Three signs you’re ready for Golisano Institute

Finding the right business school isn’t easy: How much will it cost? How long will it take? Will it lead to a job you love?

That perfect fit depends entirely on your needs, how you learn, what you want to achieve, and, importantly, what’s feasible for you financially.

At Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship, we’ve completely redesigned business school. You might find some ways we differ from conventional programs surprising—but, then again, that might be exactly what you’ve been searching for.

Curious if we’re right for you? See if the following describes you.

1) Online classes are a hard pass.

At Golisano Institute, we know that the best learning—like the best business—happens in real-time. Our two certificate programs, business and entrepreneurship and AI and business, are offered 100% in-person at our campus center in Rochester, New York. (That’s right: No online or hybrid courses.)

Why?

Face-to-face mentorship

Here, mentorship from faculty, peers, and the many businesses we partner with is core to our curriculum, not tacked on. We’ve found that students get more out of learning when they have dedicated faculty they can interact with face to face, five days a week. At Golisano Institute, every course is taught by two faculty. Plus, our faculty are fully committed to teaching—they have no outside research obligations so they can focus entirely on supporting students in reaching success.

Offline relationships

The cohort experience is a pillar of Golisano Institute’s culture of community and collaboration. Students share experiences that extend beyond the classroom, creating links that support their growth both professionally and personally.

Another hallmark of our program is the constant opportunity students have to grow and expand their networks. Each week, we welcome thought leaders and entrepreneurs representing diverse markets to learn how they’ve succeeded in business today. In addition, our campus center is a thriving hub where local and international businesses intersect. Students often have the opportunity to engage with these enterprises through events and more formal partnerships (like our recent collaboration with Machani Robotics).

2) You don’t have a moment to lose.

Students come to Golisano Institute eager to get into the action. They want to acquire the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in today’s fast-changing business world.

Accelerated

Our curriculum packs a lot of learning into as short a time as possible. Unlike conventional higher ed, we don’t do long winter or summer breaks—our students value this because it means they can get out into the world faster.

The two-year certificate in business and entrepreneurship is broken into eight quarters with two weeks between each. For the certificate in AI and business, it’s just four quarters in class within 12 months.

One curriculum—four days a week

Another way we accelerate learning at Golisano Institute is through a single curriculum. Students don’t have to choose majors and minors, rush to register before classes fill up, or deal with electives—we’ve designed an optimal curriculum that gives students the skills and knowledge they need to excel in today’s market.

The schedule is simple, too: Classes take place four days a week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday) from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. Towards the end of both programs, more time is spent in real career experiences, whether that’s a job-shadowing, internship, or startup incubation.

3) Student loans? No thanks.

Our mission as a nonprofit is to make business education affordable for everyone, less time-intensive, and more focused on real-world results. Tom Golisano, our founder, believes learning the fundamentals of business shouldn’t put someone into debt. He opened our doors to make high-quality business education accessible to anyone who is willing to put the work in, no matter their background.

That’s why the annual tuition is $8,900 for both our two-year (business and entrepreneurship) and one-year (AI and business) programs. There are no hidden or extra fees and the cost includes a laptop and all required learning materials.

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Think Golisano Institute is right for you?

Come see us for yourself—attend an upcoming open house at our campus center in Rochester, New York.

Register now