Bachelor of Rural Studies BRuralStud

Including:
University Certificate in Rural Studies (exit point only) UnivCertRuralStud
Associate Degree in Rural Studies (exit point only) AssocDegRuralStud

This course is being phased out and is no longer available. Prospective students should contact info.csu for further information.

Continuing students should consult the Handbook from the year of their enrolment for information about this course.

Bachelor of Rural Studies

Enrolment details

Australian & New Zealand students

International students

Course structure

The program will be offered by distance education only. Credit for various subjects based on previous study and/or work experience may be granted subject to University criteria being met.

University Certificate in Rural Studies

The student must complete:

• two subjects from each of the following core areas (six subjects)
• two additional subjects from any of the following core areas:
  • core Area 1: Society and Personal Development
  • core Area 2: Agricultural and Environmental Management
  • core Area 3: Business Management and Information Technology

Associate Degree in Rural Studies

The student must complete the remaining subjects from each of the following core areas (four subjects):

• Core Area 1: Society and Personal Development
• Core Area 2: Agricultural and Environmental Management
• Two further subjects from the following core area:
  • Core Area 3: Business Management and Information Technology
• Two subjects chosen from core area 3 or core area 4 Managing Change

Bachelor of Rural Studies

The student must complete:

• any remaining core subjects
• Dependant upon on the choices made in year two the student will have the choice of between five and seven elective subjects in year three. All of the electives must be taken at Level 2 or higher and at least three must be taken at Level 3. No further Level 1 subjects can be taken.

Core subjects

Seventeen subjects offered within the Bachelor of Rural Studies have been grouped into four core areas:
Core area 1: Society and Personal Development
SOC101 Introduction to Sociology or
MGT135 Communication in Business Context
MGT245 Managing Self and Others
MGT367 Leadership Issues
SOC226 Rurality in a Globalised World

Core area 2: Agricultural and Environmental Management
ASC135 Livestock Production Systems
AGR141 Introduction to Ecological Agriculture
AGR156 Plants in Agriculture
BIO140 The Biological Environment

Core area 3: Business Management and Information Technology
ACC125 Rural Financial Management
AGB165 Agribusiness Systems
AGB180 Management Information Systems
ITC411 Introduction to Information Technology
or
ITC182 Foundations of Information Technology
MGT120 Management in Practice
MKT110 Marketing Principles

Core area 4: Managing Change
AGB260 Rural Change (Inquiry Tools)
AGB363 Rural Change (Industry Project)
GEO301 Regional Development and Policy

Admission Requirements

To be admitted into the course, prospective students need to indicate their likelihood of success through:

1. previous studies
   and
2. other attainments and experience.

Previous studies

Previous studies include:

• the NSW Higher School Certificate or interstate /overseas equivalent;
• the International Baccalaureate Diploma;
• a completed or part completed course of a university, college of advanced education or other accredited tertiary institution;
• a completed or part completed course of a TAFE college or other accredited post-secondary institution (including TAFE Tertiary Preparation Certificate);
• an approved Foundation Studies program certificate;
• completion of undergraduate subjects as an Associate Student with the University or through another University, or Open Universities Australia.

NSW and interstate school leavers are normally selected on the basis of their Universities Admissions Index (UAI) or interstate equivalent. You may also be admitted on the basis of a strong performance in subjects relevant to your course preferences.

Currently no secondary school subjects are prerequisites for admission to particular CSU courses however some courses assume a certain level of knowledge. This will be specified in the course information if applicable.

English language proficiency

Applicants will be deemed to have sufficient English proficiency if they:

• have completed all their formal studies in one or more of the following countries; or
• were born in one of the following countries and have completed at least one qualification in one of those countries; or
• have completed senior secondary study or at least one year of full-time University study in one of the following countries: American Samoa, Australia, Canada, Fiji, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, United Kingdom, USA, Zambia
  or
• have successfully completed one year of full-time (or part-time equivalent) post-secondary study at an affiliate institution of the University, with English as the medium of instruction and assessment.

All other applicants must explicitly demonstrate proficiency.

Acceptable tests for English proficiency

Any of the following results, attained within the last two years, can be used to demonstrate English proficiency:

• a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) paper-based score of 550 and TWE of 5.0;
• a TOEFL Internet-based score of 80 for undergraduate and postgraduate coursework programs, and 90 for postgraduate research candidates with a minimum score of 25 in the writing section.
• a TOEFL computer-based score of 213 and Essay Rating of 5;
• an Academic IELTS (International English Language Testing System) overall score of at least 6.0, and with no score below 5.5;
• a Combined Universities Admission Test (CULT) overall score of at least 65;
• a C pass in English at the GCE ‘A’ level examinations in either Singapore or the United Kingdom;
• completion of the International Baccalaureate diploma with English A2 at higher or sub. Level;
• a C pass in ‘Use of English’ in the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE);
• completion of the UNSW Foundation Studies Certificate with a C pass in ‘Use of English’;
• completion of an AQF Certificate IV (including English for Academic Purposes);
• successful completion of at least one year of study in a course at Associate Diploma or Diploma level on the Register of Australian Tertiary Education;
• a score of 155 in the verbal component of the STAT test;
• a Pass grade in the Uniworld English College English for Tertiary Entrance course; or
• IRI Diploma of English.

An applicant who does not otherwise meet the University’s requirements may be admitted on the recommendation of the Dean of the appropriate faculty.

Attainment and experience

You may also be admitted to a course based on other attainments and experience. These may include:

• voluntary or paid work experience;
• performance in tests and examinations conducted by professional recognised bodies;
• participation in continuing education programs and/or staff development programs conducted by adult education agencies, consultancies, professional bodies or employers;
• completion of the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT).

Internet access

CSU places great emphasis on services to its students. It is a leader in the provision of online services and, in particular, the use of the internet in the support of teaching, administration and communications with students.

The online environment is so integrated into all aspects of student life and the learning experience at CSU that the University now assumes that all on campus and distance education students at CSU will have ongoing access to an internet connected computer capable of communicating with CSU online systems.

Students enrolled in Information Technology subjects (i.e. with an ITC subject code) may be required to have additional hardware and/or software that is deemed essential for the completion of the learning activities in that subject.

Additional Requirements

There are no additional requirements associated with the application for enrolment into this course

Contacts

For all inquiries about Charles Sturt University courses, please contact info.csu on:

Telephone: 1800 334 733 (free call within Australia) Telephone: +61 2 6338 6077 (outside Australia) Facsimile: (02) 6338 6001 (within Australia) Facsimile: +61 2 6338 6001 (outside Australia) Email: inquiry@csu.edu.au Web inquiry: www.csu.edu.au/student/contact Web: info.csu.edu.au