Key facts
Domestic students course information. This course is currently not available to international students.
Entry is based on a completed Cert IV in Agriculture or work experience in the cotton industry.
View full entry requirements- 1 year part-time
| Start Dates and Campus | Trimester 1 – February 2024 | Trimester 2 – June 2024 | Trimester 3 – October 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Offered | Offered | Offered |
| Armidale Campus | Not Offered | Not Offered | Not Offered |
| Sydney Campus | Not Offered | Not Offered | Not Offered |
Course information
Download course brochure
Cotton is the most widespread profitable non-food crop in the world. The Australian cotton industry provides employment for thousands of people industry wide. But how do we ensure the production, protection, systems and environmental management of cotton crops in the Australian industry are not just profitable, but also sustainable?
The Undergraduate Certificate in Cotton Production will provide you with a wide range of foundational skills in this rapidly evolving field.
Whether you want to experience a taste for university studies, or you're currently working in the field and want to gain tertiary qualifications to boost your skills, this course is the ideal starting point.
The units neatly combine to form a sought-after qualification or a pathway towards a series of agriculturally oriented degrees, diplomas and masters’ awards at UNE.
Why study the Undergraduate Certificate in Cotton Production with UNE?
Study flexibly, learn from industry experts and develop the knowledge and skills you need to make a real contribution to this dynamic industry.
Our Undergraduate Certificate in Cotton Production was developed by the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) in conjunction with UNE’s expert academic team.
Not only will you gain broad technical and theoretical knowledge, but you will also be able to help solve many challenges faced by this exciting and evolving industry.
What makes our course different?
This course is supported by UNE’s long-standing links with the cotton farming industry, our passionate agricultural experts and extensive expertise in the field. It will equip you with knowledge and skills to create more career choices and options for further successful study.
This course comes with opportunities to:
- Learn about many aspects of environmental management as affected by the cotton industry. Explore ecology, soil degradation, pesticide breakdown, water quality, salinity, vegetation, legal obligations and pesticide application techniques.
- Go ‘beyond the farm gate’ to understand the business environment of irrigated cotton production. This includes technical aspects of the cotton fibre for spinning and garment manufacture, economic benchmarking of cotton farms and an on-farm consultancy.
- Gain a grounding in sustainable cotton production by examining aspects of breeding, cotton growth and development, nutrition and soil management, irrigation, farm design and cotton quality.
- Learn how to manage insect pests, weeds and diseases that affect cotton crops as practical, sustainable methods for their control.
- Develop your knowledge and skills in marketing activities and how it relates to the functioning of a business. Put theory into practice by developing your own marketing plan.
- Learn about basic biological concepts and principles including evolution, diversity of animals and plants, plant structure and function, and ecological principles and applications.
Study online
Most of our students choose to study online across three study periods with 24/7 tutor support* and fit study around work and family commitments. Uniquely, our online students are mostly over 30 and form a community of adults who share the same challenges and priorities. They bring their life and work experience together at UNE in order to become future-fit and better respond to a rapidly changing world.
* 24/7 tutor support includes: essay feedback (within 24 hours); live chat 24/7 for generic feedback on academic writing; and subject-specific help at a foundation or first-year level for subjects including mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, business, accounting, microeconomics, macroeconomics and statistics. There are also a wide range of workshops, resources and courses available in academic skills support to assist you and help you to succeed.
Entry requirements
Select the option that best describes your experience.
You are currently studying Year 12 (school or TAFE) or have done so within the past 2 years.
This course has specific criteria which this admission option cannot meet. Please select other admission options to find out how you can become eligible to apply for this course.
Please note: all admissions are subject to UNE’s Admission, Credit and Enrolment Policy. Please read and familiarise yourself with the details of the policy. See our Glossary for help with university terms.
These requirements are in addition to the entry requirements above.
When applying you may be required to show how you satisfy the English Language Requirements for this course.
You must meet the Inherent Requirements in order to complete this course.
Mandatory intensive schools on campus are a requirement for units in this course. Please see the UNE Course Handbook for the specific requirements of each unit.
You have studied at UNE or other higher education institutions, completed or otherwise.
This course has specific criteria which this admission option cannot meet. Please select other admission options to find out how you can become eligible to apply for this course.
