University News

MBA in Ag Business Available to WIU Students Beginning this Fall

June 25, 2019

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MACOMB, IL – Beginning in Fall 2019, students at Western Illinois University will be able to pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in ag business.

The new bridge program will allow a smoother transition to graduate school for students.

"This program will allow agriculture students in the ag business degree program to carry over six hours of the undergraduate degree program into their MBA, which will allow students to receive their MBA in one academic year," said WIU School of Agriculture Director Andy Baker. "This gives our undergraduates an option to get their MBA even quicker than before, with an emphasis in ag business."

Undergraduate students in agriculture need to have completed a minimum of 90 semester hours, have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.4 and a GPA of 3.0 in the Pre-MBA minor.

"Through this program, students are allowed to 'bridge,' or use two classes, which will count in both their undergraduate and graduate degree," said WIU College of Business and Technology Academic Advisor Ember Keithley, who helped put the new initiative together. "This will allow students to complete both degrees in five years. This is an incredible opportunity for our agriculture business students, with the desire to get an MBA, to stay at WIU and accomplish their goals in a simplified process.  I am very excited we are able to offer this as an option for our students."

WIU Department of Management and Marketing Chair Craig Conrad also helped create the new program to add a seamless process.

"The smooth transition between the undergraduate and graduate degree programs very beneficial to our students," said Conrad. "However, the real value of the program centers on the additional core business knowledge that agriculture students will be able to acquire and ultimately apply in the agribusiness sector."

For more information about the program, contact Keithley at EL-Keithley@wiu.edu.





Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing