Graduate
Business Programs
Graduate Business Programs at the Craig
School of Business are designed to provide
an exceptional educational experience for
managers, professionals and executives
looking to enhance their business expertise
and professional growth. We are committed
to continuing our status as one of the
top applied business graduate programs
nationally and globally. Our standing as
an AACSB accredited
school speaks to the
caliber of our faculty
and curriculum.
Admissions
For admission criteria and
additional information, visit us at:
www.craig.csufresno.edu/mba or
contact Tom Burns at 559.278.2107
California State University, Fresno
5245 N. Backer Ave., M/S PB 7
Fresno, CA 93740-8001
Ag EMBA
Graduate Business
Program with an
emphasis in agriculture
Ag EMBA
Curriculum
Boot Camp
An intensive “boot camp” is designed to get students
up to speed in areas they may not have had as an
undergraduate or are unfamiliar with. These include
economics, accounting, decision sciences, the global
environment, and production and operations.
Required Courses
The foundation of the MBA program will include
classes such as organizational leadership, financial
management, managerial accounting, marketing,
and the legal and regulatory environment. In
addition to top-caliber Craig School faculty,
speakers from the industry will present examples
and information relevant to ag professionals. As an
applied business school, course work will be centered
around concrete case studies and class projects.
The Ag EMBA is designed to
provide graduates with tools to
make complex business decisions.
Elective Courses
The curriculum follows the same structure and
course work as the traditional Executive MBA,
with an emphasis in agriculture. This program
is designed for growers, processors, bankers,
supplier/buyers, marketers, non-profits, logistics/
transportation companies, and others connected
to agriculture. Many in this cohort will have
technical and scientific skills specific to their
industry, yet desire the tools to translate their
knowledge into sound business decisions.
Graduates will have an enhanced ability to add
value to their current business models and meet the
challenges of competition on an increasingly global
scale. Additionally, the program is general enough
to prepare students for a range of careers outside
of their traditional field. Ultimately, students will
receive an MBA that will be a portable foundation
for future career growth in any line of work.
Our program is open to college graduates without
regards to the area of undergraduate study. While
the focus of classes will be on agriculture, applicants
need not work in an ag specific field. The Ag EMBA
is an accelerated program with classes only on
Saturdays, structured to allow students to work full
time and graduate in 18 months. Applicants are
required to have ten years of work experience in
lieu of taking the GMAT entrance exam. Traditional
student aid is available for the financing of this
program. The Ag EMBA is a special offering from
the Craig School of Business and will selectively
be offered in addition to our traditional graduate
business programs.
The Craig Graduate Business Programs are among
a select group of U.S. graduate business programs
accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate
Schools of Business (AACSB International). Our MBA
program is rated as one of the best programs in the
United States by the Princeton Review.
Electives have been carefully selected to assist
students in their career goals. Electives will cover
general topics such as entrepreneurship, but allow
for students to gain in-depth knowledge in the
field of agriculture. Students will take electives in
new ventures (value proposition and sustainability
issues), HR with issues related to the Ag industry,
negotiations, family business, risk analysis and
mitigation strategies.
Culminating Experience
The student will complete a course in strategic
planning and a project working one-on-one with
a professor on a topic or venture of their choice.
International Experience
The culmination of the Ag EMBA will be international
trip that will focus on agricultural trade in the
global market. Travel costs are included in the
tuition for the Ag EMBA.