News — MOUNT VERNON, Iowa – Cornell College and Iowa State University Ivy College of Business are teaming up in a new partnership that streamlines the acceptance process for Cornell students interested in enrolling in one of three master’s programs in business.

“This partnership is wonderful for Cornell,” said Cornell College Professor of Santhi Hejeebu, the co-chair of Cornell’s Department of Economics and Business. “We have many promising students who have had a rich on-campus experience, and we want to create those next steps for those students and make them easy to climb. This partnership does that. We have an opportunity to open new doors for our students.” 

Students who meet certain criteria, agreed upon by both schools, will not have to pay an application fee and will be automatically accepted into the following ISU master’s programs:

  • Master of Finance 
  • Master of Information Systems 
  • Master of Accounting

Students must earn a Cornell College bachelor’s degree related to economics and business and maintain a certain grade point average (3.25 for the Master of Finance and Master of Accounting programs and 3.0 for the Master of Information Systems). According to ISU enrollment leaders, this is the first partnership of its kind for the school of business. 

“We are looking for talented students,” said Valentina Salotti, associate dean for academic affairs and diversity at the Ivy College of Business. “We look at Cornell as a place where we can find the type of student that is really engaged and that is already used to critical thinking.” 

Students who would like to be considered for financial aid are encouraged to apply by the priority deadline of May 1 of their final year at Cornell and no later than June 1. Five spots will be reserved in each program for Cornell students. The finance and information systems programs are estimated to take three semesters, while the accounting program takes two semesters.

Sam Sivaskandan, director of recruiting for professional master’s programs at the Ivy College of Business, said this agreement will help keep talented students in Iowa and will build the skills of those who want to pursue international business opportunities. A variety of career opportunities await those who pursue a master’s degree in these fields.

“Graduate education is really going to make a steep change in one’s life in terms of their earnings and their career path. Not just the money part–which you earn more–but you have more jobs that you are qualified for over your entire lifetime,” Sivaskandan said. 

The partnership went into effect on March 1 and Hejeebu is already excited to start talking with current and future students about this opportunity.

“This program is a great vote of confidence in our curriculum and in what Cornell offers to our students,” Hejeebu said. “Faculty who are experts in their field came and evaluated our program and said ‘yeah we want to be a part of that. We like what you are doing a lot, and your students are welcome at our institution and have guaranteed admission.’” 

Cornell also partnered with the and the.

About Cornell College:

is a liberal arts college of approximately 1,000 students in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Cornellians have been living, learning, and teaching on the block plan, One Course At A Time, since 1978. Each 18-day course can take students and professors off-campus and even out of the country due to the block’s flexibility, and students fully immerse themselves in their topic of study, taking field trips, diving into research, creating an art exhibit, or exploring issues in the local community. With students from 48 states and 18 foreign countries, as well as renowned faculty, speakers, and entertainers, Cornell offers the world from its campus.

About Iowa State University Ivy College of Business: 

At the Debbie and Jerry Ivy College of Business at Iowa State University, we prepare students for a future of progress — giving them the vision and skills to go out and make a difference in the world. We combine quality curriculum, internationally known faculty, and a welcoming atmosphere to create an unmatched business education, whether students are seeking degrees at the bachelors, masters, or PhD level. We continuously evaluate our programs, innovate, and add new opportunities that fit current market demand and anticipate future business needs. After several years of record enrollment, a much-needed expansion to the Gerdin Business Building opened in fall 2020. The 45,000-square-foot, $28 million, four-story addition was designed with students in mind. It includes 40 percent more space, seven team rooms, a central common area available as a student study space, a state-of-the-art sales suite, 35 faculty office spaces, and five additional classrooms. At the Ivy College of Business, we are committed to offering a high-quality education in a way that prepares students for their real-world experiences. The college is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), in both business and accounting. Only 2 percent of the world’s business schools receive accreditation in both business and accounting.