Ronald L. Bittner School of Business

St. John Fisher College, Ronald L. Bittner School of Business History

Saint John Fisher College, founded in 1948, is a private, coeducational institution. The 136-acre campus is located in a suburban area 7 miles east of Rochester. Total undergraduate and graduate enrollment is 3704.

The Ronald L. Bittner School of Business was founded in 1983 and is located on the main campus, in its own building, James S. Alesi Academic Center. The basic educational approach is one that addresses the needs of students seeking a holistic approach to prepare them for managerial positions that require a balanced approach to various disciplinary areas. A blend of properly selected cases/projects and appropriate theoretical frameworks is used.

St. John Fisher College, Ronald L. Bittner School of Business Academics

The Bittner School of Business offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA). The strongest area of study is general management. The most popular courses are integrative courses. Regular programs bring distinguished speakers and visiting professors to campus.

Forty-eight total credits are required to complete the MBA. Required courses include:

• Managerial Applications of Information Technology
• Financial Accounting Fundamentals
• Statistics for Managers
• Organizational Structure Process
• Economics Foundations and Practice
• Managerial Finance
• Marketing Concepts and Strategy
• Operations Management
• Business Management and Globalization
• Management Critical Communications Skills
• Managing Information Technology in a Business Environment
• Managing Innovation and Change
• Integrated Advanced Financial and Accounting Analysis
• The Leadership Experience
• Customer Focus and Marketing Strategies
• Capstone-Project Experience

Students may eliminate or substitute requirements. One course may be waived with undergraduate credit; 2 graduate courses can be transferred. The total cost of waiver and/or transfer credit must not exeed 6 credits.

The minimum time permitted to complete the master’s degree program attending full time is 1 year; maximum, 1 year. For students attending part time, the minimum is 2 years; maximum, 6 years.

There are 14 total full-time graduate business faculty, of whom 93% hold a doctorate; there are 3 part-time faculty, all of whom hold a doctorate. Faculty salaries are rated average for Category IIB institutions, based on the AAUP rating system. Average number of courses faculty teach is 3; average business class size is 15.

St. John Fisher College, Ronald L. Bittner School of Business Unique Programs

Library

The university’s main library houses a collection of more than 200,000 volumes, 92,000 microform items, and 28,000 audio/video tapes/CDs, and subscribes to 1300 periodicals. The business library is particularly strong in international business. Students have access to such databases and networks as Dialog, BRS, ABI/INFORM, and Expanded Academic Index on CD-ROM. Other opportunities for research consist of access to area libraries and interlibrary loans.

Computers

Graduate business students need not have their own PCs. Available computer facilities consist of state-of-the-art academic computing labs for student use, including 4 Pentium PC labs; 3 are multimedia labs and the other is a combined Power Mac and Sun workstation lab. There are 62 terminals running Windows NT and equipped with Office 2000 as well as programming, nursing, language, math, and graphics software. There is 24-hour access.

Career and Job Placement

Average starting salary of the most recent graduating class was $40,000; range was $26,000 to $62,000. Placement services are extensive. Placement services for alumni include the same services available to students. Placement is available through the university placement office and through networking with part-time students who are employed full time and through a password-protected database of alumni volunteers on a nationwide basis. All of the most recent graduating class found jobs within three months of receiving their degree.

International Students

International students must take the TOEFL. International students must score 575 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT). They also must submit a translation of their transcripts, proof of health consisting of proof of immunity to measles, mumps, and rubella, and proof of adequate funds to cover 2 years of study. Check with the school for current application deadlines.

Calendar

The school operates on a traditional semester basis. Semesters are 15 weeks long. Graduate programs are offered during the evening only and weekends.

St. John Fisher College, Ronald L. Bittner School of Business Admissions

A bachelor’s degree is required, along with a GPA of 3.0. The formula for using the GPA and GMAT scores is (200 x GPA) + GMAT, or minimum 1000. Most important admissions factors are GMAT results, academic accomplishments and ability, and work experience. A strong mathematics background is not required.

The number of applicants for the 2006-2007 class was 182; 131 were accepted; 38 enrolled. The average GPA was 2.95; average GMAT score was 501. Transfers are accepted. Minority students are actively recruited through recruitment fairs, minority organizations, and referrals.

Students may begin the MBA program in the fall, spring, and summer. To apply, students must submit an application form, a transcript, GMAT scores, a nonrefundable application fee of $30, 2 letters of recommendation, and a 1-page personal statement. The application deadlines are July 1 for fall entry; October 30, spring; March 15, summer. Students are notified of the admissions decision within 2 weeks of receipt of a completed application. The latest acceptable test date for fall entry is July 31. Once accepted, students may defer admission for up to1 year.

St. John Fisher College, Ronald L. Bittner School of Business Financial Aid

The FAFSA and the previous year’s tax return are required. Check with the school for current application deadlines.

Tuition for all students is $830 per credit. Graduate student housing is limited and consists of single rooms. There is a referral service to help procure off-campus housing.

St. John Fisher College, Ronald L. Bittner School of Business Students

Thirty-nine percent of the current graduate business school class are enrolled full time; 95% have had an average of 10 years of full-time work experience prior to entering graduate school, a factor preferred by the school. The greatest percentage of students are from New York (99%). Sixty-one percent are women and 11% are minorities. The average age at entrance is 30; ages range from 22 to 49. Ten percent enter directly from undergraduate school; 3% already have a graduate degree. Students’ undergraduate majors were as follows: 58%, business; 17%, liberal arts; 9%, economics; 9%, social sciences; and 7%, engineering. In 2006, 41 graduate business degrees were awarded.