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rural animal technician looking at laptop with farmer cows in the background

New Zealand Diploma in Primary Industry Business Management

NZ2221

Course details

  • Ongoing
  • 18 months
  • Part-time
  • $4,210*
  • Level 5
  • Regional locations and online

Summary

This programme is designed for owners and managers in agricultural businesses, including those who have relevant industry experience and are ready to advance into a management capacity.

It is structured for people who are working, with face-to-face courses offered in rural locations, as well as block courses and online learning available to suit students’ work commitments.

Students in this programme will ​
  • Be able to achieve business and career goals faster 
  • Gain the confidence to present accounts and plans to banks, accountants, and other rural professionals in the best way possible 
  • Make decisions based on sound judgement  
  • Work with their own agribusiness’ statistics 
  • Gain ideas and inspiration from colleagues 
  • Have a highly respected, industry-recognised qualification 
  • Be able to directly apply what they have learnt to their own agribusiness

Working in partnership

We work with Primary ITO to deliver this programme. This allows us to teach relevant skills, taking students' careers to the next level and achieving their business goals. Within this partnership, Primary ITO is responsible for marketing, recruitment and on-farm support. Wintec is responsible for enrolment, programme administration, teaching delivery, and results. 

What is involved

An assessor will visit students on the farm and assess their skills and knowledge through a professional conversation. Students will be asked to produce naturally occurring evidence, like current budgets, business plans, or lending proposals – these are the documents they use in their everyday management of the farm.

What you will learn​​​

Students will study five key areas, with the final course being a report on their property. Each course has achievement-based assessments. If students have completed any unit standards or modules from previous studies, they can apply to have them cross-credited.

View programme modules

Module codeModule nameLevelCreditsPre-requisites
NSCI5901Primary Industry Business Planning515
NSCI5902Fundamentals of Financial Management and Planning515 
NSCI5903Financial Analysis for Primary Industries515 
NSCI5904Human Resource Management in Primary Industries515 
NSCI5905Workplace Compliance in Primary Industries515 
NSCI5906Environmental Sustainability for Primary Industries515 
NSCI5907Business Risk Management for Primary Industry515 
NSCI5908Primary Industry Strategic Analysis and Reporting515NSCI5901,
NSCI5903,
NSCI5904,
NSCI5906

 

Application process

New students​ 

If you are new to this programme, you will need to: 

  1. Apply online or download and complete an Application to Enrol Form.
  2. If you are unsure if you meet the entry criteria, complete the Additional Information Form, so that your situation can be further assessed. If you have applied online, this form is included as part of the online application process. 
  3. If you have them, provide certified copies of your prior academic transcripts. Find out more about supporting material for enrolment here.
  4. We may also need to verify your identity (your legal name and date of birth) as well as your residency status. If you are a domestic student, we may be able to do this through your National Student Number (NSN), if we can not access your NSN number, you will need to provide evidence of this by supplying verified copies of your birth certificate or passport. 
  5. Before beginning your application and the enrolment process, please contact Primary ITO to discuss courses and enrolment. They will direct you to the next steps of the application and enrolment process. You can contact the Primary ITO on 0800 20 80 20, by email at info@primaryito.ac.nz, or by post at PO Box 10-383, The Terrace, Wellington 6143.

Returning students ​​​​

If you are returning to this programme, you will need to complete:

  1. A Returning Student Form, which you can do online here.
  2. The Primary ITO can help you through the module selection process and any transfer of credits. You can contact the Primary ITO on the details above.

Once you have submitted your application

  • We will email you to confirm we have received it and let you know if there is anything more we need from you.
  • We will assess your application and let you know the outcome.
  • If you are accepted to study, we will send you an enrolment offer letter - you will need to accept this to confirm your place on the programme.
  • Click here to find out more about enrolment and accepting your offer.

Graduate story

“I think it’s vital to upskill particularly the financial papers for doing cashflows and budgets. That way you can keep your bank and stakeholders up to date with the impact of lower payouts, and put some plans in place to help get through the tough times. It helps to have some control over your situation rather than a wait and see approach which may be too late!”
Shona and Tony Pedersen, both diploma graduates, Raglan.

Career/further opportunities

This programme may help graduates to move into roles such as agribusiness manager, farm owner or director. The programme may help those who are wanting to become owners of farms, or take on sharing milk contracting roles. Many graduates and students are moving towards self-employment opportunities.

Disclaimers

Entry criteria

Applicants are required to have gained: 

  1. 48 credits at NCEA Level 2 including 12 credits in English or Māori; or
  2. A relevant qualification at NZQF Level 3 or above; or 
  3. Equivalent.

Special admission
Applicants who are at least 20 years of age or older who do not meet the general admission requirements above is eligible for special admission. We work to ensure they are prepared for their intended programme. 

Discretionary admission
Applicants who are not yet 20 years of age and do not meet the general admission requirements stated above may be eligible for discretionary admission. In assessing whether to grant discretionary admission the primary focus will be on the applicant’s ability to demonstrate a likelihood to succeed in the programme.

English language requirements
International applicants are required to have an International English Language Test System (IELTS) academic score of 5.5, with no individual band score lower than 5 from one test taken in the last two years, or equivalent described in NZQA Rules.

Additional requirements
All applicants must be in a position to access financial and production performance information about a specific agribusiness.

Do not meet the entry criteria?

Pathways

To check what you need to gain entry to a course, review the entry criteria available on each programme page. These assist you in understanding what qualifications or experience are typically required to gain entry. You can contact our team at info@wintec.ac.nz or 0800 2 Wintec at any time for further guidance.

Your first day

Are you ready for your first day of class? Check out your start date and where you need to be. You can also find useful information about studying at Wintec on our welcome page.

What you will need

Timetable information

All Wintec timetables are available online here.

How to find your way around

Campus maps can be found here.
Your course training provider will give you information about parking at the course venue.

Parking and bus information

Both the Rotokauri and City campuses have parking available - permits are required. Learn more about parking and find out about discounted bus services here.

He reo pōwhiri, your official welcome to Wintec

Tēnei te mihi mahana ki a koe e piki nei, e kake nei ki te Kuratini o Waikato.

You are warmly invited to attend the official welcome to Wintec for all new students, staff and whānau (family) at either our marae, Te Kōpū Mānia o Kirikiriroa or Rotokauri campus. The pōwhiri is a welcoming ceremony involving mihimihi (speeches), waiata (singing), and will conclude with kai timotimo (light refreshments). Please gather at the campus hubs, and a staff member will guide you through our pōwhiri.

Click here to find out when the next pōwhiri will be.

Paying for your study

Course-related costs

Additional information

Booklist

Purchasing textbooks

If your programme requires you to have access to textbooks, these can be purchased through a range of suppliers listed below:

    New Zealand-based suppliers

    General book suppliers

    First aid certificate

    Health status

    Uniform

    Equipment

    Clinical placement

    Prospectus (course guide)

    The Wintec Prospectus (otherwise known as a course guide) outlines everything you need to know about Wintec. It contains information about the Wintec campuses, student life, and the programmes that are on offer.

    Access your copy of the Wintec Prospectus

    The Wintec Prospectus (course guide) is available by downloading the file - click on the document below to access the file. Alternatively, to request a copy via email or the post, please complete the form below.

    Request an emailable or printed copy of the Prospectus

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