Business Administration

Students seeking a Business Administration degree at SUNY Cobleskill can explore a variety of degree options that are tailored to fit their career goals. Students in our Business Administration program graduate with a strong understanding of the basic components of business. Each student has the option to focus their studies on interest areas like accounting, entrepreneurship, financial services, forensic accounting, human resources, leadership, management, marketing, sports management, or sustainability.

Instruction focuses on applied learning through class projects and internship experiences to prepare students with the real-world skills they’ll need to either enter the workforce or pursue a graduate degree after graduation.

The Business Administration program at SUNY Cobleskill provides students with a flexible curriculum that emphasizes relevancy, diversity and practical application through projects and internship opportunities. The curriculum covers basic business skill areas like accounting, micro- and macro-economics, communications, marketing, and law. Applied learning projects provide plenty of opportunity for students to develop the real-world business skills critical to succeed after graduation. Students can specialize or broaden their education through elective courses.

Graduates from the BBA program will be able to: 

1. Apply effective oral and written communication skills.
2. Apply critical business principles and practices.
3. Demonstrate professional and ethical behavior.
4. Identify, analyze, and solve business-related problems to improve corporate and individual outcomes.
5. Gain experiential or specialized learning through an internship or a focused learning plan. 

Graduates from the AAS/AS program will be able to: 

1. Apply effective oral and written communication skills.
2. Understand foundational business principles and practices.
3. Demonstrate professional and ethical behavior.
4. Facilitate effective team outcomes.

Possessing a Business Administration AAS or AS degree from SUNY Cobleskill opens opportunities for careers in a variety of business-oriented fields such as accounting, advertising and promotion, banking, entrepreneurship, financial services, government, human resources, marketing, procurement, retail, or sales. Graduates are well-prepared to join the workforce with their two-year degree.

A Business Administration degree from SUNY Cobleskill unlocks a world of possibilities for our graduates to lead rewarding professional careers in a variety of business-oriented fields. Career possibilities include work in government, non-profit, public, private, domestic, or global organizations, as well as self-employment. A broad business background also empowers graduates to enter a management track in any organization. Additionally, students who specialize through electives and internship experiences are prepared to begin careers in accounting, advertising and promotion, banking, business analysis, entrepreneurship, financial services, government, human resources, management, marketing, procurement, retail, or sales.

Graduates from our programs have pursued graduate degrees in accounting, business, and human resources at RIT, Rutgers, Sage College, and U Albany. Graduates have also started their own businesses including a meadery and a stained glass business. Recent graduates are employed by The Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown, Farm Credit, Enterprise, Game Stop, and Verizon.

Students can participate in a wide variety of study abroad programs. Our students also have the ability to complete their internships in other countries. We have had Business students study abroad or complete internships in Australia, Costa Rica, New Zealand, and Turkey.

SUNY Cobleskill has a number of articulation agreements with other universities in place, and new ones are always being pursued, that enable our graduates to be accepted into advanced degree programs. SUNY Cobleskill BBA graduates can be accepted into Rochester Institute of Technology’s Saunders MBA program, pursuing one of 15 graduate tracks at SUNY Cobleskill to reduce the time needed to earn an MBA by up to one year.

Professor Dr. Scott Ferguson joined SUNY Cobleskill’s faculty in 2008 after working for 20 years in HR Management and 17 years as an Entrepreneur. He received an Ed. D. from St. John Fisher College’s Executive Leadership Program. Dr. Ferguson has owned, developed, managed, and profitably grown five small businesses. He has international experience through his education and his global responsibilities in business. He has taught Decision Making, Entrepreneurship, Ethics and Management, Financial Management, International Business, International Marketing, Management, Management Communication, and Management Policies and Issues. Additionally, he teaches a Business Plan workshop for small business owners, advises the Business Careers Club on campus, and coaches student teams in the New York State Annual Business Plan Competition.
fergusss@cobleskill.edu | 518-255-5462

 

Paul J. Gemmiti is Professor of Accounting and Financial Services and has taught a wide variety of courses including accounting and finance courses at Siena College and The College of Saint Rose. Paul is currently a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Financial Planning Association. His professional career included Senior Accountant at KPMG Peat Marwick, CPAs, where he prepared tax returns for large corporations and high net worth clients. He has consulted with several local and regional CPA firms and has successfully operated his own tax and financial planning firm for over thirty years. Paul has had over a dozen SUNY Cobleskill students work as interns in his firm, many of which went on to earn their CPA or become employed in the accounting or financial services industry.

In May 2016 Paul was awarded the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and for many years he has been the recipient of the Faculty Appreciation Award for his dedication to students.
gemmitpj@cobleskill.edu | 518-255-5565

 

Professor Katrina Pearl teaches courses in Marketing and Management. Prior to joining SUNY Cobleskill in August 2015, she worked for Schenectady County Community College as an Assistant Professor of Management and has several years of industry experience in accounting, finance, and real estate. Professor Pearl teaches Principles of Marketing, Advertising & Promotion, International Marketing, E-Marketing, Marketing Research, and Management. Her publications include “The Influence of Culture and Implicit Beliefs on the Leadership Development of Women in Global Higher Educational Institutions” presented at the International Journal of Arts and Sciences Conference at Harvard University and “Faculty as Opinion Leaders: A Major Source of Influence on Innovation Opportunity in Higher Education” presented at The Northeast Business & Economics Association at Monmouth University.
pearlkm@cobleskill.edu | 518-255-5381

 

 

Dr. Patricia Nicelli Piatov joined the SUNY Cobleskill faculty as Assistant Professor in 2017 and teaches marketing, consumer behavior, entrepreneurship, retailing, and business communication. She has served as an instructor and chair of the Information Technology Department at Jamestown Business College, and as instructor at Edinburg University of Pennsylvania and the State University of New York at Buffalo Educational Opportunity Center. She has consulting experience with Afloral.com, Vision Care Center, and Mental_Floss magazine’s ecommerce group, and was a regional Business Development Coordinator at Centimark corporation.
piatovpc@cobleskill.edu | 518-255-5732

Marcus T Browne
“I graduated with my Associate's Degree in Social Sciences and decided to work in social development with a firm. I earned certifications and grew within the ranks of the company, but I couldn't go any higher without a Bachelors. I decided to come back to finish what I started in 2007. When I returned to SUNY Cobleskill, I felt that my skills in the professional world were put to the test, and they were. I am grateful for this as I sharpened my tools and gained new ones. SUNY Cobleskill and its Business Program provided this opportunity.”

Quativea Campbell
"I would recommend a future college student to SUNY Cobleskill for business because the department is great and hands-on. They will help you find an internship of your interest or one that best fits you."

John Frith
“All of the Business Professors have either been in a Business firm or manager of their own businesses. These professors not only teach the class but build on the lesson by adding their personal business experience.”

Cassidy Lock
“I value, above all, the professors' passion and their investments in my education...Because there are great professors who have wide ranges of business experiences to share.”

Sarah Mellor
“I love the learning environment here. Professors know you on a personal level and are always willing to help. Being a transfer student, the eduction here at SUNY Cobleskill is more hands-on than my previous school and you aren't just a number in the classroom.”