School of Business

SUNY at Albany, School of Business History

University at Albany, State University of New York, founded in 1844, is a public, coeducational institution. The 382-acre campus is located in a suburban area 3 miles west of Albany. Total undergraduate and graduate enrollment is approximately 17,000.

The School of Business was founded in 1971 and is located on the main campus, in its own building. Courses also are offered at Saratoga (Weekend MBA), and Zurich, Switzerland. The basic educational approach stresses an experiential approach through cases and class projects, including a particularly strong full-time MBA program where students build their resumes as they complete their MBA. The curriculum is made up of a balanced mix of lectures, case studies, and guest lectures.

SUNY at Albany, School of Business Academics

The School of Business offers the Master of Science in Accounting (MSA), Master of Science in Taxation (MST), and Master of Business Administration (MBA) as well as a doctoral program in organizational studies and information science and policy, and a joint degree in nanoscale science and engineering. Other programs include internships, joint research, cross-registration with Albany Law School, 3-2 degrees with virtually all schools on campus, and cooperative programs with Universidad del Salvador Buenos Aires, Argentina. The strongest areas of study are accounting, information technology management, and human resource information systems. Regular programs bring distinguished speakers and visiting professors to campus through a Distinguished Speaker Series, Alumni Speaker Series, Research Speaker Series, and ethics speakers.

Forty-eight total credits are required to complete the MBA, including 3 elective credits. Required courses include:

• Accounting for Managers
• Economic Analysis
• Organizational Behavior and Managerial Skills
• Statistics for Business Decisions
• Financial Management
• Operations Management
• Marketing Management
• Human Resource Management
• Information Decision Systems
• Presentation Skills

Required courses for the MSA include:

• Introduction to Financial Accounting
• Theory of Financial Accounting I and II
• Economics
• Organizational Behavior
• Statistics for Business Decisions
• Computer Applications
• Financial Management
• Operations Management
• Marketing Management
• Income Tax Accounting
• Introduction to Cost Analysis

Students may eliminate or substitute requirements through work experience and by taking preliminary courses.

Business students may take relevant nonbusiness courses in other departments. The minimum time permitted to complete the master’s degree program attending full time is 4 semesters; maximum, 6 years. For students attending part time, the minimum is 6 semesters; maximum, 6 years.

There are 37 total full-time graduate business faculty, of whom 90% hold a doctorate; there are 33 part-time faculty, of whom 20% hold a doctorate. Faculty salaries are rated well below average for Category I institutions, based on the AAUP rating system. Average number of courses faculty teach is 4; average business class size is 20.

SUNY at Albany, School of Business Unique Programs

Library

The university’s main library houses a collection of more than 1 million volumes and 2.2 million microform items, and subscribes to 7500 periodicals. Students have access to such databases and networks as Lexis/Nexis and EBSCO. Other opportunities for research consist of the Center for Research Libraries (3 million volumes) and membership in the Association of Research Libraries and the Research Libraries Group. Students have access to the New York State Library as well as the libraries of 15 other area colleges.

Computers

Graduate business students need not have their own PCs. The business school has its own computer facilities, consisting of about 30 PCs in 4 labs available to business students.

Career and Job Placement

Majors most in demand by companies recruiting in 2006 were information science and human resource information science. Average starting salary of the graduating class was $55,500; range was $40,000 to $79,000. The percentage of graduates finding jobs were:

• national corporations 52%
• regional corporations 30%
• local large enterprises 3%
• self-employment 3%
• international 2%

Placement services are extensive and are available through School of Business-Career Office, the university placement office, and the Career Development Office. Ninety-four percent of the most recent graduating class found jobs within three months of receiving their degree.

International Students

International students must take the TOEFL and the SPEAK Test. International students must score 600 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT). They also must submit a translation of their transcripts, proof of health, and proof of adequate funds to cover the duration of study. There are special fees of $495.75 per semester for insurance. The application deadline for fall entry is March 1.

Calendar

The school operates on a traditional semester basis. Semesters are 15 weeks long; summer sessions, 10 weeks. Graduate programs are offered during the day and evening and weekends.

SUNY at Albany, School of Business Admissions

A bachelor’s degree is required, along with a GPA of 3.0. Most important admissions factors are academic accomplishments and ability, GMAT results, and work experience. A strong mathematics background is not required.

The number of applicants for the 2006-2007 class was 253; 124 were accepted; 90 enrolled. The average GPA was 3.3; average GMAT score was 553. Transfers are not accepted. Minority students are actively recruited by offering minority fellowships and attending recruitment events for minority students.

Students may begin the MBA program in the fall only. To apply, students must submit an application form, a transcript, GMAT scores, a nonrefundable application fee of $75, 3 letters of recommendation, and a resume. The application deadlines are March 1 for fall entry; November 1, spring; March 1, summer. Students are notified on a rolling basis of the admissions decision. The latest acceptable test date for fall entry is March. Once accepted, students may defer admission for 1 year with notification.

SUNY at Albany, School of Business Financial Aid

About 72% of graduate business school students receive financial aid from scholarships, loans, and graduate assistantships, for a total average of $10,600 annually; maximum $15,000. Stipends and programs are available for minority students in the form of graduate fellowships and assistantships. The FAFSA and the school’s own financial statement are required. The application deadline is March 1 for fall entry.

Tuition for in-state residents is $296 per credit, or $7100 per year. Nonresidents pay $473 per credit, or $11,340 per year. On-campus room and board costs approximately $7700; books and supplies, $1020; personal expenses, $4500; and other fees, $1220, for an estimated annual total of $21,500 for in-state residents and $25,780 for out-of-state residents. Graduate student housing is available in apartment-style accommodations on campus and off campus. There is a referral service to help procure off-campus housing.

SUNY at Albany, School of Business Students

Fifty-two percent of the current graduate business school class are enrolled full time; 65% have had an average of 4 years of full-time work experience prior to entering graduate school, a factor preferred by the school. The greatest percentage of students are from New York (81%). Forty-eight percent are women and 16% are foreign nationals. The average age at entrance is 27; ages range from 22 to 51. Thirteen percent enter directly from undergraduate school; 10% already have a graduate degree. Students’ undergraduate majors were as follows: 22%, social sciences; 20%, business; 15%, engineering; 15%, math and science; 13%, liberal arts; and 5%, economics. About 2% of entering students leave by the end of the first year due to academic or personal reasons; 98% remain to receive their degree. In 2006, 200 graduate business degrees were awarded.