The school that has it all. World-class facilities, renowned experts in the field, hands-on learning, and a high demand for graduates.

Searching for a ‘unicorn’ degree that ticks all the boxes?

Make the world a better place – tick

Solve complex challenges – tick

Work with animals and/or the environment – tick

Equal parts practical and academic – tick

You might want to take a look at our Bachelor of Agricultural Science!

If you’ve never considered a career in this field or don’t know much about the industry, that’s okay. In this article, you’ll discover our world-class School of Agricultural Sciences and why Murdoch stands head and shoulders above the rest. We’re building a better future, together, and we welcome you to join us on the journey.

What is agricultural science?

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just ‘farming’ in the traditional sense. Agricultural science is a multi-discipline approach to the relationship between animals, plants, soil, climate, human communities, and the socio-economic factors that shape modern agriculture. Whichever study and career path you choose, it will be full of puzzles to be solved, working with living materials and subjects, and real-world innovations.

Read about the diverse careers open to our graduates.

A day in the life of an agricultural science student

A very hands-on discipline, you’re guaranteed to be in the thick of it. On any given day, students might:

• Visit working farms and workplaces throughout WA, Australia, and overseas.
• Develop new strategies to protect Australia from the introduction of diseases that impact animals and crops.
• Monitor water and soil quality on farms and reserves and design sustainability plans
• Review real cases from the veterinary clinic or research projects to formulate animal health plans
  
• Learn about the management of performance horses.
• Assist with research projects to improve the productivity and welfare of sheep and cattle.
• Learn at our world-class facilities for food and animal production.

It’s safe to say, there’s always something new and interesting going on.

The Murdoch difference

There are so many invaluable, unique facilities and resources at your fingertips.

Firstly, we’re the only Australian university with a fully-operational farm on a city campus so students have regular access to farm animals without having to relocate to a regional area. Secondly, our veterinary teaching hospital means students can gather knowledge and experience from vets and other animal health experts. Thirdly, students can take the scientific and technological innovations from the lab to the greenhouse or paddock whilst working with (and learning from) world-leading researchers.

Get to know our school a little better.

Choose your adventure: which major will you pick?

The Bachelor of Agricultural Science at Murdoch has three majors: Crop and Pasture Science, Animal Science, and Animal Health. You can choose to include one or two majors in your undergraduate degree.

Plus there’s a range of postgraduate degrees too.

If you’re keen to focus on issues impacting the health of domesticated animals and wildlife, Animal Health might be suitable. On the other hand, those considering the world of food production might prefer Crop and Pasture Science, or Animal Science.

There’s built-in flexibility to tailor the degree to your aspirations. Some students combine Agricultural Science with STEM, Environmental Science or Biotechnology, and there’s a Bachelor of Agricultural Science / Bachelor of Business for an agribusiness career that spans paddock to boardroom.

Beyond the classroom

Receive credit towards your degree and gain experience with these offerings from the school.

Study tours

Head to northern Australia, eastern states or overseas to see sustainable farming systems in action. Or spend two weeks with students in central Thailand, learning about the environmental challenges in developing countries. 

Internships and placements

Work on a project of your choice.

• Spend time working with scientists in a real lab
• Get out in the field with consultants and advisors
• Build an agricultural robot
• Conduct meat-eating quality experiments
• Develop disease detection tools in the lab
• Apply cutting-edge tech to genetic testing
• Work with biosecurity officers conducting disease surveillance

You’ll get to see what the job is really like whilst getting credit towards your degree. You may be in the lab or out on farms with livestock or cropping programs. This possibilities are enormous.

Competitions

An annual meat judging competition takes students interested in meat science to the Eastern States to compete against teams from other Australian universities, with finalists travelling to the USA. 

Learn from the very best in the industry

Our close integration of teaching and research allows students to participate in projects that address real-world challenges, and learn from experts working at the cutting edge.

You could be studying diagnostics for animal disease with Australia’s leading researcher in parasitology, Professor Una Ryan, or exploring sustainable livestock production with award-winning Professor Andrew Thompson, or learning cutting-edge plant breeding techniques with Royal Society inductee Professor Rajeev Varshney.  

Your future awaits

Murdoch University is highly respected in the field of Agricultural Science, and we have strong ties to industry and research. We partner with industry bodies and leaders to make sure our curriculum is fresh and relevant so, as a graduate, you’ll be job-ready with all the skills you need to make an impact in your profession.