About the programme
The Master of Precision Agriculture is an NZQF level 9 programme at Lincoln University focused on the digital tools and technologies that help agrifood production become more productive and more sustainable. It carries 180 credits and takes 1 year of full-time study, with the twelve-month schedule including a summer semester.
Data sits at the heart of the programme. Students learn how precision agriculture works across cropping, horticulture and livestock, and how sensors, decision-support algorithms and controllable machinery make it possible to time and apply farm inputs accurately. A strong geospatial strand teaches students to design systems that combine GPS, remote sensing and multi-layered data sets, and to use GIS to tackle ecological problems at landscape scale.
Students also weigh different precision techniques against their effects on performance, the environment and farm economics, and learn where these approaches reach their limits. Core courses cover agricultural engineering, software development and GIS, along with a research essay and a research placement; academically strong students may, with the Dean's approval, replace the essay and placement with a 40-credit dissertation.
Alongside the technical side, students develop research skills: framing realistic research questions, planning projects that meet human and animal ethics requirements, analysing monitoring data and presenting findings in writing and in person. The programme also builds bicultural and intercultural competence relevant to the field.
The programme is taught on the Lincoln University campus. It is aimed at graduates with a background in engineering, computer science, agricultural science or agricultural management, although other backgrounds are not excluded.
Entry requirements
- A relevant New Zealand level 7 bachelor's degree or recognised equivalent, with at least a B average in 300-level and final-year courses
- IELTS 6.5 with no individual band below 6.0
- A background in areas such as engineering, computer science, agricultural science or agricultural management
What you study
- ENGN 604 Advanced Precision Agriculture
- ENGN 676 Agricultural Engineering
- ENGN 698 Research Essay
- ENGN 699 Research Placement
- ERST 606 Advanced Geographic Information Systems A
- COMP 636 Software Development (40 credits)
- List B electives: PLSC 611A Plant and Crop Physiology, ANSC 638 Topics in Advanced Animal Science, SOSC 627 Advanced Soil Resources, ERST 619 Earth Observation for Land Management
- Option to replace ENGN 698–699 with the 40-credit ENGN 660 dissertation
Careers after graduation
- Digitally skilled specialist and decision-maker in the primary industries
- Roles with large farming corporations and food production organisations
- Data-driven science
- Sustainable production management
- Strategic management and digital consultancy
- Potential progression into governance
Post-study work visa
Up to 3 years
Depends on the qualification, the length of study and other Immigration New Zealand requirements.
This description is based on the official programme page, checked on 09/09/2026. Ask an NIU adviser about fees and intake dates — the programme page on the Lincoln University website