Bachelor of Agricultural and Resource Economics
Online
DURATION
4 up to 10 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Oct 2024
TUITION FEES
USD 28,216 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning, On-Campus
* annual course fees only cover the cost of tuition. They do not include other expenses associated with university study.
Introduction
Food safety and security, natural resource depletion, climate change and the drive for sustainability are among the most significant global challenges of our time. There is a growing demand for professionals who are skilled at solving economics problems and making decisions relevant to these critical agricultural and natural resource issues.
With UNE’s Bachelor of Agricultural and Resource Economics, you will build specialist quantitative skills to pivot your career in a diverse range of agricultural and natural resource settings.
Why study the Bachelor of Agricultural and Resource Economics with UNE?
Our course is uniquely positioned to equip you with the knowledge, skills and attributes you need to solve economic problems and drive decision making in various sectors grappling with agricultural and natural resource issues, whether you work in business, government or the community.
Students consistently award UNE the maximum 5-star ratings for Overall Experience and Student Support in The Good Universities Guide, so when you study with us, you know you are in good hands.
What makes our course different?
We offer a unique opportunity to examine agriculture and natural resources through an economics lens. Specifically, you will be able to:
- Develop advanced skills in analysing economic trade-offs, weighing up costs and benefits, and interpreting the interconnected relationships between economic activity, environmental depletion and production systems.
- Apply initiative, judgement and critical thinking to solving real-world agricultural and natural resource issues.
- Consider current agricultural and natural resources challenges from a global perspective.
- Undertake an in-depth research project, with supportive supervision, giving you valuable practical experience in analysing agricultural and natural resource issues.
- Hone your understanding of social responsibility in relation to agricultural and business practices and develop an appreciation of the importance of the environment and sustainability.
- Choose between a coursework-only option, or undertake an embedded honours program, comprised of a supervised program of reading and research and a dissertation that investigates and reports on a particular area of economic enquiry that interests you.
- Undertake practical work experience.
- Participate in overseas study tours and exchange programs that value add to your degree, such as attending the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA) symposium.
- Choose between the flexibility of studying online where you can balance your work and study commitments to suit you or studying on-campus in Armidale, where you’ll be living in a regional community and will see the relevance of your learnings first-hand.
- Interact with the Smart Region Incubator, an innovative hub co-located in our Business School, that connects regional businesses that have growth potential with academic business research, business mentors, corporate and community partners.
Study online
Most of our students choose to study online across three study periods with 24/7 tutor support* and fit study around work and family commitments. Uniquely, our online students are mostly over 30 and bring valuable experience with them. They form a community of adults juggling the same challenges and priorities and who bring their life and work experience together at UNE in order to become future-fit and better respond to a rapidly changing world.
Study on campus
Many of our students choose to take advantage of the on-campus lifestyle in Armidale, in the beautiful New England region, with access to unparalleled support, accommodation and sporting facilities. These students are often starting their first degree and have left school recently. Through access to academic and career support they get a fantastic start to their careers.
24/7 tutor support includes: essay feedback (within 24 hours); live chat 24/7 for generic feedback on academic writing; and subject-specific help at a foundation or first-year level for subjects including mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, business, accounting, microeconomics, macroeconomics and statistics. There are also a wide range of workshops, resources and courses available in academic skills support to assist you and help you to succeed.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
UNE offers bursaries and scholarships that can help you with the costs of studying and living in Australia.
The UNE International Bursary reduces the published annual tuition fees for international students by up to 30%. These bursaries are available for international students commencing coursework studies at UNE in 2023.
We currently are offering a 20% Bursary for the 2024 intake.
UNE also offers a number of substantial research scholarships to postgraduate students studying for research-based degrees.
View detailed Bursary information.
Curriculum
Course structure
- To qualify for the award a candidate must pass units to the value of 192 credit points with not more than 60 credit points at 100 level; at least 72 credit points at 300 level; and not more than 24 credit points at 400 level.
- To qualify for the award of Honours a candidate must pass units to the value of 192 credit points with not more than 60 credit points at 100 level; at least 36 credit points at 300 level; and at least 42 credit points at 400 level including BUS481C.
Rule A
192 credit points
Coursework Candidates
Core Units
120 credit points
Complete the following units:
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems II (AGSY102)
- Business and Economic Analysis of Chains and Networks (BUS301)
- Introductory Microeconomics (ECON101)
- Introductory Macroeconomics (ECON102)
- Food Security and Environmental Scarcity (ECON121)
- Intermediate Microeconomics (ECON201)
- Intermediate Macroeconomics (ECON202)
- Farm and Resource Management (ECON223)
- Introductory Econometrics (ECON271)
- Introductory Econometrics (ECON371)
- International Trade and Finance (ECON317)
- International Trade and Finance (ECON417)
- Benefit-Cost Analysis (ECON326)
- Microeconomic Policy Evaluation (ECON328)
- Microeconomic Policy Evaluation (ECON428)
- Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (ECON329)
- Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (ECON429)
- Risk Management in Agribusiness (ECON334)
- Risk Management in Agribusiness (ECON434)
- Price Analysis in Food and Fibre Markets (ECON335)
- Price Analysis in Food and Fibre Markets (ECON435)
- Introduction to Business Law (LSSU251)
- Quantitative Skills with Applications (MTHS110)
- Business Statistics (QM161)
- Introduction to Business Analytics (QM162)
- Business Decision Making (QM265)
- Business Decision Making (QM365)
Listed Units
48 credit points
Coursework candidates must complete 48 credit points from the following units:
- Sheep Management (ANPR350)
- Sheep Management (ANPR450)
- Financial Management I (AFM217)
- Capstone Project (BUS481A)
- Applied Econometrics (ECON376)
- Efficiency and Productivity Analysis (ECON377)
- Advanced Microeconomics (ECON408)
- Management Practices in Responsible Organisations (MM203)
- Strategic Marketing (MM316)
- Strategic Planning and Sustainability (MM403)
- Overseas Study Experience (OSSE300)
- Analytics for Business Research (QM367)
- Work Integrated Learning - Professional Skills Development (WORK300)
Elective Units
24 credit points
Coursework candidates must 24 credit points.
