Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture) specialising in Rural Valuation

Rural land valuation studies have a long history at Lincoln University, with the degree taking its current form in the 1980s.

The full title of the three-year course is the Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture) in Agricultural Management specialising in Rural Valuation.

It is recognised by the Valuers Registration Board, the Institute of Valuers, the Property Institute, and the Institute for Primary Industry Management. Most graduates find work in private and public valuation practices, financial institutions such as banks, and in real estate, management and advisory companies.

The course is usually studied full-time but part-time study is possible. A Lincoln Bachelor's degree contains 24 subjects and students usually take four papers in each of two, 14-week semesters. There is also a summer school each year.

Students can expect to spend about 150 hours studying each subject - each week spending about five hours in class and studying and preparing assignments for about 30 hours. Weekly workloads vary according to assessment requirements.

Students study rural valuation specifics as well as topics such as property law, economics, statistics, accounting, farming systems, soil, plant and animal science, livestock and plant production systems, and farm management and analysis.

Lincoln's employment and industry liaison unit helps students find vocational work to fulfil the on-farm requirement of the course's 39-week practical component. Students submit a work report that is assessed by the unit.

After graduation students need to continue their studies to prepare for registration as a valuer. This generally takes three years or more.

Entrance to the course is by a minimum of 42 credits at level three or higher on the National Qualifications Framework, or the equivalent in earlier qualifications, plus literacy and numeracy requirements.

Fees are subject-based and can change but last year a fulltime student could expect to pay around $3200 a year.

Students can enrol at the beginning of either semester. Applications to pre-enrol must be in by December 14 but late applications are considered.

Strong graduates can generally expect a starting salary of $35,000 or more.

What graduates think

Marcus Bousfield, 23
National Bank rural manager
Graduated 2005
Pukekohe

I grew up on a farm in central Hawkes Bay and wanted to pursue a job in the industry, although I had nothing specific in mind.

I have a passion for the whole industry - there are so many different pathways and it's a big part of New Zealand.

I always considered doing rural valuation but I didn't confirm it until the second year, because it opened up a few more doors.

It's a bonus to have the commerce. It's a great course with the science and the finance rolled into one. It's pretty well balanced.

But it's quite a workload. There are a lot of practicals in the holidays and, to top that, a number of field trips, which add to the great atmosphere. You're meeting the people out there in the industry.

It definitely makes you stand out more than other degrees do - you do the physical side of it and get to know farming from the grassroots up. It puts you in a field of your own.

Rural valuation gives you a whole new perspective, especially now with house and land values where they are.

You do work hard but that helps once you are in a job. There are some late nights, but it's manageable.

What employers think

Ted Marshall
Rural coach
National Bank

We go to the universities each year for recruits and to Lincoln specifically looking at that degree. It's tailored for what we want.

This year we took on 15 recruits, eight from Lincoln. Our rural managers are working with customers on their businesses, assessing and valuing their assets.

Our human resources people constantly talk to the course managers about the degree. I can't think of anything it lacks.

Graduates have many opportunities, not just with banks but stock firms, fertiliser companies and in business for themselves.

It's a pretty valuable degree in farming. We have a number of [farmer] clients with that degree. It's narrow but its wide, so to speak.

The qualification

Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture) specialising in Rural Valuation, Lincoln University

Phone: 0800 10 60 10

Earnings: from $35,000