Alfred State College (ASC) graduates may seamlessly continue their education at UB and pursue a master’s degree in electrical engineering, courtesy of a new agreement signed by the two SUNY entities.

The arrangement between ASC and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences grants eligibility of admission to the master’s program to those who have earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering technology from ASC. They must have accumulated a “B” grade point average, at minimum, in upper-level coursework taken during their last two academic years.

“I'm looking forward to the value this collaboration will bring to both programs,” says Kemper Lewis, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. “For UB, it allows us access to well-qualified, well-prepared and motivated MS students. For ASC, it’s an effective and efficient pathway for students who want to further their education and professional development in electrical engineering.”

The degree includes a specialization in one of four areas: signals, communications and networking; optics and photonics; solid-state electronics; or energy systems.  

Funding awarded two years ago by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s Climate Jobs NY initiative is the catalyst for the partnership. The grant ­­— managed by the UB Center for Industrial Effectiveness (TCIE) — originally enabled UB and ASC to work together in closing critical workforce gaps between clean energy employers and Western New York educators.

Funding strengthened academic programs at both institutions by infusing clean energy concepts into their curricula and upgrading laboratory facilities with renewable energy applications.  

“These students who come to us aren’t just coming with the basic qualifications,” says Jonathan Bird, professor and chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering. “They have been in a program that has a strong footing in the clean energy landscape and will have been exposed to a lot of cutting-edge ideas associated with clean energy technology.”