Undergraduate courses offered by the Faculty
Bachelor of Agricultural Science (SBAS) – Melbourne (Bundoora)
This course is designed to encourage a basic understanding of the relationships between soils, plants, animals, economics, and the environment. It should be emphasised that the degree is in agricultural science, not in farming. Agriculture is not only an important component of our environment; it reacts with and affects the non-agricultural components. The emphasis in the course is, therefore, on the sciences relevant to an understanding of primary production, resource management and on agribusiness.
The course concentrates on the sciences concerned with soil productivity, plant, and animal production and on agribusiness and marketing. These include soil science, plant and animal nutrition, physiology and biochemistry, plant and animal health, pest ecology and management, climate change, agribusiness, statistics and experimental design, and case studies in agricultural production and its impact on the environment.
The applied science and agribusiness studies, which are the foundations of the Bachelor of Agricultural Science, have a highly successful record in leading to a wide variety of careers in agricultural, industrial research and commercial organisations. Professional recognition would apply for graduates, as they are eligible to become members of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology.
Industry experience
An essential requirement of the degree is twelve weeks of approved industry experience, taken during the vacations.
Course structure
The course requires the completion of 480 credit points over four years of full-time or equivalent part-time study. This is a fixed content course.
First year (120 credit points)
| Teaching period | Subject name | Subject code | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Agricultural Systems | AGR1SYS | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Organisation and Function of Cells and Organisms | BIO1OF | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Statistics for Life Sciences | STA1LS | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Applications of Chemistry | CHE1APL | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Genetics, Human Biology and Evolution | BIO1GEN | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Physics for Life Sciences B | PHY1LSB | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Plant Science | BIO1PS | 15 |
Choose one first-semester chemistry subject. Students who have passed VCE Chemistry, Units 3 and 4 or equivalent, must choose CHE1GEN.
| Teaching period | Subject name | Subject code | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Basic Chemistry | CHE1BAS | 15 |
| or | |||
| TE-SEM-1 | General Principles of Chemistry | CHE1GEN | 15 |
Second year (120 credit points)
| Teaching period | Subject name | Subject code | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Biochemistry for Agricultural Sciences | AGR2BAS | 20 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Introduction to Land and Soil Management | AGR2ILM | 20 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Plant Molecular Biology, Physiology and Nutrition | BOT2MPN | 20 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Climate Sustainability and Society | ENV1CSS | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Landscape Management with GIS and Remote Sensing | AGR2LMG | 10 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Foundations of Marketing | MKT1FMK | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Animal Physiology | ZOO2APH | 20 |
Third year (120 credit points)
| Teaching period | Subject name | Subject code | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Agricultural Management Economics | AGR3AME | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Animal Health | AGR3ANH | 20 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Global Environmental Issues | ECO2GEI | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Plant Pests and Diseases | AGR3PPD | 10 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Agriculture Environment Interactions | AGR3AEI | 10 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Animal Nutrition | AGR3ANN | 20 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Sustainable Plant Production | AGR3SPP | 10 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Land and Soil Management | AGR3LSM | 20 |
Fourth year (120 credit points)
| Teaching period | Subject name | Subject code | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Agricultural Case Studies | AGR4ACS | 20 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Advanced Experimental Design | AGR4AED | 10 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Communication and Critical Analysis | AGR4CCA | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Commodity Derivatives | FIN3DER | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Research Project | AGR4RPR | 60 |
For a full description of these subjects, including the subject name, subject code, credit points, campus/location, subject coordinator, class requirements, assessment, prerequisites and readings, students should access the Subject Database at www.latrobe.edu.au/udb_public.