At Excelsior College, your knowledge – and your experience – counts.
Excelsior, an online, accredited, not-for-profit online college, focuses on helping adults complete their degrees and advance their careers. Excelsior values what students have already accomplished at other educational institutions, on the job, or in the military, and awards credit for these experiences. By starting with more credit, students save money and earn their degrees sooner than they might expect.
Recently, the College announced a partnership with the U.S. First Responders Association to offer tuition discounts and other benefits to its members and their spouses or domestic partners. Through this partnership, students can receive up to 20 percent off tuition rates.
Excelsior offers more than 40 online degree programs, including options at the associate, bachelor’s, and master’s levels. Of particular interest to those in law enforcement and public service, the College offers programs in criminal justice, cybersecurity, homeland security and emergency management, national security, liberal arts, business, and public administration.
As part of the admissions process, admissions counselors and trained evaluators review any previous college credit, workplace training, and professional certifications an applicant has earned or completed. Excelsior has already evaluated training from some police academies and other criminal justice training for college credit that can be applied to a degree program. As a result, applicants learn upfront how close they are to earning a degree.
Guillermo Rincon, a police officer in New York, received 32 credits from his criminal justice training and Excelsior also accepted credit he earned at another college. This put him more than a quarter of the way to his bachelor’s degree in liberal arts, and it also put him in line for a promotion “And then when you combine it,” says Rincon, “I had enough to make lieutenant.”
Learning That Makes an Impact
Excelsior’s degree programs give students knowledge and skills they can apply right away.
Nearly 75 percent of students work full-time, and nearly all the College’s courses are taught by practitioners experienced in the area they teach. In the criminal justice programs, for example, instructors have experience working within city, state, and federal agencies.
“Our courses are taught by para-academics who bring vast experience from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the New York Police Department, and other notable agencies who have leveraged their education and love teaching as a way of giving back and preparing the next generation,” says Gretchen Schmidt, the faculty program director of the criminal justice programs.
To keep up with the career-relevant coursework, students can fit their studies around work and their personal responsibilities. They can choose from 8- or 15-week courses and/or studying independently for credit by exam so they can pursue their degrees at a pace and in a way that fits their lives. In addition, students immediately become part of a community of encouraging and experienced instructors, supportive and knowledgeable academic advisors, and motivated peers. Designated academic advisors help students determine the right path to achieving their academic and professional goals and provide support every step of the way to degree completion. Learning resources and support services complete this focus on helping students succeed.
For more information about Excelsior’s partnership with U.S. First Responders Association, visit our partner page or contact Dante Prinzo by phone at 518-250-8426 or by email to dprinzo@excelsior.edu.
