Master of Science in Agribusiness Innovations (Msc.AI)
The Masters of Science in Agribusiness and Innovations program is designed to meet the growing need for agribusiness professionals with advanced conceptual, critical thinking and quantitative training. The degree program provides a unique blend of analytical, behavioral economics and business capabilities. Globally, there is a glowing demand to improve the employability of the agricultural sector, more specifically through creating jobs and enterprises at different levels of the agricultural value chains.
To achieve this, partially will require higher skills levels that will explore the distinctive relationship between land, agribusiness and the global trading environment. Graduates of this programme will appreciate the constraints and opportunities confronting leaders and managers operating in the agricultural sector at various value chains in order to understand, analyses and manage the agri-economic systems and agribusiness products and services. The program is designed to meet the needs of executives’ keen on enhancing their management capabilities in agricultural input supply, agricultural production, commodity assembly and agro-processing, agricultural marketing organizations, environmental management, agricultural transport, storage and logistics, agricultural policy and global food systems.
It provides a system–wide perspective of managerial problems confronting such leaders and leads them a path of providing sustainable solutions. The program seeks to produce graduates with sound ethical judgment, rigorous analysis, management competencies and ability to define and solve problems facing the agricultural and food sector in Africa. It prepares participants to help the global food and agribusiness sectors reinvent themselves. The two-year aims at exposing students to economic concepts, the technical support skills mainly in use of ICT tools, community engagement and research skills that will support their future capacity for self-discovery. Attention shall be given to equip professionals with knowledge and skills essential for transforming the agro-food sectors and rural economies of Africa and the rest of the world in an environmentally sustainable fashion. This is justifiable based on the premise that highly trained local professionals will be in a better position to address the challenges posed by changes in global and local economies, technology, and marketing by adapting their advanced knowledge and methods to the particular institutional, political and economic circumstances of the world.
Programme Rational
Agribusiness represents all business-related activities involved in the production, finance, marketing and distribution of food and fiber. The agribusiness industry is responsible for 50% of the global economy and accounts for 90% of employment worldwide. The academic discipline of agribusiness combines theory and method in finance, marketing and management to address global agricultural issues.
Agribusiness management is a discipline of blend of economics, agriculture, business (commerce) and management principles. Agribusiness management field is of very recent origin and gaining brisk popularity among students as a carrier alternative. Agribusiness program is planned to develop management workforce to cater agricultural industry which serves as a good option for the students who are eager to accomplish in corporate sector. Agribusiness professionals have bright future in academic field due to new emerging discipline and lack of agribusiness faculty in the country. Hence, this programme will try to make agribusiness professionals more aware about the importance and potential in agribusiness management which can also be a best option in career progress.
The Master of Science degree in Agribusiness innovations is geared towards enabling students from a variety of backgrounds to develop a set of critical and analytical business skills that also fulfill the unique demands of the agribusiness industry. Graduates are well prepared for successful administrative or managerial careers with either government or private-sector
organizations. The Graduates with masters in Agribusiness Management have the opportunity to become part of the next generation of business professionals and leaders in agribusiness, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, management and real estate.
Admission Requirements
The Msc AI program is a multi-disciplinary program that will admit students with a background in Agriculture, biological sciences, Business, humanities and natural sciences. For entry into the master’s programme, applicants should possess: a) Atleast a second class degree in any agricultural and business related undergraduate program from a NCHE accredited programme.
Admission may be given by the School of Postgraduate studies to any applicant from a discipline deemed by UMU to be relevant and in in accordance with NCHE regulations.