Elective Units can be selected from any unit offered by the University subject to candidates meeting overall course requirements and prerequisite and timetabling requirements for individual units.
Rule B
192 credit points
Honours Candidates
Core Units
150 credit points
Complete the following units:
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems II (AGSY102)
- Business and Economic Analysis of Chains and Networks (BUS301)
- Research Methods (BUS305)
- Dissertation (BUS481C)
- Introductory Microeconomics (ECON101)
- Introductory Macroeconomics (ECON102)
- Food Security and Environmental Scarcity (ECON121)
- Intermediate Microeconomics (ECON201)
- Intermediate Macroeconomics (ECON202)
- Farm and Resource Management (ECON223)
- Introductory Econometrics (ECON271)
- Introductory Econometrics (ECON371)
- International Trade and Finance (ECON317)
- International Trade and Finance (ECON417)
- Benefit-Cost Analysis (ECON326)
- Risk Management in Agribusiness (ECON334)
- Risk Management in Agribusiness (ECON434)
- Microeconomic Policy Evaluation (ECON428)
- Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (ECON429)
- Price Analysis in Food and Fibre Markets (ECON435)
- Introduction to Business Law (LSSU251)
- Quantitative Skills with Applications (MTHS110)
- Business Statistics (QM161)
- Introduction to Business Analytics (QM162)
- Business Decision Making (QM265)
- Business Decision Making (QM365)
Listed Units
36 credit points
Honours candidates complete 36 credit points from the following units:
- Sheep Management (ANPR350)
- Sheep Management (ANPR450)
- Financial Management I (AFM217)
- Applied Econometrics (ECON376)
- Efficiency and Productivity Analysis (ECON377)
- Advanced Microeconomics (ECON408)
- Management Practices in Responsible Organisations (MM203)
- Strategic Marketing (MM316)
- Strategic Planning and Sustainability (MM403)
- Overseas Study Experience (OSSE300)
- Analytics for Business Research (QM367)
- Work Integrated Learning - Professional Skills Development (WORK300)
Elective Units
6 credit points
Honours candidates complete 6 credit points.
Elective Units can be selected from any unit offered by the University subject to candidates meeting overall course requirements and prerequisite and timetabling requirements for individual units.
Program Outcome
- BAgResEc: understand, explain and apply disciplinary concepts to agricultural and natural resource issues;
- With initiative and judgement apply critical thinking and problem solving skills to address real agricultural and natural resource issues;
- Use quantitative data to critically analyse agricultural and natural resource issues and understand their role in economic and business decision-making and policy decisions;
- Be effective communicators of agriculture and resource economics by communicating results, information or arguments to a range of audiences for a range of purposes and using a variety of modes; and
- Be accountable for their own learning and work by being independent and self-directed learners; working effectively, responsibly and safely in an individual or team context; taking responsibility and accountability for personal outputs and all aspects of the work or function of others within broad parameters; and demonstrating knowledge of the regulatory frameworks relevant to agricultural and resource economics and personally practising ethical conduct.
- BAgResEc with Honours: demonstrate an advanced understanding, explanation and application of disciplinary concepts to complex agricultural and natural resource issues;
- With initiative and judgement apply critical thinking and advanced problem solving skills to address complex agricultural and natural resource issues and develop new understanding;
- Be effective communicators of agriculture and resource economics by communicating results and research to informed professional audiences;
- Conduct a research investigation under supervision in a research or professional environment by critically analysing a challenging complex or multi-faceted problem, identifying research questions, designing and planning a project; selecting and applying practical and/or theoretical techniques or tools to address a research question; analysing, interpreting and critically evaluating research findings; and
- Be accountable for their own learning and work by being independent and self-directed learners; working effectively, responsibly and safely in an individual or team context; taking responsibility and accountability for personal outputs and all aspects of the work or function of others within broad parameters; and demonstrating knowledge of the regulatory frameworks relevant to agricultural and resource economics and personally practising ethical conduct.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
You will graduate with a strong economic and quantitative background that allows you to explore a variety of professional career options in the private and public sectors, domestically and internationally, or to advance to higher degree studies.
You could consider positions in:
- government departments and bureaus
- industry bodies such as Meat and Livestock Australia, and Graincorp
- agribusiness and primary production
- commodity trading
- agribusiness banking, finance and insurance
- investment banking.