Excelsior College is a private, non-profit institution of higher education

Higher education

Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...

 in Albany

Albany, New York

Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...

, New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

. It is a constituent member of The University of the State of New York

University of the State of New York

The University of the State of New York is the State of New York's governmental umbrella organization responsible for most institutions and people in any way connected with formal educational functions, public and private, in New York State...

, and has its own charter and Board of Trustees. Excelsior College offers degrees at the undergraduate and graduate level. The college comprises four schools: the School of Business and Technology, the School of Health Sciences, the School of Liberal Arts, the School of Nursing.

History

Excelsior College was founded in 1971 by the New York State Board of Regents

Board of Regents

In the United States, a board often governs public institutions of higher education, which include both state universities and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual colleges and universities, or both. In general they operate as...

 as its external degree program, known as The Regents External Degree Program. The initial development of the program was funded by major grants from the Ford Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation. From 1971 until 1998, Regents College operated as a program of the Board of Regents (which also served as its board of trustees) and under the authority of The University of the State of New York by which degrees and diplomas were awarded during that period. In April 1998, the Board of Regents granted the College an absolute charter to operate as a private, nonprofit, independent institution. On January 1, 2001, Regents College changed its name to Excelsior College. (Excelsior is Latin for "ever upward," and is the motto of New York State.) Today, Excelsior College has more than 30,000 students enrolled in a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Accreditation

Excelsior College is regionally accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation...

. Its nursing

Nursing

Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....

 programs are accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission. The School of Nursing has twice been designated a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nursing

National League for Nursing

The National League for Nursing is a national organization for faculty nurses and leaders in nurse education. It offers faculty development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to more than 25,000 individual and 1,200 education and...

. Its baccalaureate

Bachelor's degree

A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...

 degree programs in electronics engineering technology and nuclear engineering

Nuclear engineering

Nuclear engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of the breakdown as well as the fusion of atomic nuclei and/or the application of other sub-atomic physics, based on the principles of nuclear physics...

 technology are accredited by the Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET, Inc.

Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology

ABET, Inc., formerly the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, is a non-profit organization that accredits post-secondary education programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology...

The bachelor's degree programs in accounting (NYS CPA Track) and business are accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE). The Master of Arts in Liberal Studies

Master of Arts in Liberal Studies

The Master of Arts in Liberal Studies is a graduate degree that aims to provide both depth and breadth of study in the liberal arts. It is by nature an interdisciplinary program, generally pulling together coursework from a number of the humanities and social sciences...

 program has been accepted into full membership by the Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs (AGLSP).

Academics

Excelsior College is well-known for its flexible, non-resident degree programs.

Sources of college credit that can be used towards an Excelsior College degree program include Excelsior College distance learning courses, courses from other regionally-accredited institutions, college-level subject-matter examinations (including CLEP

College Level Examination Program

The College Level Examination Program is a group of standardized tests that assess college-level knowledge in several subject areas. Many colleges grant credit to students who meet their minimum qualifying score. Qualifying scores vary by school but are typically 50...

 exams, and DSST/DANTES exams), non-collegiate training (including corporate, governmental, and military training) that has been evaluated for college-level credit by the American Council on Education

American Council on Education

The American Council on Education is a United States organization, established in 1918, comprising over 1,800 accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities and higher education-related associations, organizations, and corporations....

 (ACE), and assessments of prior learning portfolios. Students enrolled as of September 1, 2010, can also earn credit if they take a GRE subject exam. Students who enroll after that date will not be eligible. Unlike most colleges, Excelsior College sets no limitations on the amount of allowable transfer credit.

Excelsior College also offers Excelsior College Examinations

Excelsior College Examinations

Excelsior College Examinations are a series of tests offered by Excelsior College in New York. Many colleges and universities will grant college credits for each test, although they are not as widely accepted as CLEP and DSST...

 (ECE) which are comparable to CLEP and DSST exams and are accepted as a source of credits by many (but not all) colleges in the United States.

Excelsior College is a member of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) Consortium of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities

American Association of State Colleges and Universities

The American Association of State Colleges and Universities is an organization of state-supported colleges and universities that offer degree programs leading to bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees...

. SOC institutions are dedicated to helping Servicemembers and their families earn college degrees. Military students can take courses in their off-duty hours at or near military installations in the United States, overseas, and on Navy ships. Additionally, Excelsior College has repeatedly been nominated as a top military-friendly school by multiple organizations.

