College of Business

Interim Dean Joseph McDonnell

At Stony Brook, we teach with a pragmatic hands-on project oriented approach to business education.  We have designed our program to prepare future business leaders with the critical skills to develop innovative solutions to business problems.  We take teaching seriously and work hard to create a rich learning experience for our students.  Over the past several years, we have gained a reputation as a faculty that really cares about our students and their future success.

Learning business plus getting a liberal arts education

In our undergraduate program, we prepare students for careers in business by offering a solid foundation in the fundamentals of business plus specializations in finance, marketing, accounting and operations. To be successful in the 21st century, students need an education in critical thinking to prepare for a rapidly changing world.  To obtain such an education, all business majors take a minor (or double major) outside of business, which we believe gives students an edge in the job market. We also have to keep in mind that business, as a practice, draws upon theories in the academic disciplines – in economics, history psychology, sociology, anthropology, philosophy and mathematics among others.

Studying abroad provides an international Learning experiences

Business has become a global activity with markets booming in China, India, Korea, Brazil and Vietnam. We seek to educate students for a world where business takes place in every part of the world and across borders. We encourage students to study a foreign language and to take advantage of our study abroad program. Fortunately, the Stony Brook College of Business attracts students for all over the world, so students get an international experience right in our classrooms.

Creating a dynamic learning environment

Our MBA students include experienced working students typically attending the program part time in the evening and Saturday, international students from all over the world, recent college graduates and those in combined degree programs who attend full time. Case analyses, business simulations, industry projects, team oriented activities and presentations are the typical way students learn in our MBA classes. In this learning environment, students learn by doing and often learn as much from each other as from the faculty member.

Interacting with the business community

We encourage close ties to the business community and invite business leaders to speak to students and even to teach courses. We require our full time MBA students to complete an internship and encourage all students to gain some work experience. We find that the experience gives students a better understanding of course material.

Developing joint degrees and closer ties with other academic departments

We have developed joint degrees with most academic departments on campus. In addition to the BA/BS/MBA combined degrees that we have with just about every department at Stony Brook, we now have MS/MBA in Biomedical Engineering, an MS/MBA in Mechanical Engineering and a MBA/MPH degree with Public Health. We have an MS/MBA in Computer Science and an MA/MBA in Public Policy pending approval.   With our combined degrees, we are building the business school in relationship to many strong departments at this great university.
We welcome your interest in Stony Brook's College of Business and hope that you will consider becoming a student here.
 

Joseph McDonnell
Interim Dean
The College of Business
Stony Brook University