Why Plan?

ESC's philosophy hinges on individualized education, education that's meaningful to you as a learner, in both personal and larger contexts:

• What interests you as a learner?  What are your life and learning goals?
• What skills and knowledge do you want/need to develop, and what do you already know? 
• What does being college-educated mean? What do you think all people with college degrees should know?
• What are the important academic/professional concepts and issues in your field?
• What academic learning can carry over and help you in your workplace?

These are the types of questions you'll consider both individually and in discussion with your mentor as you plan your degree.

A degree plan is your individualized list of courses. Because Empire State College is designed for adult learners who often come with prior credit and pieces of their degrees already done, the college does not generally offer standardized degree programs. As an adult, you come to your learning with rich experience. We respect the experience you've gained, we respect your learning goals, and we want to honor your experience and goals by offering an individualized degree.

Of course, that doesn't mean that you can do just anything at all in your degree. A degree, by its nature, has a certain structure and development. There are college guidelines for degrees in different areas of study, and there are State University of New York General Education Requirements. The point is that different students address these educational expectations in different ways.  If you're in a field that doesn't allow for much variation (e.g., many accounting and business administration degrees don't vary much from college to college around the country), you still have some choice of courses, and choice in how you meet expectations for your degree.  Your individualized planning may focus more on doing research and planning for your future learning or career.

Overall, in the planning process, you identify your personal, educational, and professional interests and goals, and consider them along with ESC guidelines, SUNY requirements, and other academic and professional  professional expectations.