Intelligent.com: SUNY Canton Ranks Among the Top Finance Degree Programs in the U.S.

Investments made during college classes help create scholarships and add to the hands-on experience.

SUNY Canton has been recognized as a top ranked institution offering one of the best Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance programs by Intelligent.com. The college ranked 12th of 44 public institutions across the nation.

The comprehensive research guide is based on an assessment of 1,604 accredited colleges and universities. Each program is evaluated based on curriculum quality, graduation rate, reputation, and post-graduate employment. SUNY Canton’s program is offered both online and in person with some flex classes where students can choose both formats.

Finance is recognized among the college’s career-driven business programs for helping students learn about short and long-term investments. In 2011, the Canton College foundation provided $25,000 to practice stock market trading. As a class, the students research potential investments and choose how to best invest the seed money. The original funding has almost quadrupled, and now funds a scholarship for students entering the business programs.

“The current balance exceeds $85,000 in addition the $15,000 used to fund scholarships,” said Umesh Kumar, Ph.D., associate professor and curriculum coordinator for the program. “The students take to this project exceptionally well. The students are very happy to see how well the investments perform.”

Faculty Research

Kumar was recently the co-recipient of a best paper award at the Academy of Business Research Conference for “Electric Power Interruptions and Economic Output for Individual Sectors.” The paper examines industry-wide impacts of power outages across the United States and consequent cost-benefit for specific industries. The project was a collaboration with former SUNY Canton faculty member Brian K. Harte, Ph.D.

“Our productive output is not the same when we face a two-hour outage even here in Upstate New York,” Kumar said. “We are not quantifying the disruption in a dollar amount, but rather how much of a percentage of economic impact will be affected.”

Research findings indicate that economic output suffers most due to weather related electric interruption. Sectors employing more low-income workers are vulnerable and economic losses for those areas is significant.

Kumar was also the co-recipient of a best paper award in 2018 from the same conference on “Analyzing Closed-End Funds Performance and Tax Reforms.” The paper was a collaboration with Edouard K. Mafoua, a SUNY Canton economics professor who teaches in the business programs.

The Future of Financial Education

The next big advancement in the Finance program includes micro-credentials to recognize professional learning. By completing three related classes, students can earn college certification in Financial Accounting, Financial Analysis and Personal Finance.

These skill-based qualifications are designed to provide a student or professional with specific knowledge and abilities immediately applicable in a specific area.

“A nine-credit micro-credential offers a more robust course cluster for students who want to personalize their education beyond a traditional major or minor,” Kumar said. “They also offer more value to prospective employers.”