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The Food and Agribusiness Management Program (FAM) is a multifaceted effort of the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, the Department of Business Administration, the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, and the College of Business at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and private sector firms. The goal of the FAM program is to remain a premier program in the education of sector decision makers.
Students learn management skills and meet industry leaders and managers, are prepared for entry level management positions, and are sought by firms involved in the production, marketing, sales and financing of farm inputs, agricultural commodities, and food products. The program includes many hands-on opportunities for learning, from seminars with visiting executives to internships. It is a leader in research, education, and outreach activities, and has attracted national and international attention.
The components of the FAM program address the different needs of the university's clientele. The program addresses the traditional areas of teaching, research, and outreach education in exciting new ways.
Because the food and agribusiness sector differs from other manufacturing or service sectors, the FAM program is centered around graduate and undergraduate teaching to prepare tomorrow's managers.
The undergraduate program has two components. There is an option in Agribusiness Markets and Management available to undergraduate students in Agricultural and Consumer Economics. A unique dual curriculum for selected students in either Agricultural and Consumer Economics or Business Administration has also been implemented. The core of the undergraduate program is a number of specialized courses and, for students in the dual curriculum, a specialized summer internship. These courses focus on management principles, business planning, marketing management and strategy, and awareness of the competitive and economic forces in international business. One of the major success factors has been the development of the Executives-in-Residence program in which industry executives come to campus and spend time in one-on-one and small group discussions with students and faculty.
The graduate programs are designed to meet the varied needs of students seeking M.S., MBA or Ph.D. degrees. The Master of Science (M.S.) program is for students who intend to focus their education on economics and management, culminating in a scientific study of some aspect of the food and agribusiness sector.
The MBA alternative, administered by the College of Business, provides a concentration or professional track in Food and Agribusiness Management for students who choose a system of electives from a set of selected courses. Students have obtained employment offers from national and multinational manufacturing, retailing, banking and consulting firms.
Students may also elect to pursue a dual M.S./MBA degree, in which the MBA core and M.S. coursework requirements are blended to offer students both a broad and deep exposure to topics in food and agribusiness management, culminating in an M.S. thesis.
Students pursuing a Ph.D. degree in the FAM program may be enrolled in either Agricultural and Consumer Economics or Business Administration. Cooperative working relationships between faculty in these departments facilitate students' pursuit of fields of study in both departments. Students' course work culminates in a major scientific investigation on a subject related to management of firms in the sector. There is a well documented shortage of qualified academicians in food and agribusiness management. The University of Illinois FAM Program is recognized as a leader in providing graduate education to fill this void.
Research is an integral part of the FAM program. As the pace of changing relationships among firms, governments and private interest groups accelerates, the relevance of the research component becomes more critical.
Outreach education is another fundamental component of the FAM program. Numerous programs relevant to sector managers are provided through the Executive Development Center in the College of Business and through U of I Extension in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. To minimize duplication, FAM's outreach education targets high priority topics of future importance to sector executives. Recent examples of case study based seminars include, "New Industries in Agriculture: Skills and Perspectives for the 90's," and "Strategic Alliances in Agriculture."
Home | What is FAM? | FAM Mail | Financial Support | Executives in Residence | Research and Outreach | Education and Curriculum
Phone: (217) 333-1816 
E-Mail:
Fax:
(217) 333-5538
Food
and Agribusiness Management Program
Departments of Agricultural
and Consumer Economics and Business
Administration
Colleges of Agricultural,
Consumer and Environmental Sciences and Business
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of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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- Updated:
May 23, 2003