Study at the Ontario Agricultural College
Study all things connected to food, plants, animals and the environment.
When it comes to food, plants, animals and the environment, no other university in Canada can offer you this sort of variety in courses, experiential learning and career opportunities (literally around the world).
Agriculture? But I’m not from a farm!
Studying agriculture and food does not necessarily mean you’ll be planting seeds or driving a tractor (although there are many graduates that do and love it!). There are so many unique careers that are connected to agriculture outside of working on a farm.
Modern agriculture is going through massive changes, adopting advanced technology, artificial intelligence, and utilizing data, while also embracing entrepreneurship and business! If you love the outdoors, animals or food and are looking to study STEM, business, or even the arts, the agriculture and food industry is a great fit for you. Plus, you’ll be helping to solve real-world challenges facing our planet, like helping feed our growing population, protecting our environment, launching new food trends, or developing new species of plants that are resistant to climate change!
- 19
- undergrad majors
- 6
- associate diplomas
- 80%
- of programs offer co-op
- #1 in Canada
- for Food Science + Agricultural Science *
Find your perfect fit.
You have a lot of options. Whatever you’re interested in, there’s a fit for you within our suite of programs. Love animals more than anything? Think plants are wildly interesting? Want to fight climate change? Explore and decide what’s right for you.
Study food
Food trends don’t just start on TikTok. Be the person calling the shots when it comes to food production, business and product creation. Study food science, business or production.
Study plants
Plants feed us, heal us, clothe us. How we use them can be controversial, impactful and life-altering. Start your career path in plants and shape the future of medicine, our food supply and more.
Study animals
If you love animals, the University of Guelph is seriously the place to be. It’s consistently ranked as one of the top universities globally for animal science studies. Learn from the best to be the best.
Study the environment
The environment needs all kinds of help. Environmental issues and solutions are never one-dimensional. Study the complexity of how people, plants and animals interconnect, compete and co-exist.
Have questions? Our team is here to help.
We have a unique team of program experts ready to answer your questions. They can tell you all about the nitty gritty of your courses, the facilities you’ll have access to and what’s the actual difference between programs. Just fill out this program question form and one of them will get back to you asap.
Or jump on one of their virtual Program Info Night events to learn more about your program options. Each event features current students and professors so you can ask your questions and hear directly from the people you will be studying with. This style of event is a perfect way to scope out your options.
What Students & Alumni Have to Say
I decided to study at U of G because of the amazing landscape architecture program! I loved that it combines science and design, as well as being the only accredited undergraduate landscape architecture program in Canada. I had only heard good things about the community and culture here at Guelph.
When I was in high school, I knew that I was passionate about the environment and sustainability, but I didn’t know what the best way was to get involved. U of G provided me with the flexibility to choose among four majors in the environmental sciences degree.
Guelph made the most sense to me because they offered such a great variety of majors for the environmental sciences. I needed some flexibility in my major options because, before grade 12, I didn’t know much or anything about environmental science. The non-competitive general first year really sold the program and, I knew I would grow into my interests. Looking back, I was 17, I had no idea what the difference between environmental resource management and ecology was, so that ability to take a year and ask a million questions was everything.
This program allows you to get a glimpse of the different career paths available, and then focus your learning towards the career of your choice.
When I visited Guelph, I just felt like it was the right place to be. I enjoyed all the schools that I visited but Guelph really stuck out to me. The Bachelor of Bio Resource Management program was unique in the sense that it's sort of a hybrid program between environmental sciences and business management.
Honours agriculture is unique in regard to the course opportunities it provides. It works like a ‘build your own’ type program where students have a wider range of courses they can complete. It is less restricted than the crop science or animal science majors.
The classes designed specifically for my program are so fun. They are very focused on land-based learning. We spend the whole period walking around the Arboretum learning how to ID plants and looking at trees and making observations of bugs and organisms. We learn about habitats, and how Indigenous people view the land.
Footnotes
* U.S. News and World Report Top Food Science and Technology Universities in Canada - US News Best Global Universities and Top Agricultural Sciences Universities in Canada - US News Best Global Universities ↩
Learn more about the Ontario Agricultural College of the University of Guelph.