The challenges of food security, climate change and developments in agricultural technology mean that there is an increasing demand for highly trained agricultural scientists both within Australia and worldwide.
The Graduate Diploma in Rural Science is designed to allow students with a background in the sciences to develop expertise in agricultural science. Students study core units in agricultural science (agronomy, animal science, soil science and land management) and then select either the plant science or animal science stream.
Career Outcomes
There are opportunities in advisory roles in agricultural extension, property management working with State Departments of Primary Industry and private consultants providing advice on scientific, technical and economic matters.
Eligibility
Students are assumed to have a basic knowledge of chemistry, biology and mathematics.
Academic entrance:
The normal requirement for admission to candidature is a three year Bachelor degree, preferably with a background in the basic sciences of biology, chemistry and statistics.
Professional work experience:
Applicants who have other qualifications and relevant professional experience will also be considered.
How to Apply
This course is restricted. Students are required to apply and be approved by the University of New England before they can enrol in units through OUA.
Applications for the Graduate Diploma in Rural Science are due two weeks prior to the close of enrolment.
Please complete the application form below.
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Read information requirements
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Select to apply for one or more courses listed on the application form, taking note
of the eligibility criteria for each course. If you want to apply for a (restricted)
course with a different university, you'll need to submit a separate application
from the relevant course page.
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Read all parts of the application form in advance:
Receive a faster response by ensuring you have all the required information ready
before you start.
If you have a web account, sign
in first to pre-fill personal details we already have for you on record.
If you do not have a web account, you'll need to register one within the
application form. Once you've registered an account, you'll then be signed
in. From here you can choose to complete your application and submit it,
or save and return to it later.
Completing this application should take 15 to 20 minutes.
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Need help completing your application? Contact us:
If in doubt about any of the information required to support your application, the
more information you can provide the better. If you have any academic queries
including how to request credit transfer, contact University of New England directly.
For all other enquiries, contact us.
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Next steps:
After submitting your application, you should receive a confirmation email containing
a copy of your application for your records.
Your application will be assessed within 2-4 weeks, and if further information is
required, we will contact you. Once your application has been assessed, we will
be in touch via email to notify you of the outcome. At the latest this will be
one week after the closing date for applications.
If, after submitting your application, you wish to change your
preferences or submit an additional document, please email apply@open.edu.au. Include your full
name as it appeared on the application.
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Prepare supporting documents
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Check that you have all the required documents, according to individual course
requirements and your personal circumstances, specifically:
- Your curriculum vitae - required for entry into postgraduate courses
only.
- Certified
copies of academic transcripts - required in most cases but check course
eligibility rules.
- A letter of recommendation from your employer on company letterhead -
recommended for entry using work experience.
- Certified legal documentation - if you have changed your name e.g. a marriage
certificate, deed poll name change certificate.
- Certified legal documentation - if you need to correct an error in your date of
birth e.g. a birth certificate.
- English language test results - if your courses were not predominantly in
English e.g. IELTS
or equivalent test results.
- Official translations of any documents not in English.
A "certified" copy is a copy bearing the recognised mark of a Justice of the Peace,
Commission of Oaths or declarations, Public Notary or a Solicitor.
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Create an electronic copy of your attachments:
For each certified document, scan and save it on your computer. Save your curriculum
vitae to your computer, then get ready to upload all documents in the form.
Do not send original documents as they will not be returned.
Then submit your application in one of two ways:
On-campus Requirements
Each unit in the course has a four-day intensive residential school at the Armidale NSW campus of UNE. The intensive for GRNS300 will be at Toowoomba, Queensland.
Students enrolling in SOIL220 should note that the on-campus requirement for this unit is before the start of Session 2 .
Students should contact the course coordinator (jrobert2@une.edu.au) for further information about the on-campus attendance requirements.
Award Requirements
To qualify for the Graduate Diploma in Rural Science students must complete eight units including four core units. For the exit award of Graduate Certificate in Rural Science students must complete any four units.
Recognition of Prior Learning / Credit
The maximum advanced standing shall be for four units which are deemed to be equivalent to units offered by UNE and approved for the course. Credit may be given for units completed at UNE, NSW TAFE Graduate Vocational Certificate in Rural Extension and Community Development or for units completed from another institution and not counted towards an awarded qualification.
Credit may also be given for one unit on the basis of considerable professional experience.
Recommended Study Pattern
Students must complete four core units and four units from either the Plant Science stream or the Animal Science stream.
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Students are recommended to start with the core units before selecting either the Plant Science or Animal Science stream
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Full-time students starting in Session 1 should enrol in two of AGRO211, ANPR211 and RSNR403
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Full-time students starting in Session 2 should enrol in SOIL220 and a unit from their selected Stream
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Part-time students starting in either Session 1 or Session 2 should enrol in a core unit from the list below
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All students are encouraged to contact the course coordinator for an enrolment plan.
Related Courses
This course sits within a group of courses, giving you the flexibility to study towards different levels of qualification. The courses are listed from the highest to the lowest qualification.
