SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY

Undergraduate and Master of Social Science Degree Programs
Syracuse, New York

Founded in 1870, Syracuse University (SU) is a major private research university of 14,400 residential students and an additional 3,700 part-time adult students located in central New York State. Organized into twelve separate schools and colleges, each offering a variety of baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees, Syracuse has excellent research facilities, including sophisticated computer networks and a library containing more than 2.8 million volumes. Syracuse is one of the select group of American and Canadian universities chosen for membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities. Syracuse has a long-standing commitment to adult education. The University's innovative distance education degree programs are a form of nontraditional education in which Syracuse was a pioneer. Offered through five of the University's academic units, SU's distance programs comprise one of the three oldest external degree programs in the United States. The programs have been active since 1966 and reflect the University's response to the demands for creative educational techniques and programs in a constantly changing society.

Distance Learning Program

Syracuse's distance education degree programs have a limited-residency structure: they combine short periods of intensive on-site instruction with longer periods of home study, during which students and faculty members communicate online. There are currently about 1,000 adults actively enrolled in twelve different degree programs through distance education, approximately one sixth of whom are international students or Americans living abroad. Syracuse degrees earned through distance study are the same as those earned by traditional Syracuse students in comparable campus programs and have the same accreditation.

Programs of Study

University College offers two undergraduate programs and a master's program by means of the limited-residency distance education format. Undergraduate degrees include an Associate of Arts in liberal arts, a Bachelor of Arts in liberal studies, and a certificate and a Bachelor of Professional Studies in organizational leadership. The associate degree is 60 credits. The bachelor's degrees are 120-credit programs. The certificate is 15 credits.

The graduate degree is a 30-credit Master of Social Science (M.S.Sc.) with an international relations emphasis. It offers an interdisciplinary, international, and multicultural approach to complex global issues. An internationally renowned faculty teaches courses for the degree from Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

The degrees and the certificate are state and regionally accredited. Students may initially enroll on a nonmatriculated basis.

Special Programs

A number of online credit and non-credit courses are offered each semester. Detailed information on these is available at http://www.yesu.syr.edu/online.

Student Services

All distance education students are provided with free computer accounts and have access to the Syracuse University library and computer facilities. Online students have access to a help desk for technical problems. All dis tance students at Syracuse have access to a full range of online student services, including academic advising, financial aid, assistance, and registration.

Credit Options

The associate degree program accepts a maximum of 30 credits to be trans ferred from another postsecondary institution. The baccalaureate programs accept a maximum of 90 transfer credits, which may include 66 credits from a junior college. Transfer credit is granted for most courses in which a grade of C or better has been earned, provided courses are from an accred ited college and fit the degree require ments. For credit to be accepted from an international institution of higher learning, the institution must be a recognized third-level institution.

A maximum of 30 credits gained through testing may be applied toward an undergraduate degree program. DANTES, CLEP, and Syracuse advanced credit exams may be used for this purpose. However, credit awarded through testing does not count toward the minimum number of credits that must be taken at Syracuse in order to earn a degree. On the graduate level, there is no provision for experiential credit. However, 6 credits may be taken in transfer from other accredited graduate programs, with a grade of C or better.

Faculty

Distance courses are taught by full-time Syracuse University faculty members, who participate in the distance education programs in addition to their full-time campus responsibilities.

Admission

Candidates for admission to the certifi cate, associate, and baccalaureate pro grams should have a high school diploma or its equivalent. Transfer students must have at least a 2.0 (C) average for the liberal studies program. Graduate applicants whose primary language is a language other than English must also take the TOEFL.

Applicants for all programs must submit official transcripts of prior academic work, three letters of recommendation, and a personal statement that accompanies the application form.

Tuition and Fees

For 2006–07, the undergraduate tuition rate is $520 per credit, and the graduate rate is $940 per credit. Additional expenses for room and board during the on-site residences vary depending upon the choice of facility, and book charges average $150 per course.

Financial Aid

Distance education students who are U.S. citizens are eligible for all the standard federal grants and loans available to part-time students. Selective institutional aid is available; detailed information is available upon request. Syracuse University awards more than $100,000 to distance education students each year. International students (non-U.S. citizens) are not eligible for financial aid.

Applying

Applicants should request application materials from the address below. The programs admit students on a continuous basis, and students can begin in the fall, spring, or summer terms. In-person interviews are not required, although they can be arranged upon request.

CONTACT

Marketing Department
Syracuse University/University College
700 University Avenue
Syracuse, New York 13244-2530
Phone: 315-443-3480 800-442-0501 (toll-free, U.S. only)
Fax: 315-443-4174
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.yesu.syr.edu/distance