SUNY Canton Expands Ties with Clarkson University Through New MBA Track

The addition of a new Healthcare Management agreement is the third major connecting the two colleges.  

SUNY Canton’s most popular bachelor’s degree is now connected with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at Clarkson University, Potsdam. 

Faculty members from the School of Business and Liberal Arts have linked the college’s online Healthcare Management program with Clarkson’s Healthcare Management MBA program. Students enrolled in SUNY Canton’s undergraduate program will be able to apply some of their coursework to the MBA program. 

“Our students could potentially finish their MBA at Clarkson in less than a year,” said Assistant Professor Marela M. Fiacco, who serves as the curriculum coordinator for the Healthcare Management program. “We’ve had many students express interest in this new agreement and two have already applied.”

Healthcare Management is the college’s largest four-year degree program with more than 250 students. The majority of those who enroll in the program are working professionals who are seeking to advance their career by earning a bachelor’s degree. “It is tremendously advantageous for our students to continue their education in a nationally-recognized program,” Fiacco said. 

“The Clarkson Healthcare MBA agreement with SUNY Canton also provides students an accelerated admissions process and exclusive scholarship opportunities,” said Philip T. Neisser, dean of the SUNY Canton School of Business and Liberal Arts. “The collaboration will help guide students through the undergraduate courses that will best serve as a foundation for their graduate work.” 

The majority of SUNY Canton’s coursework is offered online, with some content available through Flex Classes, which are available on campus and online at the same time. Clarkson mirrors the college’s flexibility by offering their program on-campus or online. 

Two Plus Two Engineering Science 

SUNY Canton also has an engineering track link with Clarkson University. Students accepted into the college’s two-year Engineering Science program can continue their corresponding bachelor’s degree in just four additional semesters. The dual admission program allows students to apply just one time for a degree from both colleges. 

“Students who are admitted into the Engineering Science program and complete its requirements are able to seamlessly continue their education at Clarkson,” said Melissa Evans, SUNY Canton’s director of admissions. “The majority of our students are eligible for scholarships as they make the transition.” 

The program is the formalization of a long-standing unofficial arrangement between the two colleges. Many students have begun their education in the Engineering Science Program and have completed an engineering degree at the nationally recognized research university. 

“The SUNY Canton experience is the perfect staging for a four-year electrical engineering degree at Clarkson,” said Associate Professor Rashid Aidun, who teaches in the program. “We are renowned for our small class sizes and student-to-faculty ratio. The quality and relative economy of this collaboration is unparalleled.” 

Four Plus One MBA

In 2016, SUNY Canton first connected with the Potsdam college linking its Bachelor of Business Administration in Management with Clarkson’s one-year MBA. The arrangement is very similar to the Healthcare Management offering, with accelerated learning opportunities and scholarships available for applicants.