SUNY at Albany Reviews

"The program was very large and impersonal. I did not feel that I accessed the full amount of resources that may have been available to me. My class sizes were very large and frequently based on a power point, which was posted online prior to class. Minimal engagement with the professors occurred. My "advisor" was a grad student who met with me two months before graduation."

"I attend SUNY Albany for three years and was enrolled in the BA/MA program for English Literature my senior year. This program was phenomenal. I was able to complete my BA while also be enrolled and active in MA classes. This not only established me as a student but it also gave me a great connection with other faculty. Being in this program is very worthwhile. This gives students the opportunity to learn and apply what is being learned in their graduate courses to their undergraduate courses. This is something that helped me through my undergraduate courses. While I was enrolled in my first semester as a BA/MA student, I was also a TA in an undergraduate class and I was able to use some of the things I learned to help me develop ideas for lessons and also I was able to experience how it would feel to actually do what I want to spend the rest of my life doing. This position and graduate course made it clear that i want to spend the rest of my life educating undergraduate students. Yes; because they are adults it is easier to teach them but also because their minds and fresh and ready to be filled with knowledge and I, as a professor will be able to enhance and sculpt the future minds of the world. One of the cons is that this BA/MA program was one that was not advertised nor does it help that many say English is a dying subject. I feel if more students knew about it they will be excited to not only join the program but experience what I was able to, in terms of teaching and sculpting that minds of our youth."

"This is a very caring and close-knit program. The faculty and staff go above and beyond to make the program the best it can be for each individual student. However, they do not provide assistantships for masters students making student loans or outside scholarships the only choice."

"The pros for the graduate program are as follows: The faculty are very interested in the student and always ensure that the student understands the material. The faculty holds a standard in the classroom setting. Every week there are presentations from faculty and scientists in the industry that the students are encouraged to attend. The cons for the graduate program are as follows: The student must be very independent. There is little help from the advising department. The financial aid department is also very unhelpful."

"Being located in the capital of the state, University at Albany provides access to very important policy issues as well as various government agencies involved in planning. The Master's of Urban and Regional Planning (MRP) program enjoys a robust network of graduates in the area who remain involved and are a great connection."

"My rating may be affective negatively because I was a commuter student. The Public History program itself, I feel, was ill equipped to prepare its students to succeed in a post-graduate career. The head of the program , at the time I was enrolled, was difficult to schedule advisement times that fit in with my full-time work schedule. At times the program felt very disorganized. In terms of academics, I believe all of my professors were well-prepared. They were challenging, yet always available when they were needed."

"Do not go here! The curriculum is severely outdated, staff and faculty are rude and unhelpful. Furthermore the town of Albany is extremely dangerous! This was the worst mistake of my life."

"The location in the state capital allows for many networking and internship opportunities. The program is currently going through some changes and hiring new professors who are just getting their footing."

"University at Albany, Graduate School of Social Welfare provides a high quality education at an affordable tuition price and prepares students for the competitive job market. The school does a good job of recognizing diversity and inclusiveness."

"Pros: The School Psychology Program at the University of Albany is competitive during the application and acceptance program but I have found that when enrolled in classes there is a sense of community and students work together to succeed. My professors in my major have been very knowledge, challenging, and always provide opportunities for students to grow as future professionals. There is a heavy workload in this program when compared to my undergraduate studies ( Childhood Education). I think this is a positive because it is teaching time management, how to prioritize and multi-task which will be useful in the field. UAlbany students have access to on-campus bus service as well as free admission on CDTA buses that travel all around the capital district. UAlbany is located in the middle of a semi-metropolitan area with malls, movies, restaurants, and bars all a quick bus or car ride away. The student body at UAlbany is diverse and has many international students but my program specifically is not very diverse. Cons: There have been recent incidents on campus of violence and theft, which is why I gave the school a mediocre rating for safety. Also, there is not on-campus housing available for graduate students so many graduate students live in the city of Albany, which can be unsafe if you are not familiar with city living or the area. The advisor I currently have is very busy with research and other responsibilities and it is difficult for her to truly provide guidance. I have attempted to contact her with questions, but have not gotten a response. My other professors provide more career support for me than my advisor. There is not a bilingual certification option for my major which is a issue because it does not allow students graduating for UAlbany as School Psychologists to be prepared for the diverse student population they will be serving. Finally, I was not able to receive financial aid for my graduate studies and there were no scholarship opportunities provided by this University for the School Psychology Program."

"The school of social welfare at the University at Albany is a great program that prepares their students for success in whatever career choice they embark upon. The program pushes you to your greatest potential. There is no opportunity to slack off. You will build great contacts as well as have a good support system during your years at the University as well as the years after graduation."

"Great value for graduate education. I feel that the education provided by the institution match and may even exceed that of more expensive universities. My program prepares me for working in my chosen field upon graduation."

"SUNY Albany is a vast university and it is sure everyone will get lost in the campus at least once. I would highly recommend you ti vista the campus before you decide to attend the school. It will really help you start the year easily. Another tip is to be friendly your first year because everyone is judging to find a friend and if you come off, dull nobody will talk to you. Honestly everyone is off with their own group of friends as the year take off. If you are introvert, try finding a friend of your own race and from there one friend will introduce you to bunch. Eventually you will meet a lot of people and hopefully will find your clique. With less on the social aspect, the academics are considered real serious stuffs. There are hardworking students & on the other hand there are complete opposite. Most of the students on campus have classes in Lecture centre. And guess what, Lecture centers are no joke. It a huge movie theatre size classroom. Theres so many students and you will be shocked at how many students can fit. You will really need to pay attention to the professors. Please please, read your syllabus. This is where you will find all the materials for your classes. Don't worry, there are two libraries on campus. The main library is open to 3am everyday and 24 hours on final days. let me tell you, if you want to get to get your homework's or readind done, you should study by yourself. Having friends will only be a major distraction. But if you take really hard classes, I am telling you to have study buddy. I promise you, they will save your time and life! On the serious note, majority of the college students are only looking for one night stand and i don't recommend partying every weekend. You should have fun, but go with friends that will not let you do crazy things. Otherwise you will regret everything. Hope you got an inside view of an ualbany student life. For more scoop, just ask me any question below. thanks."

"This graduate program here is great! The faculty and staff are very helpful and they challenge me to be my best. The only thing that I would like to see be different is the number of classes offered. There are not many options for classes... for example if I have to choose a mandatory 4 classes, I only have 6 classes to choose from."

"My graduate program is very intensive. I believe that it challenges me to be a better student. Some times I think the work can be too intense because there is a lot of it. I also wish that there were more choices of classes to take. For example say I needed 4 classes, I would only have 6 to choose from. The faculty, however, it very responsive and they try to help their students as much as they can."

"This program has great job placement rates and an incredible reputation throughout the region and the country. Most professors genuinely care for the quality of their classes and the future of their students. The only cons so far have been a couple of adjuncts with little teaching experience."

"The university has good technical facilities. There are not enough assisstantship position in my department."

"This program has a great reputation and is quite unique in what it offers. Most of the professors are fantastic,professional and show interest in students and the quality of the program. There are a few loose cannons who have brought down morale a bit. Biggest complaint is that there doesn't seem to be much regard for student's interest in scheduling of classes, which limits internship opportunities and makes for a great challenge for commuters."

"This graduate program is very focused on developing professionals with real-life skills and great experience. It's located in an area with many opportunities. The faculty (in my experience) are engage and invested in making the experience useful and helpful for all students. Overall, I think it's a really incredible program."

"The classes are engaging and the workload seems appropriate. However some professors are difficult to get a hold of and the registration system is very convoluted."