Agriculture Technology
In their first semester, students complete the requirements of either the Horticulture Crop Production and Protection certificate or the Livestock Production certificate before going on to semester two. All courses from these certificates apply to the diploma program.
Starting in their second semester, students develop additional expertise in their chosen area of practice, learn about sustainable holistic agricultural practices, and explore issues relating to on-farm food safety, quality, and security. Students also develop their writing, business, and marketing skills both by completing coursework and a hands-on enterprise project where they get to develop a business plan for an agricultural venture.
Students have the opportunity to ladder from the Horticulture Crop Production and Protection option into to the Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Horticulture major) degree, although this may require math and science upgrading. Please consult an advisor on course planning. Students may also apply directly to the Bachelor of Agricultural Science from high school.
After students have gained two years of experience in the industry, they may wish to complete a Bachelor of Business Administration for Agriculture Management to learn the fundamentals of business management theories and practices and prepare to take up a leadership role in any agribusiness or agricultural agency.
Applicants with allergies to dust, pollen, or animal dander should be wary of entering this program. Students should have a strong desire for hands-on work with plants or animals, and be willing to work outside, often in inclement weather. Reasonable physical condition is recommended as students will be asked to participate in tasks that involve standing, lifting, bending, and turning.
Students are expected to be computer literate. This means knowing how to run programs from a Windows environment, and having basic internet, word processing, and spreadsheet skills. Those who do not have these skills are advised to take an introductory computer course before they begin their studies in agriculture.
Students who do not have the required entrance courses may obtain information from UFV on the availability of preparatory courses. Mature students lacking recent preparation are advised to consult with the Agriculture Technology department about refresher courses in math, biology, and reading and study skills, etc., well in advance of the program start date.
Students must have their own transportation and appropriate clothing, including Canadian Safety Association (CSA) approved footwear, and are required to participate in on-the-job training at host farm/business sites without remuneration. To qualify for on-the-job training (practicum), students must be enrolled in the program full-time, with a minimum grade of pass in all the current semester's course work.
Applications are accepted for entrance to the Fall and Winter semesters. For application deadlines, see Specific intake application process.
To begin taking courses at 51³Ô¹Ïapp while waiting for a space to become available in this program, students may submit a separate application to take courses as a student in Qualifying Studies.
Applicants who meet the entrance requirements will be admitted in order of their application date. This date is set when an application, all required documentation, and the application fee have been submitted.
See the Fees and Other Costs section. In addition to tuition fees, students should budget approximately $1,500 annually for textbooks, field trips, and supplies.
An additional charge is assessed to cover the cost of materials and examination fees for students writing the Provincial Pesticide Applicator's or Dispenser's examination.
Those students intending to complete the diploma in the minimum time (two years) should start in September. Students may start courses in January; however, because of sequencing requirements, students starting in January may have to pick up some of the courses as a part-time student during an extra two semesters. Students should consult with the Agriculture Technology department for more details.
In the Fall semester, courses all run at the Canada Education Park (CEP) campus for 15 weeks. The Winter semester courses run at the CEP campus for 12 weeks, then all qualified one-year certificate and diploma students complete a three-week practicum course (AGRI 192) at selected host farms/businesses throughout the Fraser Valley. Students must have reliable transportation for the practicum work placements. All practica are done without remuneration.
Each semester, all students take a set of core courses to provide them with background knowledge applicable for all agricultural disciplines. Upon entering a program, students must also select one of the options: Horticulture Crop Production and Protection, or Livestock Production. Students take courses specific to their chosen diploma option along with the core courses in each of the four semesters of the program.
Note: All courses from the Horticulture Crop Production and Protection certificate and the Livestock Production certificate apply to the diploma program.
