Bachelor of Science

The Bachelor of Science at Charles Darwin University is a three-year Australian bachelor degree, and this version majors in agriculture. That matters because you are studying agriculture in the Northern Territory, not in a temperate southern state. The farming systems around Darwin and the Territory's inland are shaped by a wet season and a dry season, by tropical soils, by cattle stations measured in thousands of square kilometres, and by crops that most southern Australian students never touch. If you want to work in northern Australian agriculture, this is where the context is real rather than theoretical.

How the degree is structured

Like other Australian bachelor degrees, it runs for three years full time and is built from units of study, each worth a set number of credit points. You accumulate credit points across the degree and complete the required units for your agriculture major, plus electives you can use to broaden out or specialise further. Most Australian universities run two semesters a year, some use trimesters, and CDU's academic calendar is set out on its official pages. Confirm the exact unit list, credit point totals and any assumed knowledge on the university's course page and on the CRICOS register, where the course appears under code 107549G.

What you actually study

An agriculture major at bachelor level covers the science underneath farming: soil science and land management, plant and crop science, animal production, agricultural economics and business, and the pest, weed and disease issues that affect production. In the Territory, tropical plant and animal production, rangeland and pastoral management, and the interaction between agriculture and northern Australian environments come into it in a way they would not elsewhere. You also build the general science skills a Bachelor of Science is known for, experimental design, data collection and analysis, laboratory and field methods, and written and spoken communication of scientific results. Expect field work. Agriculture is not a degree you can complete entirely in a classroom.

Work-integrated learning and research

Agriculture degrees in Australia commonly include practical and industry-based components, and CDU's northern location means there are agricultural operations, pastoral enterprises, research stations and government agencies in the region that take students. Where a placement or industry project is part of the course, it is listed in the course structure, check the official page for what is required and whether it is optional or compulsory. Some students go on to an honours year, which adds a fourth year and a research thesis, and is the usual route into a research career or a PhD.

Who it suits

This suits school leavers and mature-age students who want a science degree with a practical, land-based focus and who are willing to live and study in the Northern Territory. It also suits people already working in agriculture, or in related government and industry roles, who want a formal qualification. You need to meet CDU's English requirements if you are an international applicant, IELTS Academic 6.0 to 6.5 overall is the usual undergraduate standard, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and CDU's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets its own separate English threshold for the Student visa, so meeting the university's requirement is not automatically the same as meeting the visa one. International students on a Student visa can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while their course is in session, and graduates may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register. Check the official course page for current details before you apply.

• Agricultural scientist or agronomist working with growers on soil, crop and pasture management
• Livestock or pastoral production roles on northern Australian cattle stations and grazing enterprises
• Biosecurity, quarantine and plant or animal health officer roles in state, territory and federal agencies
• Research assistant or technical officer in agricultural research organisations and universities
• Agricultural extension officer or advisor with industry bodies and producer groups
• Farm business, supply chain and agribusiness roles with producers, cooperatives and exporters
• Natural resource management and land care roles with catchment groups and government programs
• Environmental and agricultural consulting, including soil, water and land capability assessment
• Further study: an honours year leading to a research career or PhD