SUNY Viewbook 2011 - 25

Arts? Business? Education? Sciences? Not Sure? There’s a SUNY for that!
SUNY offers thousands of undergraduate academic programs to choose from, so you can feel comfortable choosing a major in an area you are already familiar with and would like to pursue further—like English or history or biology. Or choose a program in a whole new subject you haven’t tried but would like to explore—perhaps computer engineering, environmental studies, finance, or philosophy. Keep in mind, many SUNY applicants choose “undeclared” as an accurate reflection of their academic interests. We have staff and faculty to assist students through the exploration and process of determining an academic major.

The State University of New York offers three types of undergraduate degree and certificate programs. Many students start and
complete one of the options below. Others start and finish one degree and move on to another degree program. Certificate programs consist of courses, typically offered through Community Colleges, that lead directly to employment after a one-year program of study. Associate degree programs (including AAS, AS, AA, AOS), which usually take two years of study, prepare students for employment or for transfer (most often AA or AS degree options) into a bachelor's program at a four-year campus. Associate degrees are offered at Community Colleges and some of the Technology Colleges. Bachelor's degree programs (including BS, BA, BTech, BBA, BFA) are synonymous with “college degrees.” You receive a bachelor's degree when you complete your undergraduate studies, typically requiring a four-year, full-time collegiate experience. University Centers and Doctoral Degree Granting Institutions, University Colleges and the Technology Colleges offer bachelor's degrees.

Whether you search online or on paper, here are tips for a successful program search:
The curricula represented include undergraduate degree programs (majors) only. In addition, most campuses offer concentrations, minors, or other groupings of courses that could provide an excellent match for your interests. Every campus has talented and supportive staff and faculty to assist you as you search for a match between your interests and strengths and an academic degree program. Check out a few listings or academic program categories. For example, there is a wide variety of business (business administration, management, marketing, finance, etc.), engineering and arts disciplines. There may be similarities as well as differences from one curriculum heading to the next. Study in the liberal arts and sciences provides a rich foundation in the arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences. Students may transfer successfully to a bachelor’s degree program in any discipline with appropriate advisement. Whatever program you choose, know that many students change their minds once in college. Remain open to the ideas, courses, and people you’ll find in college that may impact your choice of a major. Neither pre-law nor pre-medicine is a major program of study. If you would like to attend law school or medical school, a host of options are available to you as an undergraduate. Law schools routinely accept students with degrees in the humanities and social sciences. Medical schools routinely accept students with degrees in the natural sciences. This is not to say you must major in one of these areas. You should consult with your academic advisor to determine your best course of study.
THERE’S A SUNY FOR THAT

Search Online for an Academic Program: www.suny.edu/ academicprograms

There are two ways to search for SUNY undergraduate academic programs:
Online www.suny.edu/academicprograms Updated throughout the year as new academic programs are added. Search by program or campus. Paper In this Viewbook. Use the curriculum index on pages 26 and 27 to find program categories and the page numbers where you’ll find listings of the specific academic programs and the campuses that offer them.

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http://www.suny.edu/academicprograms http://www.suny.edu/academicprograms

SUNY Viewbook 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SUNY Viewbook 2011