Master of Agribusiness (MAB) - Distance Program

An off-campus distance Master’s of Agribusiness (MAB) degree is offered through the Agricultural Economics Department for working professionals. The MAB program emphasizes the application of economic and management concepts to problems facing the agribusiness professional. The Master in Agribusiness program is designed for off-campus students who wish to continue full-time employment while pursuing the post-baccalaureate degree. The MAB program emphasizes the study of economic and agribusiness management concepts and their application to food and agricultural business situations. The curriculum focuses on current issues facing agribusiness managers while providing tools for making better decisions in the areas of risk management, logistics, financial management, strategic planning, agricultural resource, and trade policy, marketing, human resource management, and institutional changes within agriculture. Two one-week campus sessions are required during both the first and second year of the program.

Students enrolling in the Master of Agribusiness program must have at least two years of post baccalaureate professional work experience in agribusiness or other organizations in the food and agricultural sector. Students admitted to the Master of Agribusiness program must meet the following subject matter requirements:

1. One course in principles of macroeconomics, introduction to agricultural economics or principles of microeconomics

2. Proficiency in microcomputer operations

3. One course in accounting

4. One course in statistics

Application deadline is October 15th to begin the program in January. Applicants with grades in the final two years of an undergraduate program that average below 3.0 may, in exceptional cases, be considered for probational admission. Applicants admitted on a probational basis must acquire regular standing by doing satisfactory graduate work during the first semester of graduate study.

For additional information and application materials please contact:
Allen Featherstone
Master’s of Agribusiness Program Director
Department of Agricultural Economics
Kansas State University
342 Waters Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506-4011
785-532-4441
Fax: 785-532-6925
E-mail: afeather@ksu.edu
Home Page: http://www.mab.ksu.edu/

Master’s degree requirements

The Master in Agribusiness degree requires the completion of 42 credit hours. The curriculum consists of a set of integrated management and economics topics, including 27 hours of agribusiness courses, 9 hours of business courses, and 6 hours of thesis. Students enter the program as a cohort and pace through the program together over a 30 month period.

Course requirements for the Master in Agribusiness are:

Agribusiness courses (27 credit hours)

AGEC 700 - Applied Agribusiness Economics Credits: 3
AGEC 701 - Introduction to Computer Decision Tools for Agribusiness Credits: 1
AGEC 713 - Agribusiness Financial Management Credits: 3
AGEC 720 - Agribusiness Risk Management Credits: 3
AGEC 730 - Applied Agribusiness Logistics Credits: 3
AGEC 740 - Seminar in Agricultural Economics Analysis Credits: 0-18
AGEC 760 - Applied Econometric Analysis Credits: 3
AGEC 761 - Optimization Techniques for Agribusiness Credits: 2
AGEC 770 - International Agribusiness and Policy Analysis Credits: 3
AGEC 890 - Advanced Food and Agribusiness Management Credits: 3

Business courses (9 credit hours)

MANGT 820 - Managing Organizational Behavior Credits: 3
MKTG 810 - Marketing Concepts and Research Credits: 3
Business Elective of the student’s choice, selection must be approved by MAB Program Director (3)

Thesis hours (6 credit hours)

AGEC 899 - Agricultural Economics Master’s Research Credits: 1-18

Total hours required for graduation (42)

Note

The thesis involves the application of concepts and quantitative tools learned in course work to a firm-level agribusiness problem. The candidate is expected to take a final oral examination for the purpose of defending the thesis.