Degrees and Programs

Explore your options.

SUNY Empire State College, a regionally accredited college of the State University of New York, offers:

Associate and bachelor’s degree students can choose from 12 broad areas of study and numerous individualized academic concentrations available to undergraduates.
Individuals already holding an RN can pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Students can study online through the Center for Distance Learning, in small groups at 35 locations across New York state, independently and in residencies.
Faculty mentors work with each student from registration through graduation to help develop a unique degree plan that supports individual needs and goals.

The School for Graduate Studies offers nine master’s degree programs and twelve graduate certificates meeting a wide range of professional and personal interests and goals.
Graduate studies are delivered globally online through the School for Graduate Studies and through residencies that facilitate networking with fellow students and faculty and extend the learning experience.
Faculty mentors work with each student from registration through graduation as they complete their degree programs.

Nondegree students at Empire State College can enroll in individual courses, for credit, for professional advancement or personal fulfillment.
Nondegree students have access to the same range of courses and meet the same rigorous academic standards as matriculated students
If approved, the work done as a nondegree student may be applied later toward a degree, if admissions requirements to a master's program are met
Nondegree students may be preparing for college-level study, earning credit toward a degree at another college or university, improving current skills, expanding their knowledge base, changing careers or assuming new job responsibilities.

Empire State College has formal collaborative partnerships with corporations and businesses, community-based organizations, labor unions, community colleges, other college institutions, government agencies and professional associations that provide academic opportunities for their members or employees that lead to a State University of New York degree.
The partnership programs take into consideration college-level learning in training and certification students may have earned in other academic or work settings.

The Center for International Programs offers English-language, classroom-based education leading to a SUNY degree for students on campuses in Athens, Greece; Thessaloniki, Greece; Beirut, Lebanon; Prague, Czech Republic; Tirana, Albania; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; and Panama City, Panama.
International programs draw on faculty expertise from local faculty at each location, as well as from across Empire State College and other institutions.
Students work with faculty mentors from registration through graduation to complete their degree programs.
Primarily serving undergraduate students, this multi-site center offers elements of online and classroom-based learning and short residencies, depending on the specific program.
International programs fulfill the college’s mission to provide education beyond traditional borders to individuals with limited access to opportunities to study.

The Center for Distance Learning is a flexible, convenient option for students earning associate, bachelor's and master's degrees. Full- or part-time study is allowed. State University of New York diplomas are granted for distance-learning degrees.
Distance-learning courses require no classroom attendance and are structured to enable students to study on their own while receiving regular guidance and support from faculty course instructors and interacting with peers.
Students are assigned a mentor at registration who will work with them through graduation to design and complete a degree program. Students and mentors communicate through email, phone, mail or fax.
Courses are delivered at a distance in web-based formats. Assignments, including research papers, tests and projects, will be submitted electronically to the course instructor.

The Office of Veteran and Military Education is a single-point-of-contact resource for service members in all branches of the U.S. armed forces and veterans, and their family members, dedicated to ensuring that active-duty and former military personnel have access to a college-level education.
Through the college’s 35 locations and Center for Distance Learning, service members can have access to courses wherever they are stationed, as long as they have access to the Internet.
A special tuition and fee structure applies to military and veteran students, allowing in-state tuition, wherever they are living or stationed, and the waiver of most fees. Information about the Post-911 GI Bill and related benefits is available through OVME.
OVME staff is available to work with military and veteran students and their families at many of the college’s New York state locations and at military bases.
College-level training and certification documented in the military transcript is eligible to be considered for college-level credit in a degree program.
College faculty and staff receive special training to work with the special needs of military and veteran students.
Withdrawal from courses with no penalty is possible for deployed active-duty military.