Please note: all admissions are subject to UNE’s Admission, Credit and Enrolment Policy. Please read and familiarise yourself with the details of the policy. See our Glossary for help with university terms.
These requirements are in addition to the entry requirements above.
When applying you may be required to show how you satisfy the English Language Requirements for this course.
You must meet the Inherent Requirements in order to complete this course.
Mandatory intensive schools on campus are a requirement for units in this course. Please see the UNE Course Handbook for the specific requirements of each unit.
You have undertaken VET study through a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), e.g. TAFE.
You can apply for this course if you have completed a Certificate IV in Agriculture or an equivalent qualification.
If you are admitted on this basis, you will be eligible for admission under Rule A. Please see the Course Structure (Program of Study).
Please note: all admissions are subject to UNE’s Admission, Credit and Enrolment Policy. Please read and familiarise yourself with the details of the policy. See our Glossary for help with university terms.
These requirements are in addition to the entry requirements above.
When applying you may be required to show how you satisfy the English Language Requirements for this course.
You must meet the Inherent Requirements in order to complete this course.
Mandatory intensive schools on campus are a requirement for units in this course. Please see the UNE Course Handbook for the specific requirements of each unit.
You left high school more than two years ago or did not finish Year 12.
You can apply for this course based on professional experience in the cotton industry. Admission based on professional experience is subject to School of Environmental and Rural Science approval.
If you are admitted on this basis, you will be eligible for admission under Rule B. Please see the Course Structure (Program of Study).
Please note: all admissions are subject to UNE’s Admission, Credit and Enrolment Policy. Please read and familiarise yourself with the details of the policy. See our Glossary for help with university terms.
These requirements are in addition to the entry requirements above.
When applying you may be required to show how you satisfy the English Language Requirements for this course.
You must meet the Inherent Requirements in order to complete this course.
Mandatory intensive schools on campus are a requirement for units in this course. Please see the UNE Course Handbook for the specific requirements of each unit.
Some courses require you to provide documentary evidence, or interviews to support your application. The following documents are required to support your application:
- If you are applying for admission under Rule A you must provide a certified academic transcript of your completed qualification.
- If you are applying for admission under Rule B you must provide a Statement of Service from your employer/s on company letterhead. Learn about our Statement of Service requirements.
Advanced Standing is credit or recognition of your previous study, work and/or life experience. This can reduce the cost and length of your studies.
Individual Unit Advanced Standing
If you are admitted into this course and believe you have already completed the equivalent of one or more of the units in your Course Structure (Program of Study) within the last ten years, you can apply for Individual Unit Advanced Standing.
> Learn how to apply for Individual Unit Advanced Standing
Course structure
To qualify for the award a candidate must pass units to the value of 24 credit points.
6 credit points
Complete 6 credit points from the following units:- Fundamentals of Agriculture (AGFN100) – 6 credit points
- Introduction to Biology: Cells and Life (BIOL110) – 6 credit points
- Organisms and the Diversity of Life (BIOL120) – 6 credit points
- Fundamentals of Marketing (MM110) – 6 credit points
18 credit points
Complete 18 credit points from the following units OR another unit with approval from course coordinator:- Cotton and the Environment (COTT202) – 6 credit points
- Cotton Farm Systems and Technology Transfer (COTT203) – 6 credit points
- Applied Cotton Production (COTT300) – 6 credit points
- Cotton Crop Protection (COTT301) – 6 credit points
See UNE Handbook for more details. The Handbook contains detailed course information designed for enrolled students, including course plans, exit awards, intensive schools, and work placement requirements.
Fees and scholarships
How much will it cost?
Estimated fees for your first year of study in this course are:
| Fee type | Cost |
|---|---|
| Commonwealth Supported Place | $4,231* |
| Estimated amenities fee per year if studying full-time | $351 |
What are the course fee payment options?
A Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) is a government subsidised place in a university course. The government pays part of your tuition fees, and you pay the remainder.
If you have a CSP in either an undergraduate or postgraduate (coursework) degree, you may be eligible for a HECS-HELP Loan, which allows you to defer payment of your fees until you are earning above the threshold.
