(SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – March 17, 2014) Military Times, a publication of Gannett Government Media, has named SUNY Empire State College’s MBA program among its “Best for Vets: Business Schools 2014.”

This year’s survey emphasized how each institution’s culture and curriculum caters to military veterans. The other categories included in the survey were academic outcomes and quality, academic policies and cost and financial aid.

The value of each category was comparable for each institution, but university culture and student support were weighted most heavily.

“I am pleased that once again Empire State College is being recognized for our work with military students. The credit for national recognition by Military Times goes to our faculty and staff, and to our veteran students for all their hard work and success,” said Merodie A. Hancock, president of the college. “For us, creating and sustaining a veteran- and military-friendly culture is more than just a point of great pride, it is an honor and a privilege and our way of expressing appreciation to these students.”

“We value the skills, competencies and experiential learning of our veterans by awarding credit for their college-level learning through our own evaluation process and by accepting American Council on Education credit for their military training,” said Tai Arnold, dean of the college’s School for Graduate studies. “In turn, our veteran and military students take less time and spend less money in completing their degree.”

“Our veteran and active military students are taught by faculty experts with academic and practical knowledge, who use multiple methods of teaching tailored to the needs of students,” said Alan Belasen, chair of business, management and leadership at the college’s School for Graduate Studies. “The cutting-edge curriculum of our IACBE-accredited MBA integrates functional knowledge with managerial competencies that support veterans’ transition to civilian life. The online instruction and face-to-face, group-study components provide students with flexibility and convenience, which helps to foster overall academic success.”

This honor highlighted several features of the college’s MBA program:

• online learning available
• full-time and part-time paths to degree completion
• tuition costs and most fees covered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill®, depending on eligibility
• Credit Where Credit is Due: Veteran and Service Member Pathway to the MBA
• strong veteran and military support staff
• overall academic support.

The college’s MBA program also was named to last year’s “Best for Vets: Business Schools 2013,” rankings. More recently, Military Times named Empire State College to its “Best for Vets: Colleges 2014,” rankings, where the college was highlighted in the online and nontraditional category.

Hancock added that the reasons the college has been cited by Military Times for inclusion in Best for Vets rankings reflect the quality, affordability and accessibility of the college, as well as the innovative, open and flexible approach the college takes in educating nontraditional students such as veterans and active-duty military.

“Nontraditional students comprise more than 90 percent of the 20,000 students enrolled with the college, which is a big reason why we are playing such a key role in the access, completion and success agenda for Open SUNY,” said Hancock.

Open SUNY is the systemwide effort focusing on nontraditional students, online-enabled learning and degree completion.

In addition to the strengths listed by Military Times, the college supports veterans and members of the military community through:

• the award-winning Office of Veteran and Military Education
• education partnerships with all branches of the military
• Graduate Certificate in Veterans Services
• Student Veterans and Military Club.

“As with all of the Best for Vets rankings, Best for Vets: Business Schools is an editorially independent news project that evaluates the many factors that make an institution a good fit for military veterans,” said Amanda Miller, editor of Military Times.

About Best for Vets

Best for Vets provides service men and women with a gauge to help determine if a school or degree program will benefit them.

More information about the methodology for Best for Vets: Business Schools 2014 is available at http://www.militarytimes.com/article/20140310/EDU/303100013.

The complete Best for Vets: Business Schools 2014 list is available at http://projects.militarytimes.com/best-for-veterans/business-schools/2014/.

About SUNY Empire State College

Established in 1971 as the nontraditional, open college of the SUNY system, Empire State College educates many of its students online, as well as face to face and through a blend of both at the associate, bachelor’s and master’s levels.

In addition to awarding credit for prior college-level learning, the college pairs each undergraduate student with a faculty mentor who supports that student throughout his or her college career.

Working with their mentors, students design an individual degree program and engage in guided independent study and course work onsite, online or through a combination of both, which provides the flexibility for students to choose where, when and how to learn.

The college serves more than 20,000 students worldwide at nine international sites, more than 35 locations in the state of New York and online. Its 70,000 alumni are active in their communities as entrepreneurs, politicians, business professionals, artists, nonprofit agency employees, teachers, veterans and active military, union members and more. More information about the college is available here.

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Media contact: David Henahan, director of communications

518-587-2100, ext. 2918

David.Henahan@esc.edu

518-321-7038 (after hours and on weekends)