INFORMATION FOR EMPLOYERS
WHY SAY “YES” TO THE MS-MBA PROGRAM?
Sending an employee through the MS-MBA program is a big decision. We’ve prepared this list of benefits to make your choice easier.
Investment
Supporting a student who is attending our program is a powerful investment in your company’s future, as well as a cost-effective way to reward, retain and educate a high-potential agribusiness manager in your firm.
MBAs are a desirable hire for any company. Why not invest in your employees—the people who already know your company—by helping them get an MBA? This commitment is tangible evidence of your support of the student and dedication to their career. Plus, because our MBA is paired with a Master’s in agricultural economics, you’re getting two for the price of one.
Immediate application to the workplace
The program’s focus on food and agriculture lets students explore managerial concepts in the context of their company’s marketplace. Students learn about the varied functional areas of an organization. They develop analytical skills and learn to apply tools and processes that can immediately impact their daily work and their company’s bottom line.
Direct attention to a challenge your company faces
During the program’s six-credit capstone project, the student focuses on a problem their company faces, or a new business venture the company is considering. Hiring a consultant to do the same work could cost tens of thousands of dollars, but in this project, the student hits the ground running since they’re already deeply involved in your company. The project is practical for the company and immediately applicable to the employee’s job.
Access to faculty experts
The program offers access to Purdue and IU’s top-ranked, award-winning agribusiness and business faculty. Because of the program’s small size (each cohort is limited to 30 students), students get to know these faculty members well. This intimate network opens up a new realm of possibilities: students gain access to world-renowned experts who are just a phone call (or email) away.
Minimal disruption of ongoing job responsibilities
During the course of the 27-month program, students complete a majority of their work online. Students need to attend just five one-week residencies—two at Purdue University, two at Indiana University and one abroad.
Global thinking
The program includes a one-week residency abroad that will expose your employee to the international business climate and promote global thinking.
Exceptional networking opportunities
The MS-MBA program offers unparalleled access to professionals in the food and agribusiness sector with significant roles in their organizations. Students can call professors and fellow students with their business questions. For many students, these relationships last well after they’ve graduated from the program.
We have recently welcomed students from all sectors of the agribusiness industry, ranging from some of the most well-known companies, including Zoetis, John Deere, DuPont Pioneer and Anheuser-Busch, as well as smaller companies and family operations.
Having a network of professors, advisors and colleagues from whom I can draw support, knowledge and guidance is a cornerstone for success in testing ideas like this within our MS-MBA program. Both my company and our partners rely on that; and because of that, they are willing to move forward from the computer models, to pilot testing, to real business opportunities.
