School of Business

The School of Business is recognized as one of the leading business schools in the Northeast, providing an education that augments classroom learning with real-world experience. Faculty are committed not only to laying the foundation of business knowledge but also to enhancing the student's under standing of these principles through hands-on experience. Faculty supervised field projects place students in organizations in consulting-type situations where they face the challenges, dynamics and deadlines they will later experience in their own careers. This approach develops the professional skills and abilities most valued in the business world.

Graduates of degree programs in accounting and business have reached the highest levels in their professions. Some of the businesses that recruit Albany students -- including Andersen Consulting, Coopers & Lybrand, Ernst and Young, Towers Perrin, and the May Company -- have written to tell us that these students rank among the best they hire. Albany is one of the top three schools Andersen Consulting recruits at in the New York metropolitan area, and a 1995 Computerworld poll of 25 top recruiters of graduates in the information systems field ranked Albany among the top 10 schools in the nation.

Graduates of the University at Albany School of Business hold senior management positions with such prestigious firms as Morgan Stanley, DLJ, Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, Arthur Andersen, Price Waterhouse, KPMG Peat Marwick, Deloitt Touche, Hewlett Packard, Salomon Brothers, First Boston Company, Smith Barney, Siemans and many others. Over the last ten years, University at Albany accounting graduates have placed in the top five percent of all students passing the C.P.A. examination, and Albany ranks fourth among U.S. colleges and universities with the highest percentage of C.P.A. candidates without advanced degrees passing all subjects taken, and ties for fifth in the same category for candidates with advanced degrees. All degree programs in the School of Business are fully accredited by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Accounting, M.S. The two-year program is designed for students with degrees in a field other than accounting and prepares students to enter the accounting profession at the entry level. The program is registered with the New York State Department of Education and completion of the degree prepares students to sit for the CPA exam. The one-year program is designed for students with an undergraduate background in accounting and continues the accounting education with advanced-level courses.

Business Administration, M.B.A. During the first year, the full-time program combines courses in basic competencies, such as computer skills, managerial skills and database management, with a series of offerings in the major areas of business. Courses on strategy, policy and global business also help to prepare the student for second year specializations in finance, marketing (including an opportunity to participate in the International Marketing Assistance Program), human resource management information systems and management information systems. Students will also receive exposure to entrepreneurship, health care management or strategy. A part-time evening program is also available. During the third and final year of the part-time program, students select 12 credits from a variety of electives within the School of Business.

Organizational Studies, Ph.D. This is a multi-disciplinary program offered in conjunction with public administration, psychology, and sociology. In addition to rigorous training in research methods and statistics, students may focus on specializations such as human resource management, leadership, organizational behavior, organizational strategy, organizational change, and organizational and environmental interactions.

Taxation, M.S. This program, which is highly regarded by the major international accounting firms, is intended for students with a degree in accounting who are interested in taxation as a career. Study focuses on the methodology of tax research and explores tax planning problems of corporations, estates and trusts, and partnerships in both domestic and international contexts.