In its most recent ranking of college programs, U.S News ranked Oswego State’s part-time master of business ad- ministration program as one of the best in the country.
The part-time MBA program was ranked 200 out of the 326 ranked schools, the program’s first ever national ranking.
“This is an affirmation of the quality of the program and an affirmation of how others perceive the program,” said Richard Skolnik, dean of the School of Business.
“This ranking shows that we are moving in the right direction,” said Tammie Sullivan, director of MBA programs, “without the dedication of our faculty and their hard work, we would not be ranked and I’m honored to work with them.”
Skolnik added that the program’s strength is in its flexibility. MBA courses are offered to part- time students in three different locations: the Oswego State campus, SUNY Oswego Metro Center in Syracuse and online. Skolnik said a majority of the part-time MBA program’s 42 students take classes online or in the SUNY Oswego Metro Center.
“I was drawn to the program because of its flexibility,” said Kevin Velzy, a part-time MBA student. Velzy enrolled as a part-time MBA student in the Fall of 2010 while also working full-time in the Oswego area. Velzy said he has been able to take classes around his weekly 60-hour work schedule while also transferring courses from other universities for credit.
“We take the time to talk with each student and discuss their program and how it fits into their lives,” Sullivan said. She said each student works directly with administrative aid Melissa Arduini from the time they first contact the school until they are matriculated into the program. Sullivan said this way the student “isn’t alone in the process.”
Oswego’s School of Business has appeared multiple times on The Princeton Review’s list of best Northeastern business schools, but this is the first time an individual program of the school’s has been ranked nationally.
“I can’t believe how much the program has grown,” said Steven Abraham, who has been a professor in the school’s business program since 1997. Abraham said both the quality of the students and facilities have improved greatly in his time with the program.
“You felt like you were teaching in an old elementary school,” said Abraham about the old Swetman Hall, the former location of Oswego State’s business classes.
Oswego’s School of Business program moved in 2003 from Swetman Hall to Rich
Hall, which had just undergone $8 million in renovations.
“You can tell our students take a great amount of pride in the building by the way that they take care of it,” said Skolnik.
The MBA program has continued to expand each year, including the addition of a new online program last year. Sullivan said the school is currently in the process of developing a new MBA program in Health Services Administration.
“We are continuously growing everyday,” said Sullivan. “We are continuously looking at our programs and how we can improve on them as well.”
University of Buffalo and Binghamton University were the only other SUNY schools to be mentioned in the list. Le Moyne College, the only other Central New York School to make the list, was ranked 250.
To be eligible for the part-time MBA rankings, a program must be accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International and have had at least 20 students enrolled in the Fall of 2011.
