Newswise — The first five students who reside outside of New York State are eligible for in-state tuition rates, after they apply and are accepted into the adult education graduate program at SUNY Buffalo State. The program can be completed online.

Out-of-state graduate tuition is $841 per credit hour, or $10,095 per semester for full-time students; tuition for New York State residents is $432 per credit hour, or $5,185 per semester for full-time students (final approval of tuition rates is pending). The special offer is extended to students residing outside of New York State who take at least six credits per semester. It is open to Canadian residents.

“Our on-line program has been received very well by our graduates,” said Kevin Railey, dean of the Graduate School at SUNY Buffalo State. “We want to make students from outside New York aware of it.”

Graduates of the program work as corporate trainers, educators at not-for-profit organizations, and in many other capacities teaching adult learners. Ba Zan Lin, for example, is the Public Health and Environmental Justice Education Coordinator at Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper. He said, “Teaching adults is totally different than teaching children. Adults have a sense of dignity or pride that can make it difficult to teach them without first demonstrating why the information is important. The adult education program arms me with a great deal of adult education methods and learning theories.”

Alumni praise both the faculty and the interaction among students in online learning communities. “Dr. Birden [professor and department chair] taught me the power of relationships with learners—relationships built on trust, respect, listening, and expectancy,” said David Merlo, ’06, assistant professor of occupational therapy at Erie Community College.

“… I gained more insight in online courses than in a classroom setting,” said Lisa Powell Fortna, ’11. “Expectations were set that required all learners to participate in discussions and online activities, so instead of hearing from a few vocal participants in a live setting, there were more opinions and experiences shared in the online community, deepening the overall course experience."

Interested students are invited to learn more about this special opportunity.

MEDIA CONTACT
Register for reporter access to contact details