Australia is a world leader in sustainable agriculture and production of food and fibre. Inadequate production and uneven distribution of food has lately become a high priority global concern regarding food security. This, coupled with changing global norms reflected in World Trade Organisation (WTO) rulings, increased global competitiveness, and more recently the COVID-19 pandemic invites a tremendous need for professional courses in Agribusiness, and makes it one of the most challenging and exciting sectors to be in. Globally, there is a severe a shortage of agribusiness professionals. The Leaders Institute’s MBA (Agribusiness) is ideally placed to prepare professionals in the field of Agribusiness.

A field as vast and important as agribusiness has wide range of career prospects. The Leaders Institute MBA in Agribusiness will help students to reap satisfying employment outcomes and make valuable contributions to the sector, given its challenges and opportunities. This course emphasises participating in advancements and management of agribusiness. The focus is on the sustainability and the knowledge acquired by the graduate revolves around the business of agriculture ‘from farm to fork’. The topics involved explore the innovative strategies that can be employed to achieve the objective of sustainable food and fibre production, processing, and distribution.

The MBA (Agribus) is designed to meet the needs of students who are interested in careers with agricultural input supply, agricultural production, commodity assembly and processing, agricultural marketing organizations, and agricultural technology. Graduates will be equipped with the knowledge, understanding and skills, that will make them market- and-business ready to work in small and large businesses in the functions of agribusiness management. Graduates will also be equipped to be self-employed and to establish their own businesses and employ others.

The course encourages all graduates to be advocates of lifelong learning and ethical practice through membership of professional associations and industry peak bodies.

The objective of the course is to transform the students into graduates who are competent professional agribusiness managers across the value chain that spans from ‘farm to fork’, across scales from the local community to global market. Career pathways may include but are not limited to:

• Farm management
• Agribusiness management
• Agriculture and resource economy
• Sales and marketing of agribusiness input and outputs
• Rural banking and rural finance
• Agricultural consultancy service
• Research centres
• Government and non-government organisations including government departments and research establishments, universities, industry marketing and research organisations, representative and peak bodies, and multilateral agencies.

The course structure is based on four semesters (each semester is 12 teaching weeks, plus one review week and one exam week).

• 120 credit points of core
• 40 credit points of elective

To qualify for award of Master of Business Administration (Agribusiness) a student shall accrue an aggregate of at least 160 credit points, including satisfactory completion of the core units noted below.

YEAR 1, SEMESTER 1

• BC400 Communication and Media Management
• EC400 Agribusiness Economics and Finance
• MG401 Leadership in Agribusiness
• MK400 Agribusiness Marketing

YEAR 1, SEMESTER 2

• AC400 Agribusiness Accounting
• AP501 Food, Fibre, and Protein
• EC501 International Economic Development
• IM401 Introduction to Agroinformatics

YEAR 2, SEMESTER 1

• MG502 Agribusiness Strategic Management
• RS501 Research Methodology

2 x electives

YEAR 2, SEMESTER 2

• AB500 Agribusiness Capstone
• MG501 Value Chain Management in Agribusiness

2 x electives

More Information

For more information about elective units see the List of Units.

Domestic Students

Completion of an AQF Level 7 or above higher education qualification (or overseas equivalent) with a minimum GPA of 4.5 (using a 7.0 point scale) in Agriculture, Food, Business, Management, or IT/ICT;

OR

Completion of an AQF Level 7 or above higher education qualification (or overseas equivalent) with a minimum GPA of 4.5 (using a 7.0 point scale) in any field AND a minimum two years’ professional experience in a managerial position.

Applicants whose entry qualifications were obtained in an institution where English is not the language of instruction normally require an International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) of 6.5, with a score of not less than 6.0 in any of the four skill areas, or equivalent.

Note: International students must hold a valid student visa. There are numerous conditions that apply to a student visa. A holder of a student visa may not work, paid or unpaid, for more than 40 hours in any fortnight during semester. Current information on student visa conditions may be found here.

Relevant Work Experience

The following supporting documentation is required to demonstrate relevant work experience:

• certified copies of relevant qualificiations or micro-credentials completed, if relevant;
• a current CV demonstrating relevant work experience, including managerial or leadership experience of people or projects. This includes a full work history that details the major activities undertaken, such as managing a team, managerial components of major projects, and/or delegation responsibilities;
• two current, signed references that are work related; and
• Statement of Intent outlining the motivation to study, previous education, employment history; and how this course can assist in career aspiration or progression.

Applicants entering with two years of professional experience are evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Program Director (or delegated representative).

Credit and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Credit for previous learning may be obtained through the process of articulation, credit transfer, and RPL or a combination of these processes. Students who wish to apply for RPL must provide evidence in terms of completed qualifications along with other relevant documentation.

Alternative Admission Arrangements

Alternative admission pathways are also open for educationally disadvantaged applicants and for First Nations Peoples applicants. These applicants will be assessed on a case-by-case basis with RPL, professional accreditations, and the provision of a portfolio of work for entry to micro-credential and single units.

Applicants seeking alternative entry must also fulfil the English language entry requirements.

Alternative pathways are evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Program Director (or delegated representative).

Graduates of the Master of Business Administration (Agribusiness) will:

• synthesise and apply the requisite knowledge, including research principles and methods, skills and attitudes for managerial decision making and implementation in the unique context of agribusiness;
• demonstrate the integration of modern business decisions and information technology into daily business challenges;
• develop entrepreneurial capabilities to make them effective change agents in agribusiness;
• develop and demonstrate highly effective communication and interpersonal skills, autonomy, critical thinking, and creativity as a practitioner and to be able to transfer complex knowledge and ideas to a variety of audiences;
• create innovative solutions for complex agribusiness management issues that demonstrate mastery of theoretical knowledge and reflect professional practice;
• develop capabilities to become leaders and nurture in them a commitment for integrity, ethics, and social purpose;
• apply principles of sustainability to agribusiness practices;
• benchmark best management practices to understand agribusiness locally and globally by planning and implementing learnings in various projects and research activities.

Learning Time Period and Fee

International Student Fees:

Tuition per unit: AUD $ 3,125

Total Course Fees: AUD $ 50,000

Deposit component of tuition fees (non-refundable): AUD $ 500

Total amount paid up front and prior to issue of Confirmation of Enrolment: AUD $ 25,000

Domestic Student Fees: Total Course Fees:

Tuition per unit: AUD $ 2,500

Total Course Fees: AUD $ 40,000

One-time Application Fee (non-refundable): AUD $ 500

Total amount paid up front: AUD $ 10,000

Scholarships

To promote excellence in scholarship and learning, Leaders Institute will offer scholarships to outstanding students for both courses starting Year 2.

A combination of merit and needs based scholarships by way of fee discount of 25% is available for both domestic and international students. To apply for this scholarship, please meet your Program Director.