Diploma in Applied Sustainable Ranching

Program Overview

The Applied Sustainable Ranching Program is the first of its kind in British Columbia. During this program, students will gain the expertise to build and sustain ranching enterprises within BC's ranching industry and apply that knowledge to agricultural businesses in any region. By the end of the program, students will have gained an understanding of ecosystem management in the last intact temperate grassland in the world.

This program will give graduates the tool kit for building and managing diversified, resilient ranching operations in BC and around the world, as well as the experitse to apply to any agriculture enterprise in any region.

Beyond the Classroom
The ranching program is unique in its requirement that students live on a ranch or farm while taking the program. This requirement gives students a built-in practicum for their course work and adds value to the ranch, whether it be their home or a mentoring host-ranch. Experiential learning on the farm immerses the student in the culture of farming and ranching while they learn the day-to-day operational tasks and responsibilities that do not emerge in class or instructional material. The program director can provide assistance in finding the right homestay match for students relocating to the Cariboo to attend the program.

Students are not required to live in Williams Lake to take this program. Due to the flexible blended learning model, students living and working on any ranch in BC or internationally are able to enroll in the program without having to move away from home. Students may attend the weekly seminars in person or via video conference.

What to Expect
Students enrolled in the ASUR program will experience of number of different learning opportunities and situations:

• Participate in real-life ranching operations in BC
• Gain employment-ready experience
• Understand how ranch and rangeland eco-systems react to management decisions
• Understand livestock needs and how to best manage the natural environment to produce nutritious proteins to feed the world
• Learn to design ranching enterprises that fit the environment and resources while providing a return on investment
• Experience a program that is built in BC to address the needs of the local ranching environment
• Learn to develop and fine-tune enterprise management around the unique market opportunities in your region