Business, Management and Economics, Concentration in Business Administration Reviews

Positive Overall

By: Anonymous (Graduate) on November 15, 2009

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I began my studies at ESC CDL in 2003 and completed in 2007.  My decision to attend ESC was driven by its value and the flexibility it offered me as a working parent.  I was generally pleased with the fact that many transfer credits from other NYS-based institutions were accepted, and I was granted 16 experiencial credits.  ESC's determination of my advanced standing was done in a way that conveyed to me academic integrity.  Prior courses needed to be relevant to my program, and I had to prove college-level learning for the experiencial credits through written and verbal means.   

My mentor was wonderfully supportive and responded quickly to my questions and concerns.  Like others who have posted here, my experience with the instructors was mixed: some were excellent, engaged, and challenged students while others were MIA throughout the entire course duration.  The fact that we were asked to rate instructors BEFORE the end of the term led me to be less truthful than I would have been once grades were issued.  I had very few technology issues over the years, and I found the admin staff helpful.

I, personally, would highly recommend ESC with the same reasonable cautions that others here have given.  Without access to ESC's on-line environment, I likely would not have completed my degree. Now, I am seriously considering returning to ESC or another SUNY school for a graduate degree and would much prefer another on-line program or a hybrid for the benefit of some professional networking.

All this said, my husband - also a recent ESC graduate - had a frustrating experience due, primarily, to an unresponsive mentor and administrative delays. Hence, he is unwilling to recommend ESC.

ESC is a Great for a Busy Lifestyle!

By: thompki (Graduate) on June 19, 2009

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I started taking online courses through University of Phoenix for two semesters and I realized that I wasn't getting what I wanted, so I started with Empire State with the CDL courses. 

I just graduated in June 2009 and I am so pleased with the education I have earned at ESC! I am a working professional with a busy family and ESC fit right into my busy life. I was able to earn credits for my life experiences, so my degree plan waa efficient. Now I'm starting the MBA program in September and I can't wait! 

As with anything, you get out of it what you put into it. I had one instructor in particular that was non-existant throughout, but the rest were all very supportive. 

My future goal is to continuing on with ESC as an online instructor so I can still continue my career, while supplimenting my income and building another career opportunity!

I LOVE ESC!

Great Program

By: boydrl7877 (In Progress) on May 6, 2009

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I am very happy with my experience at ESC. If you are looking for a great online education at a reasonable price ESC is the way to go. No need to worry about its credibility since it is backed by SUNY. Most of the professors are great, some are involved more than others. I received my AA degree from a different online college and can tell you that ESC is dedicated to their online students. And its nice to have the opportunity to create your own degree plan.

Great Experience

By: ephamby (Graduate) on March 2, 2008

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I came across this site while searching for a college to pursue my MBA and after reading the first comment here I felt compelled to add my experiences with ESC. First, the site was rarely unavailable, and was announced if it was to become so.

Second, most of the professors I had were of a high caliber and their critiques were generally given in an acceptable time-frame. I had a problem with a couple professors but I know that is par for the course, just another learning lesson. 

I thought the courses were quite rigorous and were graded fairly. The text books were excellent and usually the latest versions, which I liked. Bottom line is that I know that I learned what was needed in order to acquire a BS in Business Administration and get out in the business world and succeed, because I am doing just that.

I personally do not think you could go wrong choosing ESC for your degree.

Good Luck!

A good program

By: czubad (In Progress) on October 3, 2007

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SUNY at Empire State College (ESC) is run by its Center for Distance Learning in Saratoga Springs, NY. SUNY, founded in 1784, has dozens of schools in its system. Empire State's charter came in 1971.

As a requirement, you must take a 2 credit Degree Planning course which helps pull prior credit together into your program. Even with an assigned mentor, that initial experience could be overwhelming for first-time online students. My advice: READ the undergraduate catalog.

This was not my first online learning experience. That prize goes to University of Phoenix Online. In August 2004, I took one class with UoP, which was delivered through MS Outlook Newsgroups. It wasn't user-friendly, and the discussion threads were kludgy. ESC delivers its content through its ANGEL portal, which can be user-modified. In fact, I've been through a transition from the Student Learning Network to ANGEL. Although SLN had its deficiencies similar to the thread problem, ANGEL is still slow and sometimes buggy. But their tech support is sharp. The format is the same for all courses, but the content is controlled by the instructor.

I would say the ESC courses are rigorous. The texts are top-shelf: Paul Krugman for Economics, Twomey & Jennings for Business Law, Peter Stearns for History. The professors are average. You have, of course, a choice of teacher when you register for class. Use RateYourProfessors.com to see which instructors are duds. On the whole, I've had responsive teachers, which is what counts in this environment.

You will do well if you complete writing assignments on time. Since you can never complete the readings (unless you speed-read), always go to the assignments first, then read what you must to answer the questions.

Multiple choice testing is sometimes performed at the end of each module. You could do the tests at any time, but stick with the program.

You have support through your mentor, your Student Government Association, fellow students, and teachers: so ask questions! Raise your hand! The financial Aid office is very responsive. The bookstore is fast, and you can defer payment in favor of pending grants or aid, but you can always get books cheaper through Half.com, Barnes & Noble, Amazon or The College Store. When your student aid refund comes, pay yourself back.

I intend on continuing my education through an online MBA program. When doing so, you apply to several schools, of course. My research was going along well, then I came across this website. I was applying to Grantham, but saw its review and decided "No thanks!" So this feedback is very useful. If you have high standards, these reviews will help you cull out the obviously poor choices. If you choose ESC, please rate your experience here. Good luck!

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