Academics

A highly strategic business curriculum for tomorrow’s entrepreneurs.

At Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship, we’ve focused the learning experience to deliver the most valuable business education possible in just 24 months. Every aspect of your education is deeply intentional and meticulously planned to lead to one goal—helping you reach yours.

A Distinctive Curriculum

All business. All the time.

Interconnected Coursework

No course lives in a vacuum. All coursework is interconnected and iterative, helping you level up your skills and expertise as you progress.
Learn by doing.

Mid-Quarter Projects

Hands-on, interactive projects combine the skills and knowledge from several courses.
Putting it all together.

Final Projects

Each quarter culminates in a final project which encapsulates learnings from all courses.

One Highly Connected Academic Experience

Your Academic Journey

32 Courses. Just Two Years.

We’ve developed an academic path that is broken up into three chapters, starting with goal setting and culminating in career launch.

Q1

Goal Setting &
Community Building

Your first quarter is dedicated to building connections and getting to know faculty, staff, and fellow students. This is also when you’ll work with mentors to establish your primary goal moving forward, whether you are:
  • Seeking a high-quality job at an emerging company
  • Aspiring to launch your own business
  • Looking for a no-debt alternative to a traditional bachelor's degree
Students speaking in common area og building

Q2–Q7

Core Learning

Our course load is hyper-focused on giving you practical and marketable skills relevant in today’s business world. So, you can acquire the expertise you need to be business-world ready, in less time than traditional programs.

Micro-Credentials & Bootcamps

In conversations with employers, we’ve identified several skillsets that are in especially high demand. In addition to your core courses like supply chain, finance, and management, we’ve added:
  • Coding Bootcamp
    All students complete an initial coding bootcamp.
  • Project Management Micro-Credential
    All students become certified in project management.

Environmental Learning Lab

Students begin working with employers on real business questions, problems, and opportunities. Within your class of 20–25 students, you’ll work in collaborative groups to translate your learning to real-world cases.

“Speaking from Experience”

Every Wednesday, you’ll hear from and interact with prominent guest speakers brought in for insights and perspectives on topics related to your coursework.
Featured Speakers
Tom Monaghan
Tom Monaghan

Domino's Pizza, Founder

Tanya Bakalov
Tanya Bakalov

CEO, HelloTeam

Greg Stahl
Greg Stahl

CEO, Bob Johnson Auto Group

Phil Saunders
Phil Saunders

Founder, TravelCenters of America and Genesee Regional Bank

Colleen Matteson
Colleen Matteson

Bank of America, President

Marty Mucci
Marty Mucci

Paychex Inc, Chairman of the Board & Former CEO

Matt Acquino
Matt Acquino

Built Blades, Founder

Bob Bolton
Bob Bolton

Iron Bay Capitol, Founder, President, & CEO

Gayle Jagel
Gayle Jagel

Founder & CEO, Young Entrepreneurs Academy, YEA!

Ashley Campbell
Ashley Campbell

Chief Impact Officer, United Way

Jeff Gerstner
Jeff Gerstner

DinamicOR, Founder & CEO

Suzanne Piotrowski
Suzanne Piotrowski

Lead Badfish, Badfish Consulting

Real-World Internships

Hands-on business internships are pillars to our program, because we believe the relationships formed through in-person, real-life connection are more valuable than anything you can find in a textbook.

Q8

Career Launch

This is the culmination of your two-year program, but it is far from the end of your journey.
Student speaking with faculty member in his office

The culmination of your academic experience.
The launch of your next business journey.

After 7 quarters of sharpening your business skills, you’re ready to translate those learnings into real-world action. Your final quarter is dedicated to kickstarting your journey down one of three paths.

Employment or Career Advancement

Whether through our employer partners or otherwise, we’ll assist you in moving on to the next phase of your business career.

Building a Business

Ready to start a business or grow your current one? We’ll be there to help set you up for success from building your business case to working on seed funding to bring it to life.

Continuing a Bachelor’s Degree

For those who want to complete their bachelor’s degree, we’ll help you continue on to one of our partner colleges.

Supportive, Caring Faculty

At Golisano Institute, one of the most important qualities we look for in every instructor and staff member is a passion to help students succeed. We’ve brought together a team of real business professionals and acclaimed instructors who above all are here for you.
60-40-faculty
60-40-faculty-stacked
Our instructors commit 40 percent of their time to mentoring, so you’ll always be able to find support whether inside the classroom or out.

“The opportunity is out there. You just have to find it.

Tom Golisano, Founder

Apply for Free

Think you’d be a good fit for Golisano Institute? Enrollment for March 2025 is now open. Begin your application today.

Connect with Admissions

Meet our admissions team, explore the campus center, and learn more about Golisano Institute.