University of Queensland

Graduate Diploma in Agricultural Science

  • Delivery: Face to Face
  • Study Level: Postgraduate
  • Duration: 12 months
  • Course Type: Graduate Diploma

Extend your agricultural expertise across agronomy, crop health, horticulture and sustainable resource management, with options to add research or industry placement experience at UQ’s specialist Gatton facilities.

Course overview

Explore the scientific, environmental and commercial challenges shaping modern agriculture. The University of Queensland’s Graduate Diploma in Agricultural Science is designed for recent graduates from any discipline and experienced professionals seeking broader or more specialised knowledge of agricultural production and resource management.

Tailor your studies across agronomy, crop health, horticultural production, plant protection, agricultural policy and international development. Depending on your selections, you can also study plant breeding, agribusiness, stakeholder engagement and research methodologies or choose an industry placement or research project. Lectures, tutorials, laboratory work and fieldwork are supported by UQ’s specialist research greenhouses and more than 1,000 hectares of working farmland.

Delivered face-to-face at UQ’s Gatton campus, the course can be completed in one year of full-time study or the part-time equivalent. Graduates may pursue opportunities across agricultural production, consulting, biosecurity, research, government and allied industries. The diploma can also support progression to UQ’s Master of Agricultural Science, with foundational units creditable only towards the 32-unit, two-year master’s pathway.

CSP Subsidised Fees Available

This program has a limited quota of Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP). The indicative CSP price is calculated based on first year fees for EFT. The actual fee may vary if there are choices in electives or majors.

Key facts

Delivery
Face to Face
Course Type
Graduate Diploma
Duration
More Information
Can be studied part time
12 months (Full time)
Campus
Gatton
Intake
22nd February, 2027
26th July, 2027
Units
More Information
You may be required to complete 0 credit point units throughout your course. The university will confirm this as part of your enrolment.

The unit total reflects the number of units required for course completion, not the total credit point weight. Some units may be double- or triple-weighted, so the number of units you complete may be lower.
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Fees
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HECS-HELP loans are available to eligible CSP students to pay the student contribution amount.
HECS, CSP

What you will study

At UQ, a unit represents the value of individual courses that contribute to the total unit requirements of a program. Most UQ courses have a value of two units, though some may vary depending on the program or course structure.

To earn the Graduate Diploma in Agricultural Science, you must complete 16 units, normally comprising seven or eight courses depending on your selections, as detailed below. Unless otherwise noted, each course is worth two units.

Foundational units

Select four to eight units from the following:

  • Leadership in Rural Industries & Communities
  • Global Challenges in Agriculture
  • Plant Physiology
  • Sustainable Soil Management

Foundational units can only be credited towards the 32-unit, two-year Master of Agricultural Science.

Flexible core units

Select eight to 12 units from the following:

  • Advanced Agronomy
  • Integrated Crop Health & Management
  • Crop Physiology
  • Agricultural & Resource Policy
  • International Agricultural Development
  • Horticulture Production
  • Plant Protection

Elective units

Select zero to four units from the following:

  • Advanced Research Methodologies
  • Plant Breeding
  • Industry Placement
  • Agribusiness Value Chain Management
  • Pasture Science & Management
  • Agribusiness Planning & Management
  • Graduate Research Topic
  • Graduate Research Project (four units)
  • Plant Interactions
  • Plant Pathology
  • Horticultural Science 2
  • Effective Stakeholder Engagement

The Industry Placement and research courses are elective options and are not compulsory components of the qualification.

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

To be eligible for this course, applicants must meet at least one of the following requirements:

  • Hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in any discipline with a grade point average of at least 4.0 on a seven-point scale.
  • Have at least two years of full-time equivalent relevant work experience.

Relevant work experience may include employment in:

  • Agronomy or horticultural crop production and protection.
  • Environmental management or restoration.
  • Another profession through which the applicant has established a portfolio demonstrating agricultural science expertise.

English language requirements

Applicants must provide evidence of English language proficiency through at least one accepted option, including:

  • IELTS: overall score of 6.5, with at least 6.0 in each component.
  • TOEFL iBT: overall score of 87, with at least 19 in listening, 19 in reading, 21 in writing and 19 in speaking.
  • PTE Academic: overall score of 64, with at least 60 in each communicative skill.
  • Cambridge English Scale: overall score of 176, with at least 169 in each skill.
  • Bridging English: minimum overall grade of 4, with at least a C in each macro skill.
  • Other evidence accepted by the university.

The Occupational English Test is not accepted for this course. Contact the university for further information.

Recognition of Prior Learning

You may be eligible for recognition of prior learning if you have previously studied or have relevant work experience. This will help to reduce the number of units that you need to study to finish your course. Contact the university for more information.

Outcomes

Career outcomes

Potential career outcomes include:

  • Agricultural Scientist
  • Extension and Inspection Officer
  • Agricultural Consultant
  • Land Information Systems Officer
  • Agricultural Economist
  • Industrial Agricultural Scientist
  • Biosecurity Field Officer
  • Plant Protection Adviser

Potential employers include agribusiness and agricultural service companies, consultancies, research institutions, government departments, biosecurity organisations, horticultural producers and allied agricultural industries.

Fees and CSP

Indicative annual fee in 2026: $4,980 (Commonwealth Supported Place)

Indicative annual fees are based on your first year of study.

A student’s annual fee may vary by:

  • The number of units studied.
  • Choice of units.
  • Credit from previous study or work experience.
  • Eligibility for government-funded loans.

Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.

Commonwealth Supported Places

The Australian Government allocates a certain number of CSPs to the universities each year, which are then distributed to students based on merit.

If you're a Commonwealth Supported Student (CSS), you'll only need to pay a portion of your tuition fees. This is known as the student contribution amount – the balance once the government subsidy is applied. This means your costs are much lower.

Limited CSP spaces are offered to students enrolled in selected postgraduate courses.

Your student contribution amount is:

  • Calculated per the course you're enrolled in.
  • Dependent on the study areas they relate to.
  • Reviewed and adjusted each year.

Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.

HECS-HELP loans are available to eligible CSP students to pay the student contribution amount.