Agribusiness
Why study Agribusiness?
Studying Agribusiness at Waikato University puts you right on the doorstep of New Zealand's rural heartland, close to leading export firms such as Fonterra, Gallagher, Zespri, and Comvita.
If you're interested in working alongside farmers and businesses focused on agriculture, studying Agribusiness will help you build the foundations for a dynamic global career in the primary sector.
Agribusiness is New Zealand's largest export industry, generating $50 billion in revenue a year. In fact 13% of our global workforce is connected with the food and fibre sector - from beef and dairy through to apples, wine, wool and mānuka honey.
These numbers are driving high demand for agribusiness graduates with good business and economics skills to solve the challenges facing food producers today.
For example, you could work for leading agri-tech businesses, a consulting firm, as a rural bank manager, accountant, or government policy advisor, or even run your own family or iwi enterprise.
Career Opportunities
- Agri-consultant
- Agri-technician
- Agri-food business advisor
- Business analyst
- Business development manager
- Dairy business manager
- Economist
- Environmental Consultant
- Farm manager
- Policy advisor / analyst (eg.government)
- Rural banking adviser
- Sustainability advisor
Hamilton
Study Agribusiness in these qualifications
Course content
This subject has been developed in consultation with industry leaders to emphasise the business side of agriculture, so you'll be well equpiped to help farmers gain a competitive advantage in global markets.
You will gain a solid grounding in economic analysis, finance and strategy, as well as learning about the global trading environment, value chains, key environmental and sustainability issues, and the latest smart technologies being used in agriculture.
You'll learn about international marketing and sales, managing global supply chains from paddock to plate, and how sustainable farming practices can be used to reduce operating costs and gain a competitive advantage.
Papers may also cover topics such as farm management, soil and nutrient management, and rural finance and banking.
As an Agribusiness student, you'll enjoy field trips to see the operations of successful companies in action, such as Fonterra, Tatua Co-operative Dairy Company and DairyNZ.
If you're interested in studying Agribusiness, some useful subjects to study at school include accounting, business studies, economics, English, science and mathematics.
Internationally recognised
You'll study at our internationally recognised Waikato Management School, which is in the top 1% of business schools globally with our prestigious Triple Crown Accreditation from EQUIS, AMBA, and AACSB.
Waikato is also ranked in the world's top 175 universities for Business & Economics in the globally recognised Times Higher Education Rankings.
Qualifications
Agribusiness can normally be taken as either a Major subject (8-9 papers) or Minor subject (4 papers) for any undergraduate degree offered at the University of Waikato, including our Bachelor of Business.
Otherwise, you can take just one or two Agribusiness papers as electives. You can also take Agribusiness for a Graduate Certificate (60 points) or Graduate Diploma (120 points).
If you'd like to gain specialist expertise through postgraduate research, look at our Master of Management Studies in Agribusiness.
Scholarships
View our Scholarship Finder for information about possible scholarships.