Updated On: 03 May 2025

Study Agriculture in New Zealand | Study in New Zealand

Are you interested in Agriculture? If yes, then New Zealand is the perfect place to study agriculture, and related courses. If you want to study agriculture in New Zealand, then contact our top study abroad consultants, SIEC to help you with the application process to study in New Zealand.

The reason why NZ is one of the top countries to study abroad in 2025/2026 is the shortage of qualified workers in New Zealand, and world-leading agricultural practices. New Zealand is also one of the best countries for sustainable and ethical agricultural practices.

Best Countries for Sustainable and Ethical Agricultural Practices

NZ has increased their technological innovation but there’s a shortage of skilled labour. With a huge range of in-demand agriculture careers on the regional skill shortage list, having a NZ visa after graduation paves your way to PR in New Zealand. Following is the list of agricultural roles on NZ’s skill shortage list:

Agricultural Roles	Salary Range in New Zealand
Apiarist	NZ$50,000 - $70,000
Arborist	NZ$50,000 - $70,000
Cattle beef farmer or farm manager	NZ$60,000 - $85,000
Dairy farmer and/ or assistant farm manager	NZ$70,000 - $160,000
Market gardener or crop production/ agronomist manager	NZ$50,000 - $150,000
Pig farmer. manager or assistant farm manager	NZ$60,000 - $90,000
Viticulturist/ winemaker	NZ$60,000 - $120,000

Agricultural Courses in New Zealand

New Zealand offers a huge range of agricultural courses for international students to study in NZ. From certifications to post-graduate degrees, New Zealand has everything you need to study abroad. Here is a list of Top Bachelors Courses in Agriculture in NZ.

Program Name	Institution	Annual Tuition Fee (NZD)
Bachelor of Agricultural Science	Massey University	$39,900
Bachelor of Agriculture	Lincoln University	$36,000
Bachelor of Agribusiness and Food Marketing	Lincoln University	$32,500
Diploma in Agriculture	Lincoln University	$27,500
Bachelor of Agriculture	Massey University	$39,900
Bachelor of Agricultural Science	University of Otago	$35,840
Bachelor of Agriculture	University of Waikato	$34,500
New Zealand Certificate in Agriculture (Farming Systems) Level 3	National Trade Academy	$11,816
New Zealand Certificate in Primary Industry Skills (Agriculture) Level 2	National Trade Academy	$6,300
Bachelor of Agriculture	Northtec	$4,000

Source: NTA, SIT, Primary ITO

List of Top Certification Courses in Agriculture in NZ

Program Name	Institution	Duration	Tuition Fee (NZD)
New Zealand Certificate in Primary Industry Skills (Agriculture) Level 2	National Trade Academy	12 weeks	$6,300
New Zealand Certificate in Agriculture (Farming Systems) Level 3	National Trade Academy	36 weeks	$11,816
New Zealand Certificate in Agriculture - Dairy Farming Level 4	Primary ITO	20 months	$3,536.25
New Zealand Certificate in Agriculture (Farming Systems) Level 3	Otago Polytechnic	1 year	$26,000
New Zealand Certificate in Organic Primary Production Level 3	Southern Institute of Technology (SIT)	Varies	Zero Fees Scheme
New Zealand Certificate in Agriculture (Farming Systems) Level 3	Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology	1 year
New Zealand Certificate in Agriculture	UCOL	1 year
Certificate in Farming Skills Level 2	Vision College	12 weeks
New Zealand Certificate in Primary Industry Skills (Horticulture) Level 2	National Trade Academy	12 weeks	$6,300
New Zealand Certificate in Equine Skills (Sporthorse Stable Assistant) Level 3	National Trade Academy	15 weeks	$6,345

Source: NTA, SIT, Primary ITO

List of Master’s Degree Courses in Agriculture in NZ

Program Name	Institution	Duration	Tuition Fee (NZD)
Master of Agricultural Science	Lincoln University	1.5 years
Master of Agribusiness	Massey University	1.5 years	$43,370
Master of Agriculture	Massey University	1.5 years	$43,370
Master of Management in Agribusiness	University of Waikato	1.5 years	$46,285
Master of Science in Agricultural Science	University of Otago	2 years	$42,957
Master of Science in Plant Biotechnology	University of Otago	2 years	$42,957
Master of Science in Food Science (Thesis)	University of Otago	2 years	$42,957
Master of Applied Science in Consumer Food Science	University of Otago	2 years	$59,066
Master of Science in Ecology	University of Otago	2 years	$42,957
Master of Commerce in Agricultural	University of Otago	1.5 years	$42,957

Source: NTA, SIT, Envoy

See Also: Marine Science in New Zealand

Pathway to PR after Completing Agricultural Studies in NZ

Once you have completed your studies in New Zealand, it’s time for applying for In-demand Roles in Agriculture in NZ. Each agriculture course in NZ is sure to offer some form of training or work experiences, so it is likely that you already have a job with you.

If you don’t have a job lined up, go the student visa route and apply for your post-study work visa after qualification.
The post-study work visa allows you to live and stay in NZ for a maximum of three years. You can be employed and work for any employer as long as you have obtained a qualification at Level 7 Courses or above.
This gives you time to look for a suitable job in the industry you studied.

Once you have got a relevant job, which is also under the skills shortage list, you can proceed to apply for various categories of visa depending on the position. Most of the time, the agriculture jobs would be listed in the regional skills shortage list whereby you will be required to live and work in specified regions.

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Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa

The skilled migrant category resident visa is permanent and requires an invitation to apply after submitting an expression of interest and scoring the required points. If your role is:

An ANZCO 1-3 and earns more than NZ$61,692 a year, or
ANZCO 4-5 and earns over NZ$86,611 a year,

After 2 years of working in a relevant role, you can apply for PR in New Zealand.

Work To Residence Visa

The following jobs are in the Green List in New Zealand and allow applying for the permanent work to residence visa:

Assistant dairy farm manager ANZSCO121313
Beef cattle farm manager ANZSCO 121313
Dairy farmer ANZSCO 121313
Dairy farm manager ANZSCO 121313
Dairy herd manager ANZSCO121313

While these may require a minimum of three years' experience prior to applying, this may have already been completed as part of your qualification and post-study work visa. A job from an accredited employer will be required before applying to this visa.

Difference between Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa and Work to Residence Visa

Difference between Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa and Work to Residence Visa

Read this also: Postgraduate Opportunities in New Zealand for Indian Students in 2025

Accredited Employer Work Visa

The length of the visa will allow you to live and work in NZ for three years. An accredited employer has to give you a job offer for this visa, and you have to possess the required skills and qualifications to be able to work in the particular area.

The list below shows the categories that will apply to this accredited employer work visa:

Apiarist ANZCO 121311
Arborist ANZCO 362212
Beef farmer or farm manager ANZCO 121312
Dairy farmer or assistant farm manager ANZSCO 121313
Market gardener or crop production/ agronomist manager ANZCO 121221
Pig farmer or manager or assistant farm manager ANZCO 1

If you are interested to study agriculture in New Zealand, then contact SIEC, top overseas education consultants with 100k success stories and 99% visa success rate, to find out more on agricultural courses in New Zealand. Applications for Admission in New Zealand Universities are open for the academic year of 2025/2026.

Conclusion

Reach out to SIEC for Application inquiries and assistance.

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