A master's degree in agriculture: advance your career

Ready to take your career in agriculture to the next level? Go further with a Charles Sturt University master’s degree in agriculture and study agricultural business management, digital agriculture or sustainable agriculture.

But which postgraduate agriculture degree is your ideal match? And what specialisation aligns with your interests and career goals? Here’s the dirt (excuse the pun) on our master’s courses that will prepare you for the future of agriculture.

Find the right master’s degree in agriculture for you

It’s all about choice! So, depending on your needs, we have two master’s degrees that will prepare you for a range of leadership roles in the agricultural sector. For instance, you could become an agribusiness leader, delve into emerging technologies, or innovate in strategic management. And the other master’s is your ideal pathway to a research degree. Read on to discover more.

Master of Agricultural Science (with specialisations)

Join us in the heart of the New South Wales food bowl at our Wagga Wagga campus – or study online from wherever you are – with our Master of Agricultural Science¹. This course is a top choice if you want to set foot on campus. Consequently, you could explore our industry-standard agricultural facilities, including:

2,000-hectare commercial mixed farm with cattle and sheep yards
Commercial winery
Feedlot and yards
Global Digital Farm – Australia’s first fully automated commercial farm
Hooligans Creek biodiversity site
National Life Sciences Hub for food security, human, plant and also animal health
Research/teaching crops and commercial farm cropping area
Rhizolysimeter, glasshouses and phytotron

And if you’re interested in a research career, this degree is an ideal pathway to research study. Your study will include a research component, a 32-point dissertation and preparatory subjects, including:

AGS560 Desk-Top Research Critical Analysis
AGS561 Advanced Enquiry Methods
AGS600 Agricultural Research Dissertation

Study this course if: you’re a domestic or international student with a related bachelor’s degree.
Study mode: on campus or online
Duration: 2 years full-time or 4 years part-time
Choose from specialisations in: Agricultural business management Digital agriculture Sustainable agriculture

Master of Agriculture

Want to advance your agriculture career with ultimate study flexibility? Available to study 100% online, the Master of Agriculture² is your perfect choice. If you’re looking to upgrade your qualification or upskill quickly, you can get your master’s in as little as one and a half years. And you’re in safe hands when you study with Australia’s most experienced online university. Our online learning platforms and personalised support give you everything you need to succeed.

Study this course if: you’re a domestic or international student with a related bachelor’s degree.
Study mode: online
Duration: 1.5 years full-time or 3 years part-time
Choose from specialisations in: Agricultural business management Digital agriculture Sustainable agriculture

Specialisations

Agricultural business management: Position yourself as an agribusiness leader and innovator with agricultural business management. Identify emerging opportunities and provide solutions to future agribusiness challenges. Delve into agribusiness accounting, business risk and investment, and international agriproduct trade.

Digital agriculture: Develop proficiency in a range of digital technology applications that will help futureproof global agriculture. Explore emerging agriculture technology and its global application, including remote sensing technology for managing crops and livestock. Enhance your knowledge of drones, GIS remote sensing technology, big data and satellites.

Sustainable agriculture: Hone your skills with sustainable future agriculture and food systems, mitigation and adaptation, climate change impacts and water policy and management. Moreover, investigate the impacts of agriculture on the environment. Prepare for leadership roles in policy, research and strategic management in a wide range of industries. You could also move into advisory, policy or advocacy roles. Work with organisations like Landcare or in catchment management, agricultural education and training, executive management, rural counselling, agricultural consultancy, agricultural finance and natural resource management.

Make a start with a graduate certificate

You can make a start and build your degree with one of our new graduate certificates. Whether you’re interested in agricultural business management, agriculture or sustainable agriculture, we have the ideal option for you. Then, you can go on to study a master’s if you wish. If you’re enrolled in the master’s, you can also choose to exit with a graduate diploma.

Graduate Certificate in Agricultural Business Management³: Enhance your employment opportunities at any point in the agricultural supply chain.
Graduate Certificate in Agriculture⁴: Develop a thorough understanding of the complexity of agricultural production and food systems from a sustainability perspective.
Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture⁵: Hone your knowledge of agricultural and sustainable development goals, and also master sustainable future agricultural systems.

Study your master’s degree in agriculture with experts

No matter which agriculture degree you choose, you’ll be studying with leaders in the field. Our partnerships with the NSW Department of Primary Industries, AgriPark and also the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment focus on industry and community collaboration. Moreover, our Gulbali Institute drives research outcomes that optimise the future of agriculture and enhance industry collaboration. You could be part of the future of agriculture and have a real impact in your community, just like our research projects, including the Cool Soil Initiative, the $8 million Drought Resilience and Innovation Hub, and the Global Digital Farm – Australia’s first fully automated commercial farm.

Commonwealth supported places

The following postgraduate agriculture courses have a limited number of Commonwealth supported (CPS) places available.

If you secure a CSP your fees are lower than a full fee-paying place. It also means you can apply for a HECS-HELP loan to pay for your studies and defer repayment until you earn above a certain amount.