Career possiblities

Australia has a critical shortage of agricultural scientists. The nation currently trains 300 agriculture students each year to meet an annual demand of over 4000 jobs! La Trobe is dedicated to producing highly-skilled agricultural scientists to meet the demands of the industry.

21st century challenges

It has never been more important for the agriculture industry to have access to well-trained, highly-skilled graduates. The challenges facing Australia and the world will ensure our graduates have access to a wide-range of employment opportunities.

In the video below, Associate Professor Peter Sale explains how agricultural science will play a central role in the 21st century.

Food security

Food Security is a most pressing issue, both nationally and around the world. Agricultural sciences address the urgent issue of increasing food production in an environmentally responsible way, underpinning Australia’s food security and also our capacity to contribute to the issue globally.

The Australian agriculture industry produces enough food to directly feed 60 million people and support the diets of about 400 million people. The industry will therefore be a pillar of our foreign policy, and graduates in agricultural sciences will play a key role in defining Australia as a global citizen.

Research and innovation

The productivity growth in Australian agriculture during the latter half of the 20th Century can be attributed to the research and development activity carried out in the sector. The increasing need for innovation to increase productivity and to maintain the competitiveness of our agricultural industries, suggests that there is a compelling need for the nation to maintain its agricultural research capacity.

Therefore, the industry will rely upon well-trained graduates to continue Australia’s high-quality research, and to also service the needs of industry. Our Department is committed to the supply of skilled agricultural sciences graduates and the nurturing of a rich agricultural biosciences research environment.

Industry sectors

The industry is becoming increasingly complex, requiring a range of specialists to address the many areas of need. Graduates will therefore have many opportunities to work in a wide range of fields, in both rural and city settings. These include:

  • agribusiness
  • agronomy
  • biotechnology
  • conservation
  • environmental protection
  • resource management
  • research.

Our graduates can also take their expertise offshore and work to improve food production and self-sufficiency in developing countries.