Overview of Alfred State College Individual Studies AS - Online

The Individual Studies AS from Alfred State allows you to explore majors, career options, and futures. The broad-based degree prepares students for transfer into four-year programs at various colleges and universities. Individual studies degree programs are ones that can be tailored to fulfill a career goal that cannot be met by traditional program offerings and allow students to use credits they may have already earned at another institution.

As an individual studies major you:

• Build on what you have learned and want to learn to build your own course of study
• Take courses in a variety of different subjects 
• Transfer credits from one or many schools to apply toward your associate degree
• Work with an advisor to build a degree that allows you to focus on your academic, personal, and career interests

Students with a 2-year individual studies major work closely with an advisor to prepare for transfer into bachelor's degrees that take them into a variety of careers such as nonprofit, communications, business, entrepreneurship, healthcare management, human services, and more. Students can transfer easily into a four-year degree completion program as a junior because of their work with the advisor to take classes for specific degrees and completion of all SUNY general education requirements.

Coursework in the individual studies program at Alfred State is offered in 4- to 7-week sessions to help you better focus on each course. Summer and winter sessions are offered so you can finish faster. Courses at Alfred State College are developed and taught by faculty with industry experience. Faculty create assignments that challenge you to connect the course content with the real experiences in the field. Opportunities are built into the AS degree to help students make connections with industry professionals. An individual studies degree gives students the unique ability to sample or select courses from different fields and provides excellent preparation for transfer or tailoring to specific career goals. While pursuing the degree online, faculty and advisors are available to meet virtually or via phone to help students be successful.

Students work closely with an advisor to take courses and customize their curriculum.

• Individual studies students take SUNY general education courses.
• A career exploration course allows students to begin to carve out an education and career path.
• Students take career-area electives.
• After 15 credits, students should begin to understand what they want to study and where they want to transfer.
• After deciding on a transfer plan, students customize their degree to meet transfer requirements to a bachelor's degree program.

What can you do with a degree in individual studies?

Students with individual studies degrees have more options than most, especially if they are using old credits or work experience, because they build their own degree path. With a degree in individualized studies, you can:

• Transfer into a bachelor's degree program as a junior because of the targeted work with the advisor to take classes for specific degrees.
• Transfer to a bachelor's degree in individual studies or general studies.
• Customize a degree path based on old credits and future plans.
• Take career-focused classes.
• Get credit for classes you have taken over the years and want to combine into a degree.

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