UNE scholarships are open for all to apply and offer financial help while you are studying. There are scholarships for students with high academic achievement, from rural areas, studying specific degrees, in disadvantaged groups, experiencing financial hardship, who excel at sport or want to live in a UNE residential college.
UNE scholarship applications are free and confidential. You may apply for more than one scholarship.
Your career
Areas of employment may include include:
- agronomic consultant
- farm/operations manager
- cotton marketer
- research and development roles with federal and state organisations
- research and development roles with commercial companies and corporations
- extension and engagement roles with industry bodies.
Graduates of the Undergraduate Certificate in Cotton Production may apply for admission to a range of Bachelor courses.
Course outcomes
- demonstrate foundational technical and theoretical knowledge of cotton production with the ability to communicate with a range of stakeholders;
- use and apply technical, field and/or laboratory methods relevant to solve cotton production problems; and
- apply critical thinking, learning strategies and skills as independent learners.
- Knowledge of a Discipline
Graduates will possess basic knowledge in cotton production and have an introductory understanding of key principles and practices of this discipline.
- Communication Skills
Graduates will have skills that enable them to communicate the basic ideas and information acquired in cotton production. Graduates will recognise the importance of continuing to develop their communication skills, and to be able to use appropriate communication technologies.
- Problem Solving
Graduates will have a basic understanding of problem solving strategies in cotton production and be able to apply these skills.
- Information Literacy
Graduates will have skills in how to recognise relevant information and to use appropriate media, tools and methodologies to locate, access and use information. They will be able to evaluate the sources, values and validity of information, and to interpret it.
- Ethical Conduct and Social Responsibility
Graduates will understand and practice academic integrity and ethical behaviour and appreciate their ethical responsibilities towards colleagues, agricultural contexts, the wider community and the environment.
- Lifelong Learning
Graduates will have the skills to continue to investigate, evaluate issues and further their learning. The development of intellectual capacity will enable candidates to be able to research, write about and discuss foundational issues. These skills are transferable and essential lifelong skills.
- Independence and Collaboration
Graduates will develop skills in independent study as well as the ability to work collaboratively. They will learn the importance of participating in discussions in a professional, respectful and ethical manner.
A five-star experience
Five Stars,
18 Years in a Row
UNE is the only public uni in Australia awarded 18 straight years of five stars for Overall Experience
Good Universities Guide 2007-2024
No.1 in NSW for
Student Experience
QILT (government-endorsed) ranks UNE as the top public NSW uni for Student Experience
QILT Student Experience Survey
Five Stars for
Teaching Quality
UNE rates among the top 20 per cent of universities in Australia for Teaching Quality
Good Universities Guide 2024
Studying online
At UNE we know it takes more than just being online to be a great online university. It takes time and experience. We pioneered distance education for working adults back in the 1950s, so we’ve been doing this longer than any other Australian university.
We understand the challenges faced by busy adults studying at home. We know that a vital part of online study is your engagement with the learning community. Communication with your classmates, teaching staff and university support staff will enhance your study experience and ensure that your skills extend beyond the subject matter. UNE’s teaching staff are experts in their field which is why UNE consistently receives five stars from students for teaching quality, support and overall experience.*
*The Good Universities Guide
Stay connected
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Why study with us?
UNE being a small university brings with it so many advantages – you aren’t simply a number in the system, it’s a high-quality personal educational experience.
How to apply
Preparing to apply
You should always provide the details of past or current studies in your application. You may also need to include documents to support your application.
The kind of documents you need will depend on:
- Your preferred course/s
- Your personal circumstances
Important Dates
Different application methods and courses can have different closing dates. To find your correct application method click the Apply Now button below. Please check the appropriate application website for opening and closing dates.
If you are applying online direct to UNE please see below for application dates.
| Intake | Application Closing Date | Trimester Start Date |
|---|---|---|
| Trimester 1 | 16 February 2024 | 26 February 2024 |
| Trimester 2 | 14 June 2024 | 24 June 2024 |
| Trimester 3 | 11 October 2024 | 21 October 2024 |
Important Notice for Prospective Students
For accurate, up-to-date details on entry requirements, course structure, and other essential information, please consult the UNE Student Handbook before applying or enrolling. The Handbook provides comprehensive guidance to assist in your decision-making process. We apologise for any inconvenience.
