Graduate Diploma in Agribusiness for Veterinarians

The Graduate Diploma in Agribusiness for Veterinarians provides veterinary professionals with the opportunity to learn the principles of agricultural business management. The course is designed to take into account both current and anticipated future industry needs. The course is specifically designed to equip participants with core business competencies and skills, and to develop their leadership potential. The graduate diploma will provide veterinarians with an understanding of the factors influencing business decision-making within the agricultural sector across the length of the value chain from primary producers to retailers and consumers. Graduates will emerge well equipped to gain employment in a range of sectors including the agricultural industry, private practice consulting for production animals, government, research and academia. Students may also go on to complete the Masters of Agribusiness or the Masters of Agricultural Science at the University of Melbourne.

Successful applicants will benefit from a focused learning environment involving international university partners, interacting regularly with other students, academic staff, and industry mentors and from active, extensive networking. Students will study core agribusiness coursework subjects in addition to undertaking industry placements in relevant organisations. The program will culminate in a capstone internship experience enabling students to develop work-ready skills and contacts within the agricultural sector.

On completion of this course students will have:

• A broad knowledge of the trends and underlying influences impacting the agribusiness value chain and the global environment
• The ability to articulate and present discussion, analysis and investigative findings using appropriate written communication styles, face-to-face and digital media
• An ability to apply analytical methods, models and tools to organisational and industry-related problems and case studies in the agribusiness value chain, and to synthesise background and contextual information leading on to problem definition for analysis
• The ability to analyse and discuss within different forums, the application of theory to a range of problems and decision making situations
• The ability to apply their heightened understanding of agribusiness issues, problems and challenges to more effective enterprise decision-making and industry resilience and capacity building
• Developed high level professional skills including communication, decision making, team work and networking
• Developed a sound understanding of the role of the veterinarian in the agricultural sector, and the ability to critically examine the business aspects of the sector, including their impact on animal health and welfare

The course will be offered in online and intensive mode. A team-based approach to problem solving will be fostered. The computer communication will incorporate three main components: subject learning and content; communications including email, online discussion forums openly shared by all members and access to remote web sites and databases such as library support.

Two cohorts of students will undertake the course:

• Students concurrently enrolled in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Melbourne
• Students not concurrently enrolled in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Students concurrently enrolled in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Melbourne

Students are exempt from 37.5 points based on cross-crediting of industry based placement subjects core to the DVM. These subjects, totalling 37.5 points, are

either

• VETS70006 Applications in Animal Health 1 (37.5 points)

or all three of

• VETS70013 Animal Management and Veterinary Health (12.5 points)
• VETS20014 Foundations of Animal Health 1 (12.5 points)
• VETS20015 Foundations of Animal Health 2 (12.5 points)

Core Subject

Students must take the following core subject - please note that this subject is offered in February, please check the delivery dates on the subject-level handbook entry.

Selective Subjects

Students must choose two of the following subjects:

Elective Subjects

Students must choose two subjects from the following subjects. Note that whichever subject you don't take from the selective list above can also be available as one of the elective choices below.

Students not concurrently enrolled in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

The course plan for students not concurrently enrolled in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine is listed below:

Core Subjects

Students must take the following three core subjects:

Selective Subjects

Students should choose two of the following subjects:

Elective Subjects

Students must choose two subjects from the following subjects. Note that whichever subject you don't take from the selective list above can also be available as one of the elective choices below.

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:

either

• a degree in veterinary science (BVSc, DVM or equivalent qualification) and relevant professional experience

or

• acceptance into the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Melbourne and currently undertaking full time studies in good standing.

Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:

• prior academic performance; and, if relevant

• professional experience.

3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board Rules on the use of selection instruments.

4. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for graduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance Band 7.0 is required.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and the Disability Liaison Unit: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Students must possess the intellectual, ethical, and emotional capabilities required to participate in the full curriculum and to achieve the levels of competence required. Candidates must have abilities and skills in observation; motor in relevant areas; communication; in conceptual, integrative, and quantitative dimensions; and in behavioural and social dimensions. Adjustments can be provided to minimise the impact of a disability, however students need to be able to participate in the program in an independent manner and with regard to their safety and the safety of others.

1. Observation: In some contexts, the student must be able to observe demonstrations and experiments in the basic and applied sciences. More broadly, observation requires reading text, diagrams, maps, drawings and numerical data. The candidate should be able to observe details at a number of scales and record useful observations in discipline dependant contexts.
2. Communication: A candidate should be able to communicate with fellow students, professional and academic staff, members of relevant professions and the public. A candidate must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively. Communication includes not only speech but also reading and writing.
3. Motor: Candidates should have sufficient motor function necessary for participation in the inherent discipline-related activities. The practical work, design work, field work, diagnostic procedures, laboratory tests, require varying motor movement abilities. Off campus investigations may include visits to construction sites, urban, rural and/or remote environments.
4. Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities: These abilities include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis. Problem solving, the critical skill demanded of professionals in land and environment industries, requires all of these intellectual abilities. In addition, the candidate should be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships of structures.

Behavioural and Social Attributes: A candidate must possess behavioural and social attributes that enable them to participate in a complex learning environment. Students are required to take responsibility for their own participation and learning. They also contribute to the learning of other students in collaborative learning environments, demonstrating interpersonal skills and an understanding of the needs of other students. Assessment may include the outcomes of tasks completed in collaboration with other students.

The Melbourne Experience enables our Graduates to become:

Academically excellent
Our Graduates will be expected to:

• Have strong sense of intellectual integrity and the ethics of scholarship
• Have in-depth knowledge of their specialist discipline(s)
• Reach a high level of achievement in writing, generic research activities, problem-solving and communication
• Be critical and creative thinkers, with an aptitude for continued self-directed learning
• Be adept at learning in a range of ways, including through information and communication technologies

Knowledgeable across disciplines

Our graduates will be expected to:

• Examine critically, synthesise and evaluate knowledge across a broad range of disciplines
• Expand their analytical and cognitive skills through learning experiences in diverse subjects
• Have the capacity to participate fully in collaborative learning and to confront unfamiliar problems
• Have a set of flexible and transferable skills for different types of employment.

Leaders in communities
Our graduates will be expected to:

• Initiate and implement constructive change in their communities, including
  professions and workplaces
• Have excellent interpersonal and decision-making skills, including an awareness of
  personal strengths and limitations
• mentor future generations of learners
• engage in meaningful public discourse, with a profound awareness of community needs

Attuned to cultural diversity
Our graduates will be expected to :

• Value different cultures
• Be well-informed citizens able to contribute to their communities wherever they choose to live and work
• Have an understanding of the social and cultural diversity in our community
• Respect Indigenous knowledge, cultures and values

Active global citizens
Our graduates will be expected to:

• Accept social and civic responsibilities
• Be advocates for improving the sustainability of the environment
• Have a broad global understanding, with a high regard for human rights, equality and ethics

• A profound respect for truth, intellectual and professional integrity, and the ethics of scholarship
• Capacity for independent critical thought, rational inquiry and self-directed learning and research
• An ability to derive, interpret and analyse social, technical or economic information from primary and other sources
• Awareness of and ability to utilise appropriate communication technology and methods for the storage, management and analysis of data
• Capacity for creativity and innovation, through the application of skills and knowledge
• Ability to integrate information across a relevant discipline to solve problems in applied situations
• Highly developed computer - based skills to allow for effective on-line learning and communication
• Highly developed written communication skills to allow informed dialogue with individuals and groups from industry, government and the community
• Highly developed oral communication skills to allow informed dialogue and liaison with individuals and groups from industry, government and the community
• Appreciation of social and cultural diversity from a regional to a global context
• Ability to participate effectively as a member of a team
• Ability to plan work, use time effectively and manage small projects