The K-State Master of Agribusiness program provides
food 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. Students complete company-related projects
in many courses, solving issues for their firms. The
applied focus of the degree is enhanced by the interaction
of students employed in all segments of the food and
agribusiness sector.
"The
optimization course helped me analyze our coproducts
businesses more effectively by analyzing many variables
and limitations at once. Our Sugar beet cooperative
has 5 sugar beet processing factories in a 4 state area
and produce up to 700,000 tons of pressed pulp to either
be sold to the local cattle market in a wet form or
dried into pellets and shipped over seas. The result
was a recommendation of product mix from each factory
that maximized revenues and a tool that can be updated
as energy prices change. This analysis resulted in a
change in focus of how we manage our coproducts business
and approximately $1.4 million in
savings for the year." Mike Hofer
Vice President of Agriculture
The Western Sugar Cooperative
Students in the third year of the program identify a company-related
issue or problem that they will solve through the development
of a professional thesis. The concepts and skills acquired
throughout the program are applied while researching
and writing the thesis. It is common for a student's
thesis to become part of their company's polices or
instrumental in decision-making practices.
"The
MAB has helped has helped me achieve one of my personal
goals, receiving my Master’s degree. I believe
it is one of the reasons I received promotions at my
last job and that I was hired as an Assistant VP here
at Rabo. Both Farm Credit and the credit staff here
at Rabo have used my thesis to build policies and procedures
for new requirements that banks must follow." Laura Roessler
Assistant Vice President/Sr. Financial Analyst
Rabo AgriFinance
"The
optimization course helped me analyze our coproducts
businesses more effectively by analyzing many variables
and limitations at once. Our Sugar beet cooperative
has 5 sugar beet processing factories in a 4 state area
and produce up to 700,000 tons of pressed pulp to either
be sold to the local cattle market in a wet form or
dried into pellets and shipped over seas. The result
was a recommendation of product mix from each factory
that maximized revenues and a tool that can be updated
as energy prices change. This analysis resulted in a
change in focus of how we manage our coproducts business
and approximately $1.4 million in
savings for the year."
"The
MAB has helped has helped me achieve one of my personal
goals, receiving my Master’s degree. I believe
it is one of the reasons I received promotions at my
last job and that I was hired as an Assistant VP here
at Rabo. Both Farm Credit and the credit staff here
at Rabo have used my thesis to build policies and procedures
for new requirements that banks must follow."
