About the School

The School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences has a long and proud history dating back to 1892, and now we are the largest and most successful provider of agricultural, horticultural and wine science education supporting rural industries in Australia.

With operations at both Wagga Wagga in southern NSW and Orange in central NSW our team comprises 70 academic, research, technical and administration staff. We host some 1,200 undergraduate students and over 60 post-graduate students in our comprehensive suite of undergraduate, post-graduate and professional development courses.

These courses cover the fields of Agriculture and Agricultural Science, Agricultural Business Management, Wine Science, Viticulture, Wine Business, Science, Horticulture, and Ecological Agricultural Systems. Post-graduate courses include Honours, Graduate Certificates, Graduate Diplomas, Masters, and Doctorates in relevant to the interests of students. In many courses, flexible study options on-campus or by distance education are available.

Our Teaching and Research Strengths

Our teaching and research strengths include:

  • Bioprotection (entomology, plant pathology, weeds)
  • Pastures and pasture/animal interactions
  • Crop agronomy
  • Hydrology, irrigation and water management
  • Soils, soil-plant-water interactions, plant growth
  • Herbicide resisitance and allelopathy
  • Wine science, Viticulture
  • Farming systems
  • Chemistry
  • Economics
  • Rural sociology

Research is undertaken through key CSU Research Centre's such as the E.H. Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation (an alliance between Charles Sturt University and the NSW Department of Primary Industries); the CSU Institute for Land Water and Society, the National Wine & Grape Industry Centre, the International Centre for Water, and the Centre for Inland Health. In addition, staff from the School have major involvement in national Cooperative Research Centre's which link universities, government bodies and industry organisations across Australia to focus on national sector-wide issues. For these, funding from government, industry and research providers supports  research, education and extension. SAWS contributes strongly to:

  • The CRC for Future Farm Industries
  • The CRC for National Plant Biosecurity
  • The CRC for Irrigation
  • The CRC for Cotton Catchment Communities

Partners in Education and Research

Many industry, government and other organisations join with us to ensure the best education and research impacts possible. Their strong support and commitment to the future of education and research is very much appreciated.

These linkages ensure our courses remain relevant and topical, and that we are developing in students skills that employers value, and that we producing graduates who will make an impact within their profession. Because of our close association with industry and business, we are able to offer a number of scholarships.

These partnerships also mean that the research we undertake is applied and focused on key problems affecting Australia and the world.

Regional Engagement and Professional Activities

As a School we are proud to also contribute to regional communities through our professional activities. These include things such as:

  • Contribution to primary and secondary school education
  • Regional, national and international conferences
  • Involvement in community organisations
  • Short courses and training workshops
  • Collaborative research and extension
  • Consultancies

Teaching and Research Facilities

  • Staff, courses and research at the Wagga Wagga campus focus on the agricultural, viticultural and wine sciences, plus the applied sciences and chemistry.
    The agricultural science programs are based around the Sutherland laboratories, an irrigation research and demonstration facility, and the University's commercial farm (wheat, canola, barley, lucerne, sheep and beef cattle) along with the NSW DPI's Wagga Agricultural Institute.
    The wine science and viticulture programs are closely linked with the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre (an alliance between CSU and NSW DPI) and Commercial Winery, while the science and chemistry programs are located at the Morell Laboratories.
  • The Orange campus is the main focus for our programs in agricultural business management, ecological agriculture and horticulture. The University farm (Orange) and vineyards offer practical learning experience in their respective areas. They also support research directed towards sustainable agricultural production.
  • The School enjoys good teaching and learning, computing and research facilities at both campuses, with excellent opportunities for hands on practical work and industry interaction.
  • The University is making very large capital investments in world class teaching and research facilities to support our expanding programs now and in the future.

Our strong reputation is due to our close links with industry, our innovative courses of study, our graduates who have skills and knowledge that industry demands, and our research which has national and international impacts. I have much pleasure in welcoming you to explore our School further, both through this web site and in person by visiting our campuses.