Agricultural Technology major

There is a critical need to produce food and fibre more efficiently and sustainably. There are now rapid changes in the agricultural sector, largely due to developments in agricultural technology. This data-intensive technology has the potential to significantly increase production efficiency and reduce the environmental impact from agriculture; however, the key is making sense of the data and developing profitable and sustainable farming strategies. The Agricultural Technology major provides a broad agricultural background along with the necessary skills in data management and analysis, geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing. In this major, you will develop skills to integrate data analysis and knowledge of complex agricultural systems to make decisions for improved efficiency and profitability.

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) critically assess mixed farming systems in Western Australia; (2) demonstrate skills and knowledge to assess agricultural systems using experimental, modelling and statistical methods; (3) explain fundamental spatial data techniques and digital systems and sensors for agricultural applications; (4) demonstrate capacity to solve farming-related problems using programming and data science methods; (5) integrate agricultural data with farming systems information to guide decision making for improved efficiency, profitability and/or environmental outcomes; (6) demonstrate effective networking and communication skills; and (7) demonstrate competency in laboratory practice, report writing, oral presentation and team work skills suited to gain employment in the discipline of Agricultural Tecnology..

Broadening guidelines

All students studying towards a Bachelor's Degree at UWA are required to Broaden their studies by completing a minimum of four units (24 points) of study outside their degree specific major. Broadening is your opportunity to explore other areas of interest, investigate new disciplines and knowledge paradigms and to shape your degree to suit your own aspirations and interests. Many of you will be able to undertake more than this minimum amount of broadening study and we encourage you to do so if this suits your aspirations. Over the next few months you will find here some broadening suggestions related to your degree-specific major. While we know that many students value guidance of this sort, these are only suggestions and students should not lose sight of the opportunity to explore that is afforded by your Broadening Choices. Advice can also be sought from your Allocated Student Advising Office.

Prerequisites

Mathematics Methods ATAR or Mathematics Applications ATAR with a mathematics unit taken in the first year. Students without ATAR mathematics will take two level one mathematics units. ATAR Chemistry. Students without ATAR Chemistry will need to take a level one chemistry unit.

Agricultural Technology can be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:

Overview of unit sequence

Agricultural Technology is a degree-specific single major comprising:

  • three Level 1 units
  • five Level 2 units
  • four Level 3 units
Key to availability of units:
S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; N/A = not available in 2022

Note: Units that are indicated as N/A may be available in 2023 or 2024.

Level 1

Degree-specific major units
Take all units (18 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 AGRI1001 Feeding the World
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S1, S2 SCIE1104 Science, Society and Data Analysis
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of ATAR Subject(s) Mathematics Applications
or
Unit(s) MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Unit(s) STAT1520 Economic and Business Statistics
S1 SCOM1101 Communicating Science
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of ATAR Subject(s) ATAR Mathematics Applications ATAR Subject(s) WACE Mathematics 2C/2D
or
equivalent
Co-requisites:
Enrolment in
Or
Successful completion of MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
Incompatibility:
Nil
Bridging units
Bridging units must be successfully completed within the first 48 points of study. Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in Mathematics Methods ATAR or equivalent or higher are required to complete SCIE1500. Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in Mathematics Applications ATAR or equivalent or higher are required to complete MATH1720 and SCIE1500. Note: Students who have completed MATH1721, are not required to complete SCIE1500. Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in Chemistry ATAR or equivalent or higher are required to complete CHEM1003.
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1, S2 CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
ATAR Subject(s) Chemistry
or
equivalent
S1, S2 MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
Prerequisites:
Mathematics Applications ATAR [with a scaled score of less than 50]
Or
with permission
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Mathematics Applications ATAR [with a scaled score of 50
or
greater]
or
Equivalent
or
higher
S1, S2 SCIE1500 Analytical Methods for Scientists
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of ATAR Subject(s) ATAR Subject Mathematics Applications
or
Unit(s) MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals (ID 5107)
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
ATAR Subject(s) ATAR Mathematics Methods and Unit(s) MATH1721 Mathematics Foundations: Methods (ID 5108)

Level 2

Degree-specific major units
Take all units (30 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 AGRI2201 Pasture and Livestock Systems
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of one Unit(s) BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology
or
Unit(s) BIOL1131 Plant and Animal Biology
or
Unit(s) AGRI1001 Feeding the World and Successful completion of one Unit(s) SCIE1104 Science, Society and Data Analysis
or
Unit(s) STAT1400 Statistics for Science
or
Unit(s) STAT1520 Economic and Business Statistics
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S1, S2 CITS2401 Computer Analysis and Visualisation
Prerequisites:
ATAR Subject(s) Mathematics Methods
or
MATH1721 Mathematics Foundations: Methods
or
equivalent
or
Enrolment in ( MJD-AGTDM Agricultural Science and Technology
or
MJD-IEMDM Integrated Earth and Marine Sciences
or
MJD-MARDM Marine Science MJD-AGTEC Agricultural Technology MJD-MARCP Marine and Coastal Processes and SCIE1500 Analytical Methods for Scientists )
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
CITS1401 Computational Thinking with Python
S2 CITS2402 Introduction to Data Science
Prerequisites:
CITS1401 Computational Thinking with Python
Or
CITS2401 Computer Analysis and Visualisation
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S1, S2 GEOG2201 Geographic Information Systems
Prerequisites:
36 points of prior study
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
Nil
S1, S2 SCIE2205 Science Work Placement
Prerequisites:
enrolment in the Bachelor of Science (BP004)
or
the Bachelor of Biomedical Science (BP006)
or
the Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) (BH005) and completion of 60 points of study at UWA and approval of the unit coordinator.
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil

Level 3

Degree-specific major units
Take all units (24 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
N/A AGRI3003 Decisions from Data in Agriculture
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of one Unit(s) AGRI2201 Pasture and Livestock Systems
or
Unit(s) GEOG2201 Geographic Information Systems
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S1 ECON3300 Agricultural Economics and Marketing
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of 48 points in your chosen degree
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S2 GEOG3301 Advanced GIS and Remote Sensing
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of one Unit(s) GEOG2201 Geographic Information Systems
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S2 SCIE3314 Crops and Cropping Systems
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of one Unit(s) AGRI1001 Feeding the World
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil

Choosing your degree-specific major

General degrees

You must satisfy the requirements of a degree-specific major before you complete your course. The flexible structure of an undergraduate course allows you to try out a number of different subjects to see what interests you before nominating your degree-specific major. You have the choice to either nominate your degree-specific major when you first enrol in the course or delay nominating it until your second year.

To plan the first year of your study without nominating a degree-specific major, you are advised to choose units that will pave the way to two or more degree-specific majors that are of interest to you. For examples of the choice of units available in first year, search the first-year study plans .

To fully understand the structure of an undergraduate course, read the course structure information and the Undergraduate Degree Course Rules.

The following example illustrates how the Agricultural Technology degree-specific major can be included in the Bachelor of Science course.

There are more choices open to you. For more examples, search the study plans .

Specialised degrees – Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science (Honours), Bachelor of Automation and Robotics, Bachelor of Environmental Design, Bachelor of Music

You must satisfy the requirements of the degree-specific major in your degree before you complete your course.

Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics

This comprehensive degree does not require you to choose a degree-specific major.

Choosing a second major

You also have the option to choose a second major from those available in the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Biomedical Science, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Design Only available to re-enrolling students. and Bachelor of Science courses, giving you the opportunity to pursue your interests no matter how different they are.

For more examples of combinations of majors, search the study plans .