Degree Planning and Academic Review

Student Degree Planning Guide

NOTE: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to use the PDF files on this page. If you are unable to open them, please contact your center or program to have a copy sent to you.

The Student Degree Planning Guide provides the technical information you will need to create your own personal degree program for your associate or bachelor's degree. For information about the general education requirements, please see Chapter 3.

For your convenience, the guide is provided two ways:

As one complete file: Student Degree Planning Guide 2012 (PDF 1,782kB)

Broken into separate chapters as shown below:

Preface and Chapters 1 - 12

Table of Contents (PDF 121kB)

A Message to Students (PDF 138kB)

Preface: How to Use the Student Degree Planning Guide (PDF 121kB)

Chapter 1: Your Degree Program From Planning to Approval (PDF 119kB)

Chapter 2: Degree Types and Requirements (PDF 159kB)

Topics covered:

  • Degree Types
  • Requirements for Your Empire State College Degree
  • Associate Degrees
  • Bachelor’s Degrees
  • Registered Areas of Study
  • Concentrations
  • General Learning
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences Credits
  • Advanced-Level Study
  • Breadth In Empire State College Degree Programs

Chapter 3: SUNY General Education Requirements (PDF 202kB)

Topics covered:

  • Who Must Meet the General Education Requirements
  • How to Meet General Education Requirements
  • General Education Knowledge and Skill Areas
  • Competencies
  • Reading the General Education Document In DP Planner
  • Phase-In Period for Students Who Matriculated Between Sept. 1, 2000, and Sept. 1, 2004
  • General Education Documents

Chapter 4: Annotated Degree Program (PDF 175kB)

Topics covered:

  • Helpful Tips
  • Legend
  • Annotated Bachelor of Science Degree Program
  • General Education Document for Bachelor’s Degree
  • Degree Plan Worksheet

Chapter 5: Sources of Advanced Standing Credit (Overview) (PDF 124kB)

Topics covered:

  • Credit: Overview
  • Sources of Advanced Standing Credit
  • Relationship of Available Prior Learning to the Degree Program

Chapter 6: Transcript Credit (PDF 133kB)

Topics covered:

  • Incorporating Transcript Credit Into Your Empire State College Degree Program
  • Transcript Credit From Regionally Accredited Colleges and Universities
  • Transcript Credit From Nonregionally Accredited Institutions
  • Official Transcripts
  • Credit Hours: Semester-Based Or Quarter-Based Credit
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences Credits
  • Advanced-Level Study
  • Age of Credits
  • Redundancy
  • D Grades

Chapter 7: Credit By Evaluation: Standardized Examinations and Noncollegiate Sponsored Learning (PDF 130kB)

Topics covered:

  • Standardized Examinations
  • Noncollegiate Sponsored Learning and Empire State College “Generic” Evaluations
  • Official Documentation

Chapter 8: Credit By Evaluation: Individualized Prior Learning Assessment (PDF 197kB)

Topics covered:

  • College-Level Learning
  • Sources of Prior College-Level Learning
  • Steps In Individualized Prior Learning Assessment
  • PLA Planner
  • Identifying Your Knowledge/Examining Your Experiences
  • Determining Credit Amounts
  • Mentor and Center Office of Academic Review Support
  • Describing and Presenting Your Knowledge
  • Learning Descriptions
  • Outline for Submission
  • Documenting Your Knowledge/Working With the Expert Evaluator
  • The Evaluation Report: Official Documentation
  • Sample Learning Descriptions and Evaluator Reports

Chapter 9: Planning Your Empire State College Studies (PDF 131kB)

Topic covered:

  • Types of Empire State College Studies

Chapter 10: Writing Your Degree Program Rationale (PDF 124kB)

Topics covered:

  • The Content of the Rationale
  • Organizing the Rationale
  • Reminders
  • Guide for a Rationale

Chapter 11: Portfolio Preparation and the Approval Process (PDF 147kB)

Topics covered:

  • The Portfolio
  • Steps Toward Approval
  • Changes In A Concurred Degree
  • Appeals
  • Checklist for Degree Program Portfolio Submission

Chapter 12: Fees Related to Degree Planning (PDF 127kB)

Topics covered:

  • Portfolio Fee (Assessment Fee
  • Individual Evaluation Fee (IEF)
  • Degree Program Amendment Fee
  • Sources of Information

Supporting Materials

Supporting Materials, Section A: How to Identify Prior College-Level Learning (PDF 130kB)

Topics covered:

  • General Guidelines for Identifying Creditable Learning
  • Case Studies

Supporting Materials, Section B: Sample Degree Programs (PDF 240kB)

Supporting Materials, Section C: Area of Study and Concentration Guidelines (PDF 329kB)

Topics covered:

  • Introduction to the Area of Study Guidelines
  • Area of Study Guidelines – the Arts
  • Area of Study Guidelines – Business, Management and Economics
  • Area of Study Guidelines – Community and Human Services
  • Area of Study Guidelines – Cultural Studies
  • Area of Study Guidelines – Educational Studies
  • Area of Study Guidelines – Historical Studies
  • Area of Study Guidelines – Human Development
  • Area of Study Guidelines – Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Area of Study Guidelines – Labor Studies
  • Area of Study Guidelines – Nursing
  • Area of Study Guidelines – Science, Mathematics and Technology
  • Area of Study Guidelines – Social Theory, Social Structure and Change

Supporting Materials, Section D: Writing Your Degree Program Rationale (PDF 154kB)

Topics covered:

  • Preparing the Rationale
  • Goals
  • Academic Choices and Professional Expectations
  • Foundation Skills
  • Concentration
  • Progression/Integration/Breadth
  • General Learning
  • Advanced Standing/Prior Learning
  • Empire State College Studies
  • Researching Your Program
  • Writing the Rationale
  • Sample Sections From Student Rationales
  • General Learning/General Education
  • Advanced Standing/Prior Learning
  • Completing the Rationale Essay

Supporting Materials, Section E: Procedure for Obtaining Official Military Documents (PDF 132kB)

Topics covered:

  • Army
  • Navy/Marine
  • Coast Guard
  • Air Force

Supporting Materials, Section F: Policies On Degree Programs and Academic Review (PDF 244kB)

Topics covered:

  • Advanced Standing: Policies and Procedures That Govern the Assessment of Prior Learning
  • The Assessment Process
  • Policy and Procedures for Degree Program and Portfolio Review and Approval
  • Policy On Educational Planning Studies
  • Individual Prior Learning Assessment Policy and Procedures
  • Degree Program Rationale
  • Individualized Program Design: Bachelor’s Degrees
  • Degree Designations
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences and Advanced Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Concentration Titles
  • The Concentration
  • Individualized Program Design: Associate Degrees
  • Second Bachelor’s Degree
  • Graduation Clearance Policy

Supporting Materials, Section G: Empire State College “Generic” Evaluations (PDF 117kB)

Topics covered:

  • Training Activities and Apprenticeships
  • Licenses and Certificates
  • License/Certificate/Trainings That Were Formerly Evaluated for Credit

Supporting Materials, Section H (PDF 461kB)

Topics covered:

  • DP Planner Quick Guide (PDF; 250 KB)
  • PLA Planner Student Quick Guide (PDF; 57 KB)
  • Teacher Certification Disclaimer (PDF; 59 KB)
  • Accounting Certification Disclaimer (PDF; 34 KB)

Appendix A: Document Annotations (PDF 114kB)

Appendix B: SUNY/CUNY Source Titles (PDF 111kB)

Appendix C: Generic Source Titles (PDF 181kB)

Degree Planning Guide Glossary (PDF 123kB)

Index (PDF 112kB)