Bachelor Of Agricultural Science - Work Experience

This information relates to the work experience requirement for the BAgSc(General) degree. Students doing majors in either Integrated Pest Management or Plant Breeding will need to complete an internship as part of the major in lieu of work experience. There are separate work experience programmes for students in BAgSc(Horticulture) and BAgSc (Viticulture and Oenology).

To complete a degree in BAgSc(General) students need to undertake 13 weeks of approved work experience and submit a report on the work. The aims of the work experience programme are to:

1. expose students to aspects of agriculture, horticulture or environmental management that are not covered in the course
2. allow students to gain experience in relevant industries
3. experience work in a professional or business environment
4. gain additional work skills that may be useful to future employment.

The report on the work experience needs to be handed in before the Friday of teaching week 1 of second semester of the fourth year to enable you to graduate immediately after completing fourth year. Submission of late reports will mean students will graduate at a later date.

Exemption from work experience will be given where students have completed an appropriate degree or diploma in an area related to the student's current course, or who have other relevant work experience. Students seeking exemption from work experience should consult the work experience co-ordinator or the Registrar as soon as possible. The work is normally taken during the vacation periods and may include work in one of the following areas:

• farm work
• business related to agriculture, horticulture or environmental management
• research
• government institutions
• extension or consulting 

Students are required to gain work experience in at least two of the areas above. The majority of the work can be in one of these areas with smaller periods of time in others, or it can be equally distributed among a number of areas. Students can tailor their programme to their own career goals. However, students will not be permitted to complete 13 weeks in one area alone. Elective subjects offered in the winter or summer vacations can not be used as part of the work experience requirement, but summer research scholarships can be used as part of the work experience.

Records of the time spent in each period of work experience need to be submitted and a final report on the work experience written and handed in at the completion of the 13 weeks. Copies of the forms to be completed can be obtained from the Work Experience Co-ordinator, the Registrars Office, Waite Campus or from the Faculty website. The final report should be approximately 3000 words and it should concentrate on the major area on which the work experience was done plus a brief (~2 page) description of the other work completed. The report is not simply a diary of the activities a student has completed, but a technical report in which the student demonstrates:

• an understanding of the importance/relevance of the work to agriculture, horticulture or environmental mangement 
• the technical/scientific bases of the work conducted 
• an appreciation of the problems addressed 
• an understanding of the constraints to success and how these constraints are overcome or managed 

Where relevant, the report should also demonstrate a critical appraisal of the methods used by the organisation or farm. Some guidelines on what can be included in the final report are given below.

Farm work

The climatic, biological and edaphic constraints to the farming system and how these affect farming practices; details of farming practices; appraisal of the standard of management; major problems and managerial responses to the problems; marketing and economic issues

Research institutions

The type of research being done in the institution and a description of the problem/area it addresses; the importance of the research and the benefits of the work to agricultural production or the environment; a description of the methodology used in your work.

Business

The structure of the business; a description of the type of work undertaken, with emphasis on the technical/scientific/economic bases of the work; the main methods/techniques used; how the work relates to agriculture/horticulture; technical problems encountered and how these are overcome; the success of the business.

Extension and consulting

The types of industries services; the services provided; the types of problems encountered and how they are addressed; details of the techniques used (eg soil and plant sampling, insect monitoring) and the technical/scientific bases of these tests; how extension messages are conveyed to farmers or clients.

The report should be typed using double spacing. Assessment is a non-graded pass; unsatisfactory reports may need to be resubmitted.

A list of possible work placements is available on the Faculty's website (Work Placements). The University of Adelaide farms at Roseworthy and Martinadale (Clare Valley) may assist students with work experience.

Insurance

Insurance while doing work experience is either through the Student Union's policy or the employer's Workcover policy. If the work is voluntary, students are covered by a Student Accident Insurance Policy, which is included in the Student Union fees. This is for Medical Insurance only. The policy covers students doing unpaid work, which is a requirement of the degree, anywhere in Australia. For further information on insurance, contact the Student Union Office: telephone: (08) 8303 5403 or at:
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/AUU/services/services/insurance.html

To be covered by this policy, students need to fill out a form from Darren Koopman, School of Agriculture, Food & Wine, before commencing the work.

If you wish to have Public Liability Insurance, an additional policy can be purchased from the Student Union.

Students doing paid work as part of their work experience should be protected by their employer's Workcover policy. Further details on matters related to student insurance can be obtained from the Student Union office.

Record of Practical Experience

The Record of Practical Experience form must be filled out, signed, and returned to Darren Koopman, School of Agriculture, Food & Wine. Phone: 8303 7919