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DECEMBER 2005

Empire State SUNY:
Getting Your College Degree from Home

By Liza Young

Many of George Orwell’s 1948 predictions in 1984 have since become realities.  It is today possible through colleges, such as Empire State SUNY, to attain your Bachelor’s degree from the comfort of your home, within the framework of your schedule. We spoke with Laurie Lieberman, who recently graduated from Empire State College with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Services.

Lieberman, who currently works as Assistant Director of Clinical Services at a homeless shelter while pursuing a Master’s Degree in Public Administration at another online program at *Marist College, provided a comprehensive overview of her experience of attaining a Bachelor’s degree online.

Education Update (EU): How did you hear about the program?

Laurie Lieberman (LL): Through word of mouth at work from other colleagues who attended the program. At the time, I had been studying for my bachelor’s in a traditional college setting while working.

EU: How do the courses operate?

LL: You access the website of the program where the basic layout is; then you login to the virtual classroom. There is an area on the site for entering discussion rooms, or it’s possible to just post discussion topics and start an ongoing discussion. Week to week discussions change and you are required to post a minimum of twice a week, but they like to see it more lively than that. I logged on daily; you have to be self-disciplined if you want to successfully do online studies.                                                                                          

EU: What is the level of difficulty of the program?

LL: Initially my idea of online learning was that it was going to be easy, but as I went on I realized that it was going to be a lot of work. One of the requirements is that you create Degree Program Planner (DPP), where you have to develop a rationale essay which supports why the classes you are taking with SUNY and how you are learning corresponds to the Bachelor’s degree you are going for. You have to support that based on research from other schools. 

EU: How long did it take you to get that information together?

LL: It took a long time. When you begin the program you are assigned a mentor who walks you through the whole process, but you have to do a lot of research, looking at other school programs. You have to get the information together in a neat little package.  It has to make sense as it’s going before a committee that’s deciding whether the credits granted satisfy the requirements for the SUNY degree.  (I also think it was better to have had classroom experience at least partially. Finishing up my degree I didn’t think I would get that much out of it, but I was wrong. )

EU: What were the typical course requirements?

LL: There was at least the equivalent of three smaller papers, one midterm paper and one final project; some teachers required even more writing.

EU: How does the grading work?

LL: Originally SUNY did not provide letter grades, but just narratives at the end of the semester. Now they have changed that and they do provide equivalent grading systems and they also send you an evaluation of your work during that semester.

EU: Were the professors responsive in a timely manner to questions and concerns?

LL: Some were really efficient at responding to students’ needs and there were some that were a little more laid back, but that’s not unlike teachers in classrooms so for me it wasn’t a remarkable difference.

EU: What is the cost of the program?

LL: It’s the same essentially: SUNY tuition at SUNY rates.

EU: Would you recommend the program to others?

LL: Absolutely. SUNY Empire doesn’t sacrifice integrity and values; they set the bar as high as any other school, if not higher. I supervise a case of team managers and a lot of them are at the entry level in their careers, and as a firm believer in education I really encourage them to always pursue their degrees, if they want, and while there are classroom schools that also cater to returning adults, with regard to online learning, I highly recommend SUNY as a great undergraduate program.

EU: What is the best part of the program?

LL: Some people have always dreamed of earning a degree and somehow earlier in life maybe got caught up in their career and the dream was lost, and later in life they start thinking about the degree. For some people, especially as you get older, it’s harder to go back to school. Online learning affords the opportunity to realize dreams and fulfill your goals.#

For more information about Empire State College, log onto www.esc.edu

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