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Beautiful and unforgettable – these are the words Sunny Zhang uses to describe her pursuit of Kansas State University’s Master of Agribusiness (MAB). For the graduate who is originally from a small town in China’s Heilongjiang province, this award-winning degree programme did more than just provide her with knowledge and skills in the food and agriculture business. It reinvigorated her confidence and courage to face new challenges within the industry.
"I learned a lot from the K-State Master of Agribusiness programme and use the knowledge in my daily life and work," she says. "It even changed my thinking pattern to some degree."
Delivered via distance learning, the MAB made an immediate impact on Zhang’s career. As the Programme Manager of the US Soybean Export Council (USSEC), she is responsible for enhancing collaboration efforts between the organisation and local swine and poultry farms in China. Her MAB thesis, which compared the nutritional value of soybean meal of US and Brazilian soybeans, aligned with her organisation’s mission to promote US soy products.
Producing leaders in agribusiness
“While writing my thesis, our organisation collaborated with local feed mills to compare soybean meals from different origins, so I was able to use that data,” she says. “The process of writing the thesis was really a fruitful harvest."
#1
university in the state
27
years of building agribusiness leaders
2.5
years to complete
A Master of Agribusiness for busy professionals
Success stories like Zhang are common among graduates of the MAB, a programme within the Department of Agricultural Economics. The programme was designed to provide agribusiness professionals with the knowledge and skills to excel in today’s rapidly changing and increasingly complex food and agricultural global economy.
For more than 25 years, it has done just that through with an industry-centred curriculum that’s neither an MBA nor an MS in Agricultural Economics. Instead, it focuses on developing a portfolio of skills that include problem-solving using analytical and quantitative tools, applying computer and information technologies to boost efficiency in the workplace, effective communication for a diverse workforce and clientele, and strategic value chain analysis.
Year one starts with courses that cover computer decision tools, applied logistics, risk management, and applied financial management. Year two follows with courses such as “International Agribusiness Policy Analysis” and “Managing Organisational Behaviour.” The third year is spent on a Seminar in Agricultural Economics Analysis and a master's thesis research.
In total, there are 42 credit hours for the degree. For the first two years, students come to campus for one week to begin new sets of courses and return for a second week to take finals and give presentations. For the rest of the year, courses are 100% online via the internet, flashdrives, email and live recitation sessions. There is also an option to complete the program all online without having to travel for the campus sessions for those unable to attend in person.
MAB students and alumni are employed worldwide companies including:
From K-State to global success
Jamie Cooke
For graduate Jamie Cooke, it was the convenient hybrid-style coursework of the programme, and the ability to earn an economics degree tailored to agriculture that sealed the deal. "Due to my life situation – three children and a full-time job – I wasn’t in a position to study full-time and needed to find something that I could do remotely or hybrid," he says.
Seeing how the food and agriculture industry was rapidly changing, Cooke knew he had to level up or risk being left behind. The MAB ensured he advanced in his career. Today, he is a Purchasing Manager at ABB Oy in Finland, a large international producer of induction motors.
"Participating in the programme has certainly helped me focus and significantly enhanced my time management skills. Balancing work, home life, and studies required careful weekly planning, which I have continued to practice since graduation," he says. "I feel extremely proud to have attended the university and to be able to call myself a K-State alumnus."
Lautaro Perez
Driven by a few words of encouragement from a founder and leading promoter of agribusiness in South American countries, Lautaro Perez's career trajectory has taken him to many places in the past 27 years. Working in various sectors like livestock, meatpacking, forestry, agriculture, viticulture, and fruit production, the Uruguayan has been part of some of the top agribusiness companies around the world, in addition to serving as a professor at Universidad ORT Uruguay since 2002. His career has only moved upwards after earning the MAB.
“Since finishing the MAB, I have always held managerial positions or worked as a partner or owner of a business," he says. "I have had the privilege of participating in tours, projects, and business ventures in more than forty countries, with a significant emphasis on Asia."
Today, Perez is a Strategic Advisor for the National Institute of Viticulture, where he is responsible for implementing the institute’s strategy, translating it into operational plans, and overseeing the company in promotion and brand-building. He’s also planning, designing, and executing the commercial and operational activities for Salto Grande Fruits, a fruit-growing exporter, as an advisor.
Sunny Zhang '21
“First, the knowledge and resources you learnt from the MAB programme are very useful to your future life and job. It just requires us to travel to the US twice a year and for one week every time. You don’t need to quit your job. It won’t influence your work and family life. Second, you will have international friends and experience in the US, which has the best education in the world. Thirdly, it’s cost-effective when compared with other master courses.”
Jamie Cooke '17
"The hybrid model of the MAB programme was a big plus for me. It offered the flexibility to study from home while also allowing me to enjoy the weeks on campus. This balance provided opportunities to study and socialise with classmates and have face-to-face discussions with teachers. Financially, it turned out to be very reasonable as well, especially from a big-name university in the US."
Lautaro Perez '02
"The MAB broadened my horizons. It gave me my first exposure to US agribusiness and allowed me to experience a magnificent university like Kansas State University. It provided me with excellent professors whose influence has stayed with me throughout the years. It also gave me friends and professional connections. Of course, it also provided outstanding and very international preparation.”