Institute of Land and Food Resources : Guide to courses

14. Bachelor of Agricultural Science/Bachelor of Commerce

Table of Contents

 14. Bachelor of Agricultural Science/Bachelor of Commerce

This course has been developed in response to a demand for agricultural science to be combined with a more specialist training in economics and commerce than is currently possible in the BAgrSc degree. Students can choose a combination of economics, econometrics, accounting and management subjects in order to design a course which fits an intended career path.

This combined course takes five years of full-time study, during which students must obtain 500 study points. Of these, 300 must be from agricultural science and 200 from commerce.

Agriculture points must include:

• all first and second year and subjects for the BAgrSc degree (except for the first-year elective, 620-031 and 620-032 Statistics subjects, 212-207 Field Experimentation and 212-202 Agricultural Economics);

• 212-403 Agricultural Policies and International Trade;

• 212-410 Agricultural Business Management and Marketing;

• Vacation Work Parts 1 & 2 (12 weeks of compulsory work experience).

Commerce points must include:

• at least 50 points from 100-level subjects;

• at least 50 points from 300-level subjects;

• compulsory subjects: 316-101 Introductory Macroeconomics, 316-102 Introductory Microeconomics, and two quantitative methods subjects (or approved equivalent subjects in mathematics/statistics).

 14.1. Course objectives

The Bachelor of Agricultural Science/Bachelor of Commerce course has as its objectives that graduates:

• understand the components of the agricultural sector of the Australian economy and the importance of that sector to the economy;

• have an understanding of Australian economic institutions and policy, including industry and trade policy;

• have an appreciation of recent changes in the Australian economy, especially in relation to developments in the Asia-Pacific region;

• have acquired mastery of the necessary theoretical concepts and tools, from economics, agricultural sciences, business management and marketing, for analysing and solving problems in agribusiness activities or in natural resource use or agricultural policy, and are skilled in communicating the results;

• appreciate the implications for agricultural business operations of the biological nature of agricultural production processes;

• are aware of the institutional and regulatory environment within which agricultural businesses function;

• understand the behaviour of international markets for the products of the agricultural sector;

• have had practical experience in some part of the agricultural sector;

• have a capacity and motivation for further learning.

 14.2. A typical combined degree course

 14.2.1. First year (8 subjects)

• Biology (both semesters)

• Chemistry (both semesters)

• Agriculture and the Australian Environment

• Quantitative Methods 1

• Introductory Microeconomics

• Introductory Macroeconomics

 14.2.2. Second year (7 subjects)

• Biochemistry

• Computer Applications

• Science and Communication

• Business Statistics

• Intermediate Microeconomics

• Commerce elective

• Elective

 14.2.3. Third year (8 subjects)

• Agricultural Botany

• Animal Science 1

• Soil Resources

• Introductory Econometrics

• Commerce electives

 14.2.4. Fourth year (8 subjects)

• Agricultural Business Management and Marketing

• Three 300-level Agriculture Electives

• Vacation Work Part 1

• Commerce electives

 14.2.5. Fifth year (8 subjects)

• Agricultural Policies and International Trade

• Social Research Methods

• Two 400-level Agricultural Science Electives

• Vacation Work Part 2

• Commerce electives

 14.2.6. Honours

• BCom(Hons) requires sixth year (refer to Handbook Volume 3)

• BAgrSc(Hons)is based on results in 300 and 400-level subjects

Status:                   Official 1999
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Email Enquiries:          Course_Information@registrar.unimelb.edu.au