Terry Gorman
While thousands of students struggle with city traffic traveling to their university campus, Balranald farmer Terry Gorman pulls off his boots at the end of a day’s work and sits at his desk. And while those same other students gather in tutorial rooms scrambling to jot down notes from lecturers, Mr Gorman logs onto his computer to share ideas with his agribusiness class.
Three years ago a friend completed an online Master of Agribusiness from the University of Melbourne inspiring Mr Gorman to do the same.
“I needed a challenge,” said Mr Gorman. “I hadn’t studied for 28 years and undertaking this course was just what I needed at this point in my life. So far I have found the course to be demanding but rewarding. It’s been inspirational to meet people of all ages and backgrounds who are all studying the same course. The diversity of students has enabled me to learn about different sectors of agribusiness and to create a network of associates that has become a source of friendship and information that we each value.”
The Master of Agribusiness, which is delivered predominately online, draws on the expertise of lecturing staff from several Australian university faculties, apart from the University of Melbourne with guest lecturers coming from Canada and the United States.
“I am half way through my second year. I’m studying on a part time basis, and have one more year to go, so the major benefits are yet to come. However, the course is already useful and I relate day-to-day decisions to what I am learning. The great thing is that I can log on and do a bit of work whenever I have some spare time. I’m not locked into a daily study schedule. The course is fast-paced and you need to be disciplined but it is easy to contact lecturers who are very prompt with their responses. The distance factor is overcome with this mode of learning and I have developed a great network of like-minded people all over Australia.”
The Master of Agribusiness contains subjects that are very relevant in today’s agribusiness world: Leadership; Agribusiness Management Economics; Financial Management in Agribusiness; Human Resource Management; Managing Markets; Business Strategy; Managing Risk, Project Management, Project Evaluation and an Agribusiness Project
“The unseen subject within this course,” says Mr Gorman, “is the continual updating of computer skills, particularly the Internet and information management skills.
“Studying the course this year has meant that I can keep my mind occupied while battling through the drought. With progressively worse conditions this year I haven’t been able to sow a crop and have had to sell all our livestock. If conditions don’t improve I may have to join the workforce, but if that should happen I am confident that I will have the knowledge needed to succeed.
Further information about the Master of Agribusiness, or the Graduate Certificate in Agribusiness, can be obtained by emailing Diane Cardinal at d.cardinal@unimelb.edu.au or phoning (03) 8344 6883 or visiting the website at www.agribusiness.unimelb.edu.au