Unizulu Faculty of Science And Agriculture
Vision of Faculty
To be a leading Faculty of Science and Agriculture, nationally and globally, in a rural-based, comprehensive university, providing quality career focussed programmes through teaching, research, scholarship and community outreach.
Mission of Faculty
1. To provide access to students from diverse backgrounds to an enabling and caring learning and teaching environment
2. To respond to the global demand for human resource development by training graduates in relevant programmes
3. To generate knowledge through research in the pure and applied
sciences and to disseminate it through publications, teaching and development, in partnership with the community and other constituencies.
PROGRAMMES OFFERED
Undergraduate
AGRIBUSINESS MANAGEMENT
The Agribusiness Management programme is designed to equip students with agribusiness management and/or agricultural economics skills and expose them to the environment in which an agricultural economist operates. These include pursuing a career within the agribusiness value chain such as the supply of agricultural inputs, agricultural production, agro-processing, agricultural trade and agricultural marketing. The program also focuses on the managerial functions in the farm business operations as well as throughout the agribusiness sector. With this qualification graduates will be qualified to enter various fields of agribusiness as practitioners in both the private and public sectors. Graduates will also be equipped with the necessary skills that will enable them to pursue their own business interests if they wish to do so.
Employment opportunities citing typical employers
A qualification in BSc Agribusiness Management and/or Agricultural Economics offers graduate/s a wide array of career opportunities that include but not limited to own business ownership, marketing/sales representatives, research and education (universities and research institutes), agricultural trade industries including but not limited to government departments and International Trade platforms and/or ports of entry/exit, financial specialists/banking sector (Land Bank including the big 4 (Standard Bank, ABSA, FNB and Nedbank – Agricultural Finance Units) farm or ranch management and natural resources management in all spheres of the economy; at micro and macro levels (government and food multinationals).
Entrepreneurial opportunities citing sector, industry and typical businesses
Graduates will be equipped with the necessary skills that will enable them to start their own business in any sector of the economy including those not necessarily linked to agriculture. Graduates will have a good understanding of the entrepreneurial process and the legal requirements that will enable them to start their own businesses. This not only includes any business activity related to the entire agricultural sector but also any other business if the individual wishes to do so. Opportunities in to the agricultural sector ranging from consultancy work to providing goods and services to the participants in the agricultural sector.
Vertical articulation for further / higher degree studies
The programme/ qualification is at NQF level 8 (an equivalent of an honours degree) and designed to be sufficient for students who wish to further their studies to an MSc and doctoral (PhD) degrees studies, and in this way obtain the kind of depth that will make them attractive as professionals and knowledgeable in the Agribusiness sector both for the public and private sector/s, and including research and academic institutions. For example, there is a shortage of Doctorate (PhD) holders in the country in this qualification. Vertical articulation within the MSc and doctoral degrees within this field may help bridge this gap and enhance the competitiveness of the Agribusiness sector in terms of the production of knowledge and human capital in South Africa.
Horizontal articulation with other qualifications
The programme is also well positioned to articulate horizontally for example with commerce, and other agricultural, environmental, resource management and rural development degree studies/ qualifications. It articulates horizontally further also with the education sector; teacher education programmes, which is amongst the fastest employing sectors in the country especially given that Agricultural Economics skills is a scarce/critical skill in South Africa.
Contact details for inquiries
• Programme coordinator [Prof G.E. Zharare, BSc hons (Crop Science), MSc (Crop Physiology), PhD (Plant nutrition),
E: ZharareG@unizulu.ac.za
T: +27 (0) 35 902 6072] • Head of Department [Prof G.E. Zharare, BSc hons (Crop Science), MSc (Crop Physiology), PhD (Plant nutrition),
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
ENGLISH 4 (50%)
MATHEMATICS 4 (50%)
AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE OR LIFE SCIENCE 4 (50%)
Postgraduate
AGRICULTURE – AGRIBUSINESS/EXTENSION
AGRICULTURE – ANIMAL SCIENCE
AGRICULTURE
Download Undregraduate Handbook
Download Postgraduate Handbook
Contact Us
Postal Address
The Interim Dean
Faculty of Science & Agriculture
University of Zululand
Private Bag X1001
KwaDlangezwa
3886
DEAN’S OFFICE : First Floor
Natural Sciences Building
Prospective Students Please Note:
All correspondence and enquiries are to be addressed to:
The Registar
University of Zululand
Private Bag X1001
KwaDlangezwa 3886
Executive Secretary to Dean
Miss B.P. Kunene
T : 035-902 6649
F : 035-902 6428
E: kuneneb@unizulu.ac.za