Who we are

Empire State College is one of the 64 Colleges of the State University of New York (SUNY). Our students receive their degrees from SUNY, even those who graduate from our international partnerships. Some examples of our partnerships are with the New York College Group, which has programs in Greece (www.nyc.gr), the University of New York in Prague (www.unyp.cz), the University of New York in Tirana, Albania (www.unyt.edu.al). We also have partnerships in the Middle East and Central America.

Although programs in Business Management and International Relations are, by far, our most popular ones, we also offer programs in other areas, including Graphic Design, Psychology, Educational Studies, Computer Science, etc.

How it all works

Students from the partner institution have two options. One is a COMBINED degree option and the other is a DUAL degree option. Experience has shown that students from such programs have a tremendous competitive edge in the job market. ALL our courses would be offered in English.

Combined Degree option

The two institutions agree on a set of courses that can be co-taught and cross registered and thus enable the students to graduate with a degree from each institution. In this option, there would be a small number of additional courses the students would have to take from us to meet certain specific requirements. While this option is generally very attractive for students, it may not be the easiest to administer or the most financially beneficial for the institutions.

Dual Degree option

In this option, the students also end up with TWO degrees. They can join our program as TRANSFER students, using some of their credits from IGUMO (or any other recognised institution). We usually require 2-3 years of College level study. We assess the transcript to determine how much credit they can transfer and, based on that, determine how many more credits they would need with us. Usually, we expect the students to take 40 credits with us (10 X 4-credit courses) but the absolute minimum is 32. They can usually complete these credits in 3 semesters (about 16 months). If allowing the students to join our program in the third year threatens their interest in continuing with the home institution, then their transfer could be delayed until they are, say, a year from completing their home degree.

At present, in our Prague program, we have students from Omsk State University, who come at the end of their 3rd year in Russia, complete our credits and get a SUNY degree and then go back to complete their Russian degree. That way, over the usual 5-year period, they end up with two degrees. This is a very popular option and also costs a fraction of what it would cost to come and study in the US.

Mode of delivery

US faculty come to Russia at the start of the semester and have face-to-face classes with students. Thereafter work continues online, with contact almost on a daily basis and classes can meet in virtual environments for about 8 weeks. US faculty return towards the end of the semester and complete tasks with students. In some cases, during the intervening 8-week period, we may use locally hired faculty as «facilitators» to help the students with their learning and some courses can also be designed for co-teaching.

Benefits to partner institutions

Opportunities for faculty development on both sides. The «host» institution receives a portion of the tuition revenue, usually between 25 and 35%, depending on what expenses the host institution is willing to absorb. (We pay for all faculty salaries, travel and personal expenses). ESC would also most likely equip a special learning Center at which students can get together in small groups or with local instructors and also access the Internet, etc.