Course | Title | Credits |
AGRI 123 | Horticulture Skills I | 3 |
AGRI 124 | Introduction to Horticulture | 3 |
AGRI 129 | Horticulture Skills II | 3 |
AGRI 142 | Agribusiness Principles | 3 |
or BUS 100 | Introduction to Business | |
AGRI 163 | Pest Biology and Identification | 3 |
AGRI 183 | On-Farm Occupational Health and Safety | 3 |
AGRI 192 | Practicum I | 3 |
AGRI 203 | Fundamentals of Integrated Pest Management | 3 |
AGRI 204 | Introduction to Soils and Soil Fertility | 3 |
AGRI 212 | Principles of On-Farm Food Protection | 3 |
AGRI 247 | Enterprise Project: Part I | 3 |
AGRI 248 | Enterprise Project: Part II | 3 |
AGRI 306 | Field Techniques in Integrated Pest Management | 3 |
AGRI 311 | Sustainable Soil Management | 3 |
AGRI 371 | Agroecology | 3 |
Three of: | 9 | |
AGRI 321 | Vegetable Crop Production: Science and Practice (see Note) | |
AGRI 323 | Fruit Crop Production: Science and Practice (see Note) | |
AGRI 324 | Protected Crop Production: Science and Practice | |
AGRI 327 | Nursery Production and Propagation: Science and Practice | |
Plus: | ||
BUS 120 | Essentials of Marketing | 3 |
CMNS 125 | Communicating Professionally to Academic and Workplace Audiences | 3 |
or ENGL 105 | Academic Writing |
Note: These courses are not offered every year. See department website for scheduling information.
Course | Title | Credits |
AGRI 142 | Agribusiness Principles | 3 |
or BUS 100 | Introduction to Business | |
AGRI 163 | Pest Biology and Identification | 3 |
AGRI 183 | On-Farm Occupational Health and Safety | 3 |
AGRI 192 | Practicum I | 3 |
AGRI 203 | Fundamentals of Integrated Pest Management | 3 |
AGRI 204 | Introduction to Soils and Soil Fertility | 3 |
AGRI 212 | Principles of On-Farm Food Protection | 3 |
AGRI 237 | Introduction to the Health of Farm Animals | 3 |
AGRI 238 | Equine Production and Management | 3 |
AGRI 239 | Management and Production of Beef, Sheep, and Goats (see Note) | 3 |
AGRI 247 | Enterprise Project: Part I | 3 |
AGRI 248 | Enterprise Project: Part II | 3 |
AGRI 254 | Ruminant Animal Health | 3 |
AGRI 256 | Management and Production of Poultry and Swine (see Note) | 3 |
AGRI 306 | Field Techniques in Integrated Pest Management | 3 |
or AGRI 371 | Agroecology | |
AGRI 311 | Sustainable Soil Management | 3 | AGRI 328 | Forage Crop Production: Science and Practice | 3 |
AGRI 331 | Dairy Herd Management: Science and Practice | 3 |
BUS 120 | Essentials of Marketing | 3 |
CMNS 125 | Communicating Professionally to Academic and Workplace Audiences | 3 |
or ENGL 105 | Academic Writing |
Note: AGRI 239 and AGRI 256 are not offered every year. See department website for scheduling information.
Contact the Agriculture Technology department for information about transfer possibilities.
Students take specialty courses in their chosen option every semester to prepare them for careers in each of these professional options. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that course selections fulfill graduation requirements. Students not enrolled in the regular full-time sequence are especially urged to consult with the Agriculture Technology department before registering each semester.
All programs require some mandatory work, where students must spend time on campus outside of regular class hours on practical work projects associated with course work. Students may also be required to participate, occasionally, in setting up and staffing educational displays on agriculture for the general public. Students may be required to attend some local industry short courses at their own expense. Class field trips are mandatory, unless students are otherwise advised. These may be held outside of regularly scheduled classes, including Saturdays, and some expenses may be incurred by students.
For all programs, a GPA of 2.00, or the permission of the department, is required for students who wish to register in a subsequent semester.
Students enrolled in undergraduate courses (courses numbered 100 or higher) must maintain an undergraduate Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of at least 2.00 to remain enrolled in Good Academic Standing at 51³Ô¹Ïapp. Students in Good Academic Standing will have no registration limits placed on them. Failure to meet the minimum CGPA requirement will result in restrictions on registration and may eventually lead to academic suspension from undergraduate studies at 51³Ô¹Ïapp. Students on Academic Warning or Academic Probation are limited to registering in 10 credits. For further details, see the Academic standing and undergraduate continuance section of the academic calendar. Academic standing is governed by UFV’s .
Students who decide to audit a course in the Agriculture Technology department must follow UFV's . Auditing students may be required to complete course assignments. Auditing a course will not, however, satisfy graduation requirements.
To be eligible to graduate, students must have completed the Agriculture Technology diploma program with a minimum GPA of 2.00.
For complete details on courses see the course descriptions section.