Kern County has always had a leg up when it comes to economic opportunities, thanks to its prime location just north of Los Angeles. But it’s also an economic powerhouse in its own right, led by oil and agriculture for nearly 200 years. Long referred to as the Golden Empire because of its rich history of gold, oil, and agriculture production, Kern County still remains one of the largest agricultural and petroleum-producing counties in the nation.
But there’s so much more to Kern County and its major metro area of Bakersfield. Today’s Kern County may still run on oil and gas production, but the region has also become the nucleus for renewable energy production, with a number of wind and solar energy installations located in the county. It’s where STEM careers are soaring (it’s ranked fourth in the nation for its number of STEM jobs) and startups are changing the economic landscape into one that’s laser focused on the future.
The MBA is the definitive sign of career-readiness and business-savvy in Kern County and beyond. For new grads, it’s the degree that gets them their first interview for a management role. And for established business leaders, the MBA is the next step to a dream job in a legacy company or unicorn agtech startup. Whatever doors your career opens up, you can be sure an MBA will take you further and get you there faster.
Ushering In a New Era: Wonderful Co.'s Bold Vision to Transform Kern County’s Warehousing Industry
If a successful California company has its way, Kern County’s sizable warehousing industry will soon become a behemoth, essentially doubling in size.
Wonderful Co., a massive pomegranate and pistachio company, has owned a sprawling industrial park in Shafter, Kern County for more than a decade. Today, this master-planned property is home to large-scale distribution centers for Amazon, Target, Walmart, and more.
But the Wonderful Co. has their sights set on even bigger things. The company, banking on the growing trend toward online shopping in recent years, has plans to double the size of its industrial park by converting about 1,800 acres of its farmland into more warehousing space.
And unlike other industrial parks throughout California’s Inland Empire, which often bring truck traffic noise and pollution to nearby communities, Wonderful’s industrial park sits in a largely agricultural area. And that’s not all. The company’s plans for this mega-industrial park will include a new, six-lane highway to mitigate congestion caused by the increased traffic to the area, and a new inland rail terminal that will facilitate the movement of goods by rail. The addition of a rail terminal will allow trains to move cargo from California ports directly to the industrial park.
Once this vision becomes reality, Shafter, and the greater Kern County region, will become a hub for international trade, bringing thousands of jobs to the region, according to the Wonderful Co. The current industrial park supports about 10,000 jobs. With the planned expansion, the company expects this number to balloon to some 50,000 jobs.
Why Kern County Has Some of the Best Online MBA Programs and Campus Options in California
Kern County is a blend of traditional and emerging industries. It’s the largest provider of oil and renewable energy in California and one of the top oil-producing counties in the nation. It’s also home to the largest wind project in the nation and the largest battery storage system in the world. It’s the third largest county for agricultural production, which has opened doors for thriving agtech companies.
The confluence of freeway systems throughout the region has allowed Kern County to become a major distribution hub for many of the world’s largest companies. Logistics— warehousing, storage, fulfillment— has become big business, with companies like Amazon and Ross Department Stores among some of the major names in distribution taking up shop here. Amazon alone employs more than 5,000 in Oildale and Bakersfield.
A regional employment of more than 380,000; a proximity to Southern California and other major markets; a low cost of living when compared to its neighboring metro areas; mainstay industries like transportation and warehousing, agriculture, oil and gas extraction, and manufacturing; and emerging industries like renewable energy production, agtech, and food technology have shaped the region into an oasis of opportunity for business pros with their eye on the prize and an MBA in their pocket.
And that includes tech startups by the dozens. As a result, Kern County has seen an influx of incubators, accelerators, and VC funding in recent years. For example, the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship of Kern County (CIEKC) supports small business startups through training, mentorship, and workshop development. And in Bakersfield, the Kern Venture Group is one of a growing number of VCs that provide financial support to the region’s growing industries.
In Bakersfield and throughout the larger Southern Central Valley, the growth of MBA programs reflects the region’s outstanding legacy of business and industry. In Kern County, Cal State Bakersfield offers a fully online MBA to suit today’s busy, professional students, while in nearby Los Angeles, MBA programs number in the dozens, including nationally esteemed programs at schools like UCLA and Pepperdine.
Accredited Online MBA Program and Campus Option Serving Business Students in Bakersfield, Delano, Oildale, and Throughout Kern County
In Kern County and beyond, today’s MBA options are plentiful, delivered as everything from weekend and evening, cohort-style programs to traditional, on-campus programs to fully online programs that allow students to study anywhere, anytime, whether it’s in a hotel room during a business trip or from the comfort of their couch.
Specialized MBAs are also a common offering, with many universities offering options to personalize your MBA through a concentration in areas like finance, global management, entrepreneurship, supply chain management, marketing, and healthcare management. For example, Cal State Bakersfield’s MBA can be personalized through your choice of a nonprofit/public administration or Insurance Industry Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) concentration.
California State University Bakersfield
School of Business and Public Administration
Bakersfield, CA
Website
- MBA (Insurance Industry Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) option, Non-Profit/Public Administration option (on-campus, online)
- Accreditation: AACSB