SUNY Empire State University Reviews of Bachelor's in Human Services

Some instructors slow to post grades, and feedback. Constant outtages, and technology issues. I was going off to grad school, and was on a time constraint- was told by Empire administration to request grades early so that I would not be dropped, some of them refused saying they felt that they were doing me a favor. Meanwhile I was constantly bombarded by emails threatening to drop me from my graduate program. I experienced a number of personal/ professional setbacks while attending ESC, and the term... Read More was the longest I had ever experienced. I got good grades, but if I had to do it again, I would not! Grading is uneven. Instructors grade when they feel like it. Instructors may not respond to your email. Some fees go up each term.

SUNY Empire State College is an excellent school. I highly recommend attending this institution for a number of reasons. I returned to finish my college degree and obtain my bachelor's in psychology. I found the enrollment process is easy as well as the application requirements were simple. I received an acceptance letter within the month of applying, which I did not have the anxiety of waiting months for a response. The school offers great support for new or returning students. For instance, SUNY... Read More provides a tutorial on how to use their platform and database, and for those students that will need a refresher, the tutorial is always available. For any changes to the platform, tutorials or FAQ's are available for guidance. The school's platform is also easy to use for everyone, including those that find technology challenging. I highly recommend the long distance option for busy adults that do not have time to sit in a classroom. Each course is flexible and does not require a specific login time. In addition, an academic advisor is provided for all students to assist in the transition to your new academic career. This is enforced with monthly meetings via phone, email, or Skype. This individual can assist with any obstacles with course selection and degree requirements for graduation. Moreover, the school offers academic coaches and tutors for students that need additional assistance. The professors are friendly and available for questions. My professors wrote my reference letters for graduate school and offered graduate school advice! Students are able to learn from the platform and benefit from the support despite the long distance program option.

If you are new to online learning than it will take some time to adjust. I have had an overall, very good experience through Empire, and I would recommend it with some caveats. If you are expecting to be taught by instructors, you will be by enlarge disappointed. Although, some are engaged in the course work and require regular contact through out the semester to go over your papers, they are the exception rather than the rule. Furthermore, there are different platforms of learning for the same classes,... Read More e.g. independent study, and Module classrooms. The CDL, or module courses are more challenging with more stringent deadlines. Therefore, depending on your goals, I would recommend taking and independent study courses, same text, same material, same credit, less challenging.. The take away is this, if you have some discipline, are mature, responsible, and can learn without instruction you will do well. However, if you need constant feedback, and need to be told what to do, then online learning is not for you. If you stay in contact with your mentor, professors, and do the work, they are very accommodating and fair. My experience can be summarized along this format, you get the course syllabus online, you have the instructors telephone number and email, you purchase the assigned texts, read the chapters, do the projects or assignments, and submit the papers. THAT'S IT! No multiple choice exams, just reading, writing and meeting with your professor via telephone or email, 3 or 4 times a semester.. It's challenging, but very doable.. Again, I highly recommend it. I have become a much better writer and communicator as a result. In addition, if your a NYS resident, and have prior learning credits, you won't find a less expensive way to get a quality accredited degree from a State University .. PS. Purchase your books on Amazon, for a fraction of the price, don't fall for the bookstore inflated price rip off!!!

I loved attending SUNY Empire State College. I enjoyed the flexibility of being able to move around while attending college, as well as the opportunity to design my degree plan to my specific interests. They offered fair out-of-state tuition rates, and grants to help make getting a degree more affordable. My only qualm with SUNY ESC is the knowledge of the staff-mentors. My mentor was great, but she didn't really have a lot of answers, and was hard to get ahold of. They should have mentors that are... Read More JUST mentors, rather than teachers with a billion other things to do.