AHC50116 Diploma of Agriculture

The benefit of studying this course is that it is fully online and you don’t have to schedule your time to attend face-to-face classroom sessions. You can study in your own home or anywhere that suits your learning style.

You must complete ten (10) units of competency to gain the AHC50116 Diploma of Agriculture. Units are classified as either Group A or Group B. To earn the qualification, you need to complete:

• a minimum of five (5) Group A units
• a minimum of three (3) Group A or B units
• a maximum of two (2) units may be selected from units aligned to Certificate IV, Diploma or Advanced Diploma in AHC or from any other currently endorsed Training Package or accredited course. Selected units must be relevant to job outcomes in agriculture.

You must complete ten (10) units of study to gain the qualification. For full details of these units and packaging rules see http://training.gov.au/Training/Details/AHC50116. Please note some subjects listed below cluster multiple units.

• AHCAGB518 Develop climate risk management strategies (Group A)
• AHCSOL505 Monitor and manage soils for production projects (Group A)
• AHCAGB513 Develop a farm plan (Group A)
• AHCWHS502 Manage work health and safety processes (Group A)

Livestock

• AHCLSK505 Develop production plans for livestock (Group A)
• *AHCLSK503 Develop and implement a breeding strategy (Group A)
• AHCLSK504 Develop livestock health and welfare strategies (Group A)

*Note: you must have access to a breeding unit (40 plus) of beef cows or its equivalent in other livestock to undertake this subject.

Crops and pastures

• AHCBAC507 Develop production plans for crops (Group A)
  Currently being updated – new enrolments accepted after 27 January 2020
• AHCBAC503 Manage integrated crop and pasture production (Group A)
  Currently being updated – new enrolments accepted after 27 January 2020
• *AHCBAC508 Apply plant biology to agronomic practices (Group A)

*Note: completion of this unit involves setting up and monitoring two small plant experiments.

Business

• AHCAGB512 Plan and manage infrastructure (Group B)
• AHCBUS513 Market products and services (Group B)
• AHCBUS511 Manage enterprise staff requirements (Group A) Note: you need to be a workplace supervisor to complete this subject.
• *AHCBUS516 Develop and review a business plan (Group A)
• *AHCBUS517 Monitor and review business performance (Group A)

*Note: these units are delivered together. Book keeping experience is strongly recommended.

Updated 01/2020

Possible job roles for this qualification include:

• Senior farm hand
• Technical officer
• Production unit supervisor
• Assistant farm/property manager
• Production unit manager
• Farm property manager
• Farm business manager
• Agronomist.

Tocal College prefers that students have either attained a Certificate III in Agriculture or have equivalent industry experience.

Students must have:

• access to a farm enterprise to complete assessment tasks
• Australian citizenship, permanent residency or New Zealand citizenship
• adequate language, literacy and numeracy skills to complete the course
• basic to intermediate computing skills, and reliable internet speed.

You will have two (2) years to complete the course. There is no minimum timeframe for completion. To complete the course in two (2) years, you will be required to do 10 to 15 hours of study per week, and complete one (1) unit every eight (8) weeks. To complete the course in one (1) year, you will be required to do 20 to 30 hours of study per week, and completed one (1) unit every five (5) weeks.

If you are already employed or have experience in agriculture, you may be eligible to gain part or all of this qualification based on skills or experience you already have. See Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for more information.

Your skills and understanding will be assessed for each unit through a variety of tasks. All assessments are marked within five (5) working days, following the day you submit your work. You have four (4) attempts for each task to achieve a competency result, and your assessor will provide detailed feedback following each submission.

Support is available via:

• email and phone – refer to the contact details listed within your course
• face-to-face mentoring sessions on-campus – you can book an appointment with your trainer
• Canvas (the online learner management system).

• Indicative fee: $5,250* ($525 per unit)
• You can pay as you go (pay for two (2) units at a time).
• If you are a resident of NSW, you may be eligible for a training subsidy under Smart and Skilled.

Please see the fee schedule (PDF, 368.27 KB) for more information.

*A merchant surcharge applies to payments on credit cards, and fees are subject to change.

For information on students rights and responsibilities, and the Tocal College Code of Practice, see Industry qualification student policies.

This qualification opens opportunities for further study. Tocal College offers the AHC60316 Advanced Diploma of Agribusiness Management, and also has a partnership with the University of New England. Through this partnership, you can apply for direct credit transfer of units towards a Bachelor of Agricultural Production and Management (Agrifood Systems). Several other universities also grant credit on a case-by-case basis towards degree qualifications.