If there’s one region that surely inspired California’s age-old title as the land of milk and honey, it’s Sacramento County. Nestled in California’s agricultural heartland, Sacramento County and its major city of the same name have reflected the abundance the state has long been known for. Fertile lands warmed by the California sunshine have made agricultural commodities the lifeblood of this region for generations.
The massive foodtech and agtech sectors have naturally evolved here, giving way to the creation of a concentrated cluster of industry giants like BASF, Syngenta, Yara, and Novozymes in research and development… FRC, Muller Ranch, and TOMRA in food production… and Blue Diamond Almond Almonds, Sunsweet, and Pacific Coast Producers in food processing.
For today’s business professionals, opportunities in Sacramento County are as abundant as the agricultural landscape —the orchards, farms, ranches, and vineyards—that shaped it. But to stake a claim as a business leader in the agtech sector, or in Sacramento County’s other major ecosystems like its life sciences and biotech sectors, you’ll need the degree that today’s top employers demand – the MBA.
The MBA is a clear indicator that you’re prepared to roll up your sleeves and get to work in Sacramento’s dynamic business environment. It’s a precursor to landing those executive-level positions reserved for the best and brightest. An MBA lays the groundwork for success, whether that means climbing your way to the top in a private entity or major nonprofit or forging your own entrepreneurial path.
Sacramento’s Economic Vision Goes Global
In February 2024, the Greater Sacramento Economic Council (GSEC) embarked upon an international designation trip to Germany with one thing in mind: strategic expansion.
All eyes are on the global market, and they should be. International business has become a vital component of any region’s economic success, and in the Greater Sacramento region, it’s no different.
The GSEC delegation, which consists of more than 20 leaders representing the region, made its way to Germany to explore the outstanding opportunities available for Sacramento’s strategic expansion into the global market. A growing number of overseas companies, the majority of which are from Germany, are looking to move to the region. It’s up to the GSEC to build relationships with these companies and encourage their move to the capital region.
The GSEC’s trip to Germany is just one part an overall global initiative entitled “Globalizing Greater Sacramento.” This international program will also include creating more streamlined travel opportunities, including direct air travel to the Sacramento region.
The Germany trip couldn’t come at a better time. The GSEC visited Bosch’s headquarters to meet with company leaders and suppliers and shore up the company’s move to Roseville which, when completed, will be the largest semiconductor investment in the state. Building off this successful venture, the GSEC’s goals included talking to other German companies about the benefits of expanding their business operations into the region.
In August 2023, Bosch acquired the assets of TSI Semiconductors, a Roseville-based chipmaker and became Robert Bosch Semiconductor LLC. In the coming years, Bosch plans to invest about $1.5 billion to update the site, which will be used to produce and test silicon carbide semiconductors. The new company will begin producing its first chips in 2026.
Why Sacramento County Has Some of the Best Online MBA Programs and Campus Options in California
Today’s business leaders and executives in Sacramento County know that the MBA opens doors leading to everything from your first department head position to the executive-level one that earns you the corner office. In public and private entities of nearly every size, business leaders and entrepreneurs turn to the MBA to set themselves apart from the competition, climb the career ladder, and earn a handsome paycheck.
Though there’s just one university in Sacramento County offering the MBA, it’s a big one – California State University Sacramento, consistently named among the top schools in the nation by esteemed publications like Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, and U.S. News & World Report. CSU Sacramento offers a number of MBA options here, including a traditional MBA with options to specialize and an Online iMBA, a fully online program that can be completed in just 12 months.
Sacramento County is also just a stone’s throw from an outstanding selection of MBA programs in Yolo County (UC Davis) and San Joaquin County (University of the Pacific, Humphreys University, and CSU Stanislaus).
Nationally renowned MBA programs are a natural addition to a region that’s become a magnet for business and industry. For example, a growing number of semiconductor leaders like Samsung, AMD, Qualcomm, and Bosch have either opened or expanded their offices in Sacramento in recent years. Tech companies are also among some of the region’s largest employers. Apple’s Elk Grove campus employs more than 5,000 people, and Intel’s Folsom campus employs some 6,000.
The life sciences sector is also big business in Sacramento County. In fact, in 2023, Business Facilities ranked Sacramento second in the nation for its life science growth.
It’s home to Aggie Square, a research park that hosts a growing number of medical research and medical device companies. Largely focused on cell and gene therapy research and development, Aggie Square enjoys a prime position next to the UC Davis Medical Center. There’s also BioSpace, a massive life science campus in West Sacramento, and the Port, a 1.1-million-square-foot manufacturing facility that’s tailored to biomanufacturing.
Just a few of the companies making waves in Sacramento in the life sciences sector include Orca Bio, which built a 100,000-square-foot facility in Sacramento’s Metro Air Park for its precision cell therapies business, and Gemini Bio, which created a major manufacturing facility in West Sacramento in 2020 to support its biotech manufacturing business (they manufacture and supply cell culture media, sera, and other reagents for the biotech, gene therapy, and biopharmaceutical industries).
For MBA grads, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into in Sacramento County. In a region that’s revolutionizing food and agricultural technology and making leaps and bounds in the life sciences, an MBA has become an essential resume builder for any budding business leader.
Whether it’s spearheading an emerging biotech startup, earning a coveted executive-level position with a major life sciences company, or working your way up through the ranks in one of the region’s many agtech enterprises, Sacramento County is where you hard work, perseverance, and MBA degree will allow you to rise to the top in the business world.
Accredited Online MBA Program and Campus Option Serving Business Students in Sacramento, Elk Grove, Arden-Arcade, and Throughout Sacramento County
When it’s time to earn the MBA that will jumpstart your career in business management and leadership or serve as the stepping stone to your next big career milestone, there are a few things to consider.
MBA programs can earn accreditation through one of three, independent accrediting bodies, including the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which accredits Cal State Sacramento’s MBA. Accreditation is indicative of program quality, with each accrediting body evaluating programs based on points like curriculum design, student outcomes, and faculty qualifications.
Today’s MBAs are offered in a number of formats that are designed to suit students at different points in their careers. Traditional, on-campus MBAs, which best serve emerging business pros, often include options to specialize in areas like international business, finance, and human resource management. Executive and Professional MBAs are the degree of choice for experienced business professionals looking for a rigorous course of graduate study that will take their career to the next level. And because many MBA programs today are offered in convenient, hybrid and online formats, students can earn their degree from the comfort of their home.
California State University, Sacramento | Sacramento State
College of Business
Sacramento, CA
Website
- MBA (Finance, Entrepreneurship & Global Business, General Management) (on-campus)
- Online MBA (iMBA) (online)
- MBA for Executives (currently on hiatus)
- Accreditation: AACSB