Binghamton focuses on dual bachelor/M.B.A. programs

CNY Business Journal (1996+), Feb 17, 2006 by Duffett, Claire

BINGHAMTON - As more people attain bachelor's degrees, earning a master's is becoming a key to setting oneself apart from the pack, local educators say.

As of the 2002 census, 29.3 percent of New York residents over 25 years old possessed a bachelor's degree or higher, up from 27.4 percent in 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

At Binghamton University (BU), undergraduates can obtain a bachelor's and a master's degree within five years by enrolling in the school's so-called "3-2" or "fast-track" programs, says Nancy Stamp, vice provost and dean of BU's graduate school.

The programs combine undergraduate students in the school's engineering as well as its arts & sciences schools with a master's of business administration (M.B.A.) degree from BU's School of Management, Stamp explains.

BU offers joint M.B.A.s with 16 of its undergraduate majors. The program is popular among individuals planning to apply to law school who want to stand out from the crowd, she reports.

The school also offers joint, five-year undergraduate programs with its master's degree in education.

The cost savings is two-fold for students who participate in these programs as opposed to those who earn a four-year degree and subsequently enroll in a twoyear master's program, she says.

First, students save one year's worth of tuition. Second, during the fourth year of study when students begin to take master's-level courses, they only pay undergraduate tuition, which is lower than master's tuition, Stamp explains.

BU charges $181 per credit hour for an undergraduate student who is a resident of New York State while M.B.A. students from the state pay $296 per credit hour. Fourth-year undergraduates enrolled in M.B.A. courses save $115 per credit hour.

The most challenging time for students who participate in the fasttrack comes in, their fourth year of study, when they combine both their final undergraduate work and the beginning of their master's studies, Stamp says. The other four years closely mirror a standard bachelor's and then master's students' routine.

The combination of the specialty of an engineering or arts degree coupled with the practicality of an M.B.A. is a unique selling proposition for employers, explains George Bobinksi, associate dean in BU's School of Management.

Rather than offering an undergraduate degree within the management school, the program is available to those who study outside the business program, but want to earn an M.B.A., he explains.

The purpose is to produce students with marketable specialties, he says.

"Engineering students who want to be in management still need a technical background, but know they need to be aware of the business side," he says. "A biology major with an M.B.A. can get a job 'in biotech or pharmaceutical sales."

SU takes different approach

But Syracuse University (SU) prefers that its M.B.A. candidates have more life experience than a recent college graduate with a bachelor's degree, let alone a college freshman or sophomore, explains Paula O'Callaghan, director of the distancelearning M.B.A. program at SU's Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

SU has not allowed an undergraduate to partake in a five-year, joint M.B.A. program since About 1998, she says. The school seeks students with at least several years of professional experience in addition to a completed college degree, she explains.

O'Callaghan says SU chooses this approach because employers are reluctant to hire M.B.A.-level employees whose business knowledge is limited to the classroom, she argues.

At BU, Stamp hopes that more students will take advantage of the 3-2 programs and the number of students graduating with a bachelor's degree and an M.B.A. in five years will increase to about 100 annually within the next five years, she says.

The graduate school is more stringent when admitting freshman or sophomore undergraduate students to the program than it is admitting post-graduate applicants.

Fast-track applicants must have at least a 3.2 grade-point-average, while the base grade for other applicants is 3.0, Stamp explains.

About 10 students currently participate in the school's M.B.A. fasttrack program each year, Stamp explains.

Students are still required to meet both the undergraduate and graduate credit requirements, Stamp says, although the school waives its elective demands for those who qualify to participate.