give you a strong understanding of what it takes to be sustainable and competitive in global food and fibre markets
- provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to deliver in future workplaces
- give you a sound knowledge of land-based systems and agribusiness along with specialist knowledge in one area of agribusiness
- teach you to apply and integrate scientific, technological and business knowledge to meet marketplace demands
- ensure you will be a good analytical thinker able to interpret information to develop sound and innovative solutions
- give you an understanding of ethics, multi-cultural and international environments
- help you develop into an effective communicator and a self-directed, independent learner
- give you management skills applicable across the primary industries.
Join a world-leading university
Our proud record dates back to 1927 when we offered New Zealand’s first degrees in agriculture and horticulture. We have the largest Young Farmer’s Club in New Zealand.
Specialisations
Majors, subjects or endorsements
Minors
For more information on minors see the Courses and planning tab.
International Agribusiness
Māori Agribusiness
Rural Valuation
Careers and further study
Careers
New Zealand’s agribusiness sector is flourishing, and there is strong demand for graduates, from running large farm-based businesses through to international trade.
You will emerge with the knowledge and foundation skills for several career paths:
- international marketing
- economics
- rural banking
- rural valuation
- government
- business
- sales
- purchasing
- consultancy
- farm management
- farm ownership
- purchasing manager.
International students
New Zealand is a great place to study. Massey University’s reputation is supported by our international rankings, accreditations and associations. We are rated five star plus by the QS World University Rankings.
Massey University has small class sizes, and our lecturers and staff are friendly and approachable.
As an international student, there are entry requirements that will apply to you. We recommend that you apply at least three months before your anticipated start date so your application can be processed in time. There are additional steps you will need to take. These include obtaining a visa and travel bookings if your study is to be in New Zealand.
Entry requirements
University admission
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
Programme admission
Required
There are no specific entry requirements for this programme, outside of university admission regulations.
English language requirements
To study this programme you must meet Massey University's English language standards.
Recommended
To be successful in your studies we recommend that you have credit for NCEA Level 3 in at least some of the below subject areas:
- agriculture
- horticulture
- biology
- chemistry
- geography
- economics
- modelling
- statistics.
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
Pathway tool
If you are unsure whether you have the right background/subjects to study this programme, our tool will help you to figure out what you might need to do before starting your qualification.
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.
- English Language Proficiency
- Foundation Certificate in Academic English
- Foundation Certificate in Advanced Academic English
- Full Foundation - Certificate in Foundation Studies
Summer School
If you need to do a course before you start your programme, there may be options for you in Summer School.
Courses and planning
Credit summary
360 credits
300 credits (at least)
From the Schedule to the Degree including:
Core courses
Major courses
60 credits
Elective courses
Ensure that overall, you also have:
- No more than 165 credits at 100 level
- At least 75 credits at 300 level
- 26 weeks of practical work experience and complete reports 119150 and 119250
Attend field trips, studios, workshops, tutorials and laboratories as required.
See ‘Courses for this programme’ below for schedules of courses.
Courses for this programme
Schedule A: Core courses
| 135 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 112248 | Food and Agribusiness Value Chains | 15 |
| 115112 | Accounting for Business | 15 |
| 115113 | Economics for Business | 15 |
| 115114 | Finance Fundamentals | 15 |
| 115211 | Business Law | 15 |
| 117153 | Introduction to Animal Production in New Zealand | 15 |
| 119120 | Plants for Agriculture and Horticulture | 15 |
| 119150 | Practicum I | 0 |
| 119180 | Introduction to Agribusiness | 15 |
| 119250 | Practicum II | 0 |
| 119373 | Integrative Studies | 15 |
Schedule B: Specialisations
Majors
Please refer to individual specialisation page for a list of courses for your specialisation.Minors
Please refer to individual specialisation page for a list of courses for your specialisation.Majors and minors
About specialisations
Completing a major is compulsory. To complete a major in the Bachelor of Agribusiness you must pass 165 credits in specified areas.
About minors
Completing a minor is optional. Minors increase the breadth of your degree. They give you extra knowledge, attributes and capabilities. A minor must be in a different subject from your major.
You may choose a minor from any University undergraduate degree that has recognised minors. If the minor is from another degree the regulations of that programme will apply.
Bachelor of Agribusiness minors
The following are the Bachelor of Agribusiness minors. See this programme’s regulations on this page for details of requirements.
International Agribusiness
Learn about the global agri-food system. This includes everything from on-farm procurement in New Zealand to export and distribution of food and other agricultural products to consumers around the world.
Māori Agribusiness
Gain the understanding and skills to work in, or with, Māori agribusiness. You will learn about the land and natural resources, business and culture in a Māori context.
Rural Valuation
Learn about land-based systems and agribusiness and gain specialist valuation knowledge preparing you for exciting opportunities in the dynamic rural property industry.
International Agribusiness
Māori Agribusiness
Rural Valuation
Planning your programme
Planning overview
If you study full-time, in your first year, you’ll take eight 15-credit courses, making a total of 120 credits.
If you wish to study over two semesters, you should aim for 60 credits per semester. You may be able to take some courses at summer school. Make sure you include courses that are prerequisites for the next level of courses you wish to study.
Capstone course
‘Capstone’ courses are designed to be taken in your last year of study. This relies on you having completed the correct first and second year courses and ties your learning together. The capstone course for this qualification is 119.373 Integrative Studies
Practical work requirement
There is a practical work requirement for this degree, consisting of at least 26 weeks full-time work. This is completed by submission of two reports for assessment. Practical work is normally done during summer vacations throughout the degree. Summer jobs are readily available on farms, orchards and other rural enterprises.
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:
- would like to have a career associated with agriculture or horticulture
- are interested in the business/commercial side of farming
- would like to be a leader of this innovative industry.
Meet our students
“
Massey was the first university to provide the mix of science and business I was looking for in one degree. This mix suited me and was one of the main reasons I decided to join Massey.
” Kate Longman
“
My study at Massey has given me a really good broad understanding of the agricommerce sector and has taught me how to socialise and network with people on a professional level.
” Lauren Woolerton
Accreditations and rankings
Massey is world-ranked and New Zealand’s No 1 university in agriculture according to QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) rankings.
Massey University is ranked by QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) as one of the top 300 universities for business and management.
Massey University is ranked No.1 in New Zealand for agricultural science by ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.
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.
Undergraduate programmes
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 | |||||
About electives
Electives are courses that are not compulsory. Certain guidelines are usually provided on courses you may take. Elective courses contribute to the programme, but not to your major or specialisation.
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
- Agcarm Undergraduate Agricultural Scholarship
- Alex C P Chu Trade for Training Scholarship
- Allan Kay Undergraduate Memorial Scholarship
- Charles W. R. Smith Memorial Scholarship
- David Levene Foundation Bursaries
There are a number of scholarships available for new and current students. They could relate to your situation, achievement or interest.