Learning While Earning
SUNY Ulster Helps Adult Students Meet New Career Goals
SUNY Ulster has a long track record of offering residents programs and courses that meet regional and global marketplace demands. While every career has an educational pathway, different careers require differing levels of education. So, while some might require an associate degree, for others, an industry-recognized credential or certificate is ample for gaining entry to in-demand fields. SUNY Ulster’s goal is to provide adults with the knowledge base to land jobs with more than just sustainable wages.
Associate Degree, Certificate, or Credential
At SUNY Ulster, students will find career-specific programs and courses in both credit and noncredit offerings. While most of these programs are designed to get students into a new career as quickly as possible, a few such as Nursing and Veterinary Technology are quite rigorous.
Some of SUNY Ulster’s most popular adult student career programs include:
• Advanced Manufacturing
• Business and Entrepreneurship
• CASAC – Credentialed Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Counselor Training
• Clean Energy
• Computer Game Design
• Entrepreneurship Certificate
• Human Services
• Industrial Technology: Manufacturing Technology
• Mobile Application Developer
• Web Application Developer
As an example, the Hudson Valley is home to many manufacturing companies looking for skilled workers. Post-secondary certificates or associate degrees are the common level of education needed to enter this field. And, the median annual wage for manufacturing production technicians was $61, 269 in 2015. While entry-level wages are often lower than the median, this is a field in which there are approximately 250 jobs available right now in the Hudson Valley.
A graduate of the Advance Manufacturing program recently said, “Going into this program will take your time and effort, but when you find yourself coming home at the end of the day satisfied with your day job, it’s worth the time. I’ve been working two years now and I don’t regret it for a moment.
Helping Adult Students Balance Learning & Life
Most adult students struggle to find a way to make college fit in with job and life’s obligations. SUNY Ulster offers daytime, evening, weekend, and online classes to help students accomplish their educational goals. We offer several different start dates to help students get going and some students can shorten their time to degree attainment with credits for prior learning. Our Children’s Center offers daycare for parents.
Audrey Pottinger, a 2016 alumna, who graduated with a business degree relates, “As a busy working professional, I’ve benefitted from SUNY Ulster’s flexible scheduling and variety of class types. I took advantage of day and evening classes, as well as on-campus, online, and blended classes. The ability to choose courses that fit my schedule was invaluable.”
For convenience, classes are taught at both our Stone Ridge campus and our newer Kingston Center. Admissions representatives are available at both locations as well.
Community colleges have historically been a gateway to opportunity. Many adults want to further their education in order to change careers, qualify for a promotion, add a credential to validate their experience in the field, or to set an example for their children. No matter the goal, SUNY Ulster stands ready to help adult students improve their lives by improving their job opportunities.