Massey leading tertiary education and research for NZ’s primary industries

Undergraduate programmes from Massey’s School of Agriculture and Environment started in late February. Its programmes include the traditional programmes of the Bachelor of Agricultural Science, Bachelor of Horticultural Science, Bachelor of Agribusiness and Bachelor of Animal Science. In 2025 the School is launching a new programme, the Bachelor of Earth and Environmental Science (BEearthEnvSc). It includes two majors - Land and Water Science and Geoscience. This new degree offers students a pathway to new knowledge and skills in the relationship between landscapes and primary production. The BEarthEnvSc sits alongside and aligns with the Schools’ agriculture, horticulture and animal science programmes, creating new sustainability pathways for our graduates. Our primary industries need future employees that understand not only environmental management and science, but also understand our production systems.

A long-standing feature of Massey’s agriculturally based degree programmes is the ability for those who wish to stay in the regions, to work while studying part time (and sometimes full time) via distance. This allows those who wish to complete a degree to do so, while reducing the costs of travelling for their education, and not needing to be away from home. For many students, it’s a great balance between gaining a tertiary education while being employed. Massey University is finding more students are taking the opportunity to enrol part time or full time via the distance/online teaching modes, and with the cost of education growing, I believe this option will continue to gain popularity.

University education should be led by research. Massey is experiencing significant growth in post graduate student numbers, in both domestic and international student cohorts. These are helping to drive the large numbers of research projects underway, and they help Massey maintain its number one New Zealand University international ranking in Agriculture. This research is an important part of the education of the undergraduate students also, as it ensures they are learning world-leading, up-to-date information. The research at Massey not only aims to increase the productivity and profitability of our primary industries, it aims to do so in an environmentally sustainable and animal friendly way. Massey’s research is heavily aligned to industry needs and contains a range of industry partners ensuring the right questions are being asked, and the solutions farmers need are being found.

As part of creating pathways for the next generation, Massey has a strong working relationship with the Horticulture and Agriculture Teachers Association (HATA). Massey also partners with the New Zealand Young Farmers and the Rural Games Trust. With all groups, Massey co-creates educational material, to not only educate students, but also to encourage young people to consider agriculture and horticulture as a future career option. It is also creating material specifically for teachers to use in class for their NCEA teaching. Massey, with its partners, also has many hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships available for undergraduate and postgraduate students to reduce the burden of education and help ensure the primary industries attract the best and brightest.

This article was first published in Rural News.

Professor Paul Kenyon is the Head of the School of Agriculture & Environment, and a Professor in Sheep Husbandry at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University.