Partnership programs with area colleges expand academic options for students and job prospects for graduates.
By Robyn Rime
Geneseo does not offer a degree in podiatry … or law or engineering or dentistry. But thanks to innovative partnerships with colleges both in the region and across the country, Geneseo students are earning those degrees and more.
“Partnerships with other colleges allow students to complete their undergraduate and graduate degrees in shorter periods of time, which saves them money,” says Costas Solomou, vice president for enrollment management.
Geneseo’s partnership options doubled in the last year, and the number of students participating has grown steadily during the past decade. Michael Weiss ’20, a business administration major with minors in marketing and management, used a 4+1 partnership program to waive introductory courses and obtain his MBA from Rochester Institute of Technology. He currently serves as a manager of client relations and strategy for the digital marketing agency c3digitus.
“The opportunity to earn my MBA in one year instead of two made it easier to continue right after undergrad, avoiding the need to step away from my career later to pursue the degree,” Weiss says.
Partnership programs have the added advantage of exposing students to different campus learning environments as well, says Sarah Reeves Naioti ’17. Her participation in the engineering 3+2 program earned her two BS degrees in just five years, one in chemistry from Geneseo and one in chemical engineering from the University at Buffalo.
“Geneseo built up my problem-solving skill set and my work ethic, and it taught me how to build a community with other students and professors who were invested in my growth,” Naioti says. “Transferring to a new university, I was able to take that foundation and utilize the opportunities that a large school offers.”
While at UB, Naioti landed positions as a lab assistant and an interdisciplinary engineering team member. She says UB’s recruitment events and wide network gave her broad exposure to the workforce and improved her marketability post-graduation. She now works as a strategic sourcing manager for the Commercial Aircraft Group at Moog.
“Achieving two degrees in minimal time is still a wow factor to many employers,” she says.
Like Naioti, graduates of partnership programs often discover they have a competitive advantage over other candidates during job searches. Christopher Rudin ’19, a business administration major with a management minor, earned his MBA through the 4+1 program with Binghamton University. Now a client relationship manager with AFS Logistics, he found employers valued the experience of an additional school.
“Geneseo isn’t as well-known outside the Finger Lakes area, whereas Binghamton is closer to Long Island,” says Rudin. “As a result, having both schools on my resume helped when discussing education during job interviews.”
Weiss says his program opened up networking opportunities that led to his current employment, and Naioti credited her program with the leverage she needed to negotiate a higher-than-standard starting salary.
Partnership programs are an excellent option for students who are serious about fast-tracking their graduate-level education and advancing their careers, says Weiss. “The MBA 4+1 program was one of the main reasons I chose to attend Geneseo—a decision that continues to benefit me both personally and professionally.”
Visit Partnerships with Area Colleges or Geneseo’s Academic Programs to learn more.