Not your average MBA
Kansas State University’s Master of Agribusiness (MAB) is an online, business and economics-focused master’s degree for professionals working in the food, agribusiness and animal health industries. Not an MBA in agribusiness, and not an M.S. in Agricultural Economics, but a professional degree program training managers for one of the most rapidly changing industries today. In addition to the traditional courses you would find in MBA program such as finance, marketing and management, the Master of Agribusiness tailors each course to the industry and offers electives to further customize the curriculum for the student.
The award-winning MAB program consists of individuals located in 40 states within the U.S. and more than 30 countries. In addition to the two years of professional experience, students have one thing in common - a passion to obtain graduate level business and economics training in the food, animal health and agribusiness sectors while continuing their career.
Like any campus-based course, your first task is to read the text and go to class...
The conveniences of distance education make going back to school without career interruption possible, even for those in jobs requiring travel.
The Master of Agribusiness is designed to take advantage of the latest technology to meet a variety of learning styles. Most students find that the MAB program provides a learning environment superior to anything they have experienced before. The best way to understand how it works is to compare distance and resident learning.
Course lectures are delivered via a customized thumb drive provided for each course. Lecture material may also be accessed via a smart phone, online or downloaded to an iPod/MP4 player at any time. A textbook, along with a binder of notes accompany each course. Each lecture is 20-30 minutes long and is delivered in short modules, using PowerPoint presentations or Excel spreadsheets with voice-overs. Unlike a campus-based course, you choose when and where you “go to class” each day.
Another component of the course is the weekly recitation. Along with faculty, class members decide on an evening, morning, or weekend time to meet in the course multi-audio/video recitation.
Occasionally, students are not able to attend all of the recitation sessions during a course, much like a campus-based class. Unlike a campus-based course, each session is recorded and archived so that what was discussed during the recitation may be reviewed.
Each course includes homework assignments and exams. Many courses include individual presentations, research papers, and case study work. In each course, students are encouraged to use their company as their laboratory and apply the concepts learned in class to address company-related issues.
Immediately apply skills learned
The Master of Agribusiness program provides food, animal health and agribusiness professionals strategies for making informed decisions based on an understanding of current issues and a combination of analytical and problem-solving skills to implement solutions to firm-level problems. Information is presented so that students integrate key concepts while immediately applying what they have learned. The applied focus of the degree is enhanced by the interaction of students employed in all segments of the food, animal health and agribusiness sector.
In the final year of a student’s Master of Agribusiness program, that identify a firm-related problem to solve through the development of a professional thesis. The professional thesis is different than a traditional research-based thesis because it provides students further opportunity to use skills learned throughout the first two years of the program, and to apply them to their work place.
Two convenient course options
The MAB program offers two start dates to fit most schedules, as well as a 20-hour Animal Health Management certificate.
- January at K-State in Manhattan, KS
- August at K-State Olathe, KS for the Animal Health cohort
You’ve been considering it for awhile
Now is the time to take the next step. The MAB program is currently taking applications for the January and August cohorts and our Animal Health Management certificate. Find out how you can #BeMAB to advance your career, please go to www.mab.ksu.edu, call 785-532-4495 or e-mail mab@ksu.edu.
