Agriculture Technology

Agriculture Technology diploma

In their first year, students complete the requirements of either the Horticulture Crop Production and Protection certificate or the Livestock Production certificate before going on to year two. All courses from these certificates apply to the diploma program.

In their second year, 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.

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.

If students have selected the Horticulture option, they may choose in their third semester to transfer their credits to the four-year Bachelor of Agricultural Science. Or students may finish their fourth semester to earn their Agriculture Technology diploma and enter the Bachelor of Agriculture Science in semester five, after they complete pre-requisite Biology and Statistics courses.

Entrance requirements

1. B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent.
2. One of the following Mathematics classes:
   • Foundations of Mathematics 11
   • Pre-calculus 11
   • Workplace Math 11 or Apprenticeship and Workplace Mathematics 11
   • The formerly offered Principles of Mathematics 11, Applications of Mathematics 11, or Essentials of Mathematics 11
   • MATH 085 or equivalent
3. One of the following Grade 11 sciences:
   • Life Sciences 11, Biology 11, or BIO 083 (strongly recommended)
   • Chemistry 11 or CHEM 083
   • Earth Sciences 11 or Earth Science 11
   • Physics 11 or PHYS 083
4. Applicants must meet the Degree/diploma level English language proficiency requirement. For details on how this requirement may be met, see the English language proficiency requirement section of the calendar.
5. The Agriculture Technology department will also consider applicants if they can demonstrate that they have a reasonable chance for success. Applicants will be required to submit a portfolio and/or be interviewed.

Recommendations

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 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 steel-toed workboots, 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.

When to apply

Applications are accepted for entrance to the Fall and Winter semesters. For application deadlines, see Specific intake application process.

How to apply

1. Apply online at ufv.ca/admissions/apply.

   Additional documents required for a complete application:

   • Proof of B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent, and official transcripts (or interim transcripts) showing grade/course achievement as per entrance requirements; or
   • Letter of permission from the Agriculture department.
2. Upon admission to the program applicants will be provided with registration information. A deposit is required prior to registration (see the Fees and Other Costs section) and will be applied toward tuition fees.
3. In cases where interim transcripts are submitted, an admission decision may be made conditional upon completion of academic requirements. For Fall entry, proof of completion of entrance requirements is due by the end of the first week in August.

To begin taking courses at UFV 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.

Basis for admission decision

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.

Fees and additional costs

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.

Program duration

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 department for more details.

Dates and location

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 or 292) 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.

Program outline

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 in the first year: Horticulture Crop Production and Protection, or Livestock Production. In the second year of the diploma program, students who have completed the Horticulture Crop Production and Protection option continue their studies in Horticulture Crop Production and Protection. Students in the Livestock Production option continue their studies in Livestock Production.

First year

First-year students must complete the requirements of either the Horticulture Crop Production and Protection certificate or the Livestock Production certificate before going on to the second year. All courses from these certificates apply to the diploma program.

Second year

In semesters III and IV (second year), the selected program option (Livestock Production or Horticulture Crop Production and Protection) determines which courses must be taken.

Semester III (Fall)

Semester IV (Winter)

Transfer to other educational institutes

Contact the Agriculture department for information about transfer possibilities.

Program requirements

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 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.

Undergraduate continuance

Students enrolled in undergraduate courses (courses numbered 100 or above) must maintain an undergraduate Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of at least 2.00 to remain enrolled in Good Academic Standing at UFV. 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 UFV. 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 Undergraduate Continuance policy (92).

Auditing courses

Students who decide to audit a course in the Agriculture Technology department must follow UFV's Course Audit policy (108). Auditing students may be required to complete course assignments. Auditing a course will not, however, satisfy graduation requirements.

Graduation requirements

To be eligible to graduate, students must have completed the Agriculture Technology diploma program with a minimum GPA of 2.00 and a minimum grade of pass in all courses.

Course listings

For complete details on courses see the course descriptions section.