Purdue News
Purdue News
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June 21, 2004 Purdue, IU offer MS-MBA program for food and agribusiness professionalsWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue University School of Agriculture and the Indiana University Kelley School of Business are offering a dual-degree, distance-learning program to prepare food and agribusiness professionals for leadership positions in this rapidly changing industry. Purdue's long-standing strengths in food and agribusiness management, coupled with IU's expertise in distance-delivered management education, will help managers confront the many challenges in the food and agricultural marketplace, said Jay Akridge, Purdue professor of agribusiness and program director. "The dual-degree program delivers the best of both worlds - an industry-specific focus on current issues in food and agriculture and a general MBA," Akridge said. "Both schools have international reputations and are highly regarded for their quality programs." Students are currently being enrolled for the new program, which begins Aug. 15 with a one-week orientation at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Upon completion of the 27-month program, students will have earned earn two advanced degrees: a master of science in agribusiness from Purdue and an MBA from IU. The program is jointly administered by Purdue's Department of Agricultural Economics and Kelley Direct Online Programs, the distance-education component of IU's Kelley School of Business. "Kelley Direct is one of the few online programs offered by a top-20 business school," said Joelle Andrew-Mohr, director of Kelley Direct. "Faculty who teach in Kelley Direct are the same world-renowned faculty who teach in other Kelley programs." A distance-learning degree program is attractive to mid-career professionals because it gives students control over where and when they study and is not interrupted by business travel, family responsibilities or geographic location, Akridge said. "These are people who often travel on business, have young families and are frequently transferred within their organizations," he said. "Taking a year off for a full-time program or enrolling in a part-time evening or weekend program doesn't work for them. Distance education offers students the convenience of working on their own schedule, whether they're at home or traveling for business." And it's online education with a personal touch, Andrew-Mohr said. Students get face-to-face contact with faculty and their peers during five one-week residencies, split among locations at Purdue, IU and Wageningen University, the Netherlands. These residencies emphasize the international dimension of the program. "Agriculture is a global business, and we respect that in the program," Akridge said. Students complete the Purdue portion of the program as a cohort group, which means students in each class enter together, take the common set of Purdue courses together and graduate together, as the Purdue degree is the first one completed in the program. "Networking is a big part of this," said Luanna DeMay, program manager at Purdue. "Students can keep in touch with each other throughout the program and work on group projects together. As a result, they develop relationships with other upwardly mobile managers from across the food system." To earn both degrees, students must complete 57 credits: 21 credits in Purdue agribusiness courses and 36 credits in IU management courses. Coursework is separated into 12-week quarters, with two courses taken each quarter. For more information, including admission requirements, on the Purdue-IU MS-MBA in food and agribusiness, contact DeMay at (765) 494-4270 or via e-mail at luanna@purdue.edu, or visit the program Web site. Purdue's Continuing Engineering Education program and the Kelley School of Business also offer a dual distance-learning program that enables engineers to earn two advanced degrees: a master of science in engineering and an MBA. Writer: Olivia Maddox, (765) 496-3207, maddoxol@purdue.edu Sources: Jay Akridge, (765) 494-4327, akridge@purduee.edu Joelle Andrew-Mohr, (317) 278-8634, jomandre@iupui.edu Luanna DeMay, (765) 494-4270, luanna@purdue.edu Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu Related Web sites: Purdue University Graduate School IU Kelley Direct Online Programs
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