Agriculture

About the stream and embedded program

The growing demand for efficient food production and the development of new methodologies and technologies, including sensors, robotics and big data analytics means that the agriculture of the 21st century requires graduates who have the expertise to fully exploit these new and exciting approaches. Agriculture is by nature multi-disciplinary and requires breadth of knowledge in four main areas; plant production, animal production, soil science and hydrology, integrated with agribusiness.

The Agriculture program will provide students with the understanding they need to address the big challenges and opportunities facing agriculture into the future. In this program students will develop knowledge and skills to explain the role and relevance of agriculture and understand the major scientific, technological and economic drivers that support changes in agricultural practice. Students will develop strong multi-disciplinary understanding of agricultural practice and innovation, strengthened by the ability to generate, manage and analyse agriculturally-derived experimental, temporal and spatial data.

Requirements for completion

A stream in Agriculture requires 120 credit points, consisting of:

(i) 6 credit points of 1000-level stream core units
(ii) 6 credit points of 2000-level stream core units
(iii) A 108 credit point program in Agriculture

A program in Agriculture requires 108 credit points, consisting of:

(i) 12 credit points of 1000-level program core units
(ii) 12 credit points of 2000-level program core units, according to the following:
a) AGRI- and SOIL- coded units for students in the Animal Production major
b) GEGE- and SOIL- coded units for students in the Plant Production major
c) AGRI- and GEGE- coded units for students in the Soil Science and Hydrology major
(iii) 36 credit points of 4000-level program core units
(iv) A 48 credit point major in Animal Production, Plant Production or Soil Science and Hydrology
This program is only available to students enrolled in Agriculture stream.

First year

Stream core:
ENVX1002 Introduction to Statistical Methods

Program core:
ENVI1003 Global Challenges: Food, Water, Climate
GEOS1X01 Earth, Environment and Society

Second year

The second year provides the breadth of knowledge in agriculture with units related to plant and animal production as well as focusing on the essential resources of soil and water. This is complemented by the development of skills in data analytics through the stream core.

Stream Core: ENVX2001 Applied Statistical Methods

Students complete units from their chosen majors:

• AGRI2001 Plant Management in Agroecosystems if completing Plant Production major;
• GEGE2X01 Genetics and Genomics if completing Animal Production major;
• SOIL2005 Soil and Water: Earth's Life Support Systems if completing Soil Science and Hydrology major.

Additionally students complete 12 credit points of program core units as outlined below:

• AGRI2001 Plant Management in Agroecosystems and GEGE2X01 Genetics and Genomics if completing Soil Science and Hydrology major;
• AGRI2001 Plant Management in Agroecosystems and SOIL2005 Soil and Water: Earth's Life Support Systems if completing Animal Production major;
• GEGE2X01 Genetics and Genomics and SOIL2005 Soil and Water: Earth's Life Support Systems if completing Plant Production major.

Third year

Students complete units from their chosen majors.

The third year provides further depth in at least one of the three majors in this stream, a choice from Plant Production, Animal Production, and Soil Science and Hydrology. In your third year you must take at least one designated project unit embedded in the major.

Fourth year

Students complete their Agriculture program with 24 credit points of research project (AFNR4101 and AFNR4102) and 12 credit points of coursework (AFNR4001 Professional Development and AFNR4XXX).

Contact and further information

W http://sydney.edu.au/science/life-environment/
E

Associate Professor Tina Bell
Email:

Example pathways

Students must take a major in either Animal Production, Plant Production, or Soil Science and Hydrology.

Learning Outcomes

Students who graduate from Agriculture will be able to:

1. Exhibit a broad and coherent body of knowledge in agriculture and its related sciences and explain the role and relevance of agriculture and agribusiness in society.
2. Exhibit a deep and integrated understanding of core scientific concepts and principles within the context of agriculture practice.
3. Assess the context within which producers, processors and consumers make decisions and the role that current agricultural knowledge plays in these decisions.
4. Integrate scientific knowledge from agricultural subdisciplines and apply to agricultural practice.
5. Communicate concepts and findings in agriculture through a range of modes for a variety of purposes and audiences, using evidence-based arguments that are robust to critique.
6. Evaluate how major biophysical, economic, social and policy drivers underpin agricultural practice and how they can contribute to changes in practice.
7. Appraise and improve relevant agricultural production systems and their value chains, with specialist knowledge in at least one area.
8. Investigate and solve authentic problems in agriculture, working professionally and responsibly within diverse, collaborative, interdisciplinary teams.
9. Evaluate the economic, social and business applications to agricultural operations across diverse cultural and social settings and put these into practice.