For Release:         Immediate – July 5, 2015

Contact:                Jerry Gretzinger, Vice President of Strategic Communications and Public Relations ­

(518) 956-7359 | jgretzinger@sunypoly.edu

SUNY Poly’s Online Accountancy Program Named to Top Ten in National Rankings

Nationwide Ranking Highlights Student Return on Investment at SUNY Poly

UTICA, NY – Showcasing its ongoing commitment to providing world-class educational opportunities throughout New York State, SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) today announced that its Master of Science in Accountancy program has been ranked 9^th nationwide among the most affordable online Master's in Accounting programs.  The ranking by BestColleges.com sets SUNY Poly ahead of other institutions such as University of Massachusetts – Amherst (#10), Syracuse University (#16), and St. John’s University (#25).

“SUNY is committed to providing innovative new learning opportunities that enable greater access to top quality, affordable education.  SUNY Poly has done a commendable job with its online Master of Science in Accountancy program and this national ranking is well deserved,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. “Congratulations to President Kaloyeros and his faculty and staff on this impressive achievement.”

“This national ranking for our Accountancy program is a wonderful endorsement of the quality and the value of a SUNY Poly education,” said Dr. Alain Kaloyeros, President and CEO of SUNY Polytechnic Institute. “It is with great pride that we have seen our Accounting program thrive and receive such noteworthy recognition, thanks to SUNY Poly’s faculty and staff who continue to maintain the highest of standards in excellence and an unparalleled dedication to the educational experience of our students.”

According to BestColleges.com, online Masters in Accounting programs were ranked using a unique college affordability score, which looks at quality of education, total cost, financial aid opportunities, and potential future earnings. The report states the schools on the list “have track records of providing rigorous academic experiences while keeping costs affordable, and their graduates have been able to land jobs at salaries that make paying back their loans a relatively comfortable proposition.”  The rankings are available here.

“This is a fine example of the dedication our faculty and staff have to providing students with the best education possible and a sign of their tremendous success,” said Dr. Robert Geer, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at SUNY Poly. “We are delighted to see this level of recognition for the groundbreaking programs offered at SUNY Poly.”

“This is testament that SUNY Poly produces some of the finest accounting graduates and does so at an affordable price,” said Dr. William Durgin, SUNY Poly Provost. “It is indication of the high quality education students receive and the exceptional work done by our faculty in the department. It is a great example of the hard work done by both our students and faculty and further proof that a world-class education is available right here at public New York universities.”

SUNY Poly’s Master of Science in Accountancy program is registered to satisfy the 150-hour licensure requirement for New York State and was developed in response to two demands. The first was the increasing number of accountants who held undergraduate degrees in accounting and wanted to further their skills to pursue additional professional accounting opportunities. These opportunities included public, corporate, not-for-profit and government accounting. Additionally, in view of the 150-credit hour education requirement established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) starting in the year 2000, the program was developed to qualify students to sit for professional accounting examinations that lead to credentials such as the CPA (Certified Public Accountant) and the CMA (Certified Management Accountant) designations.

A master’s in accounting sets graduates up for a wide array of career choices, including tax auditing, corporate management, financial information systems, investigative or forensic accounting, and more. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the accounting industry is projected to add more than 160,000 jobs by 2022.

“This is the third time our SUNY Poly MS-Accountancy program receives a national top-10 ranking recently,” said Dr. Robert Yeh, Interim Dean of the College of Health Sciences & Management. “Our MS-Accountancy program is one of the very first online graduate accounting programs in the nation. This pioneering online graduate accounting program is fully accredited by AACSB and meets its highest accreditation standards. This graduate program has produced many talented accountants and business leaders that are employed by companies and organizations around the world.”

The SUNY Poly Master of Science in Accountancy program is intended for students who have the equivalent of an undergraduate degree in accounting. Students who may not have a background in accounting but desire an opportunity to broaden their capabilities and specialize in this area are afforded the option of doing so. These students would be required to include additional preparatory work in their program and would do that under the guidance of the program coordinator.

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SUNY Polytechnic Institute. SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) is New York’s globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem, formed from the merger of the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering and SUNY Institute of Technology. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience and nanoeconomics programs at its Albany location and undergraduate and graduate degrees in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies; professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing; and arts and sciences, including natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences at its Utica/Rome location. Thriving athletic, recreational, and cultural programs, events, and activities complement the campus experience. As the world’s most advanced, university-driven research enterprise, SUNY Poly boasts more than $43 billion in high-tech investments, over 300 corporate partners, and maintains a statewide footprint. The 1.3 million-square-foot Albany NanoTech megaplex is home to more than 4,000 scientists, researchers, engineers, students, faculty, and staff, in addition to Tech Valley High School. SUNY Poly operates the Smart Cities Technology Innovation Center (SCiTI) at Kiernan Plaza in Albany, the Solar Energy Development Center in Halfmoon, the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology (CMOST) in Troy, the Central New York Hub for Emerging Nano Industries in Syracuse, the Smart System Technology and Commercialization Center (STC) in Canandaigua, and the Photovoltaic Manufacturing and Technology Development Facility in Rochester where SUNY Poly also leads the American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics. SUNY Poly founded and manages the Computer Chip Commercialization Center (Quad-C) at its Utica location and also manages the $500 million New York Power Electronics Manufacturing Consortium, with nodes in Albany and Rochester, as well as the Buffalo High-Tech Manufacturing Innovation Hub at RiverBend, Buffalo Information Technologies Innovation and Commercialization Hub, and Buffalo Medical Innovation and Commercialization Hub. For information visit www.sunycnse.com andwww.sunypoly.edu.