Excelsior College is one of several regionally accredited colleges operating on a model similar to Thomas Edison State College

Thomas Edison State College

Thomas Edison State College is a public institution of higher education located in Trenton, New Jersey. One of New Jersey's 12 public universities and colleges, Thomas Edison State College offers degrees at the undergraduate and graduate level....

 in New Jersey, and Charter Oak State College

Charter Oak State College

Charter Oak State College is a public liberal arts college in New Britain, Connecticut and is named for Connecticut's famous Charter Oak. The college is located across Paul Manafort Drive from Central Connecticut State University...

 in Connecticut referred to in distance learning circles as The Big Three.

Business

• Daniel S. Lucky '94, President, Abrams College; CEO, Abrams Health Care, Inc.; Captain, California State Military Reserve; First US Police Nurse, Ceres Police Department
• Anthony Munroe, CEO of The Munroe Management Group, LLC
• Edward H. Rensi '82, co-owner of Team Rensi Motorsports
  Team Rensi Motorsports
  Team Rensi Motorsports is a NASCAR Nationwide Series team owned by Ed Rensi, Gary Weisbaum, and formerly Sam Rensi. The team has also competed in the Winston Cup Series, Craftsman Truck Series, and ARCA racing series...
  
  
• Charles S. Dedrick, Ed. D. '81, District Superintendent and CEO of Capital Region BOCES, Albany, New York

Military

• Senior Chief Petty Officer
  Senior Chief Petty Officer
  U.S. Coast GuardSenior ChiefPetty Officercollar deviceU.S. Coast GuardSenior ChiefPetty OfficerinsigniaGood conductvariationSenior ChiefPetty OfficerinsigniaSenior ChiefPetty Officercollar device...
  
   (Ret.) Kenneth V. Lahr, '95, Anti-Submarine Warfare Operator
• Chief Warrant Officer
  Chief Warrant Officer
  Chief warrant officer is a military rank used by the Canadian Forces and the Israel Defence Forces.-Canada:In the Canadian Forces, a chief warrant officer or CWO is the most senior non-commissioned member rank in the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force...
  
   Diego R. Munoz, '98, Human Resources Officer
• Chief Warrant Officer
  Chief Warrant Officer
  Chief warrant officer is a military rank used by the Canadian Forces and the Israel Defence Forces.-Canada:In the Canadian Forces, a chief warrant officer or CWO is the most senior non-commissioned member rank in the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force...
  
   (Retired) Lawrence K. Rice Jr., Special Agent
  Special agent
  Special agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
  
   U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division
  Criminal Investigation Division
  Criminal Investigation Division may be:* United States Army Criminal Investigation Division, now the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command*IRS Criminal Investigation Division-See also:*United States Marine Corps Criminal Investigation Division...
  
   U.S. Army Military Police Corps Regimental Hall of Fame inductee, and Army Intelligence
  Army Intelligence
  Army Intelligence may refer to:* The intelligence component of a given nation's army.* In the United States, Army Intelligence is usually referred to as Military Intelligence .-Further reading:...
  
   Hall of Fame inductee
• Lieutenant Colonel
  Lieutenant colonel
  Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
  
   Charles A. Aycock '82, U.S. Army Special Forces
  Special forces
  Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
  
   Regimental Hall of Fame inductee, U.S. Army Office Candidate School Hall of Fame inductee
• Charles (Skip) W. Bowen
  Charles (Skip) W. Bowen
  Charles "Skip" W. Bowen was the tenth Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard . He assumed the position from MCPOCG Frank A. Welch on June 14, 2006, and was relieved on May 21, 2010 by Michael P. Leavitt...
  
  , 10th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard
  Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard
  The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard is a unique non-commissioned rank in the United States Coast Guard.The holder of this rank and post is the senior enlisted member of the U.S...
  
  , 2006-2010
• Joe R. Campa Jr.
  Joe R. Campa
  Joe R. Campa, Jr., was the 11th Master Chief Petty Officer of the United States Navy.-Education:Campa is a distinguished honor graduate of the U.S. Navy Senior Enlisted Academy. He also graduated from the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy in May 2003 and completed the Command Sergeants Major...
  
  , 11th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
  Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
  The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy is a unique non-commissioned rank in the United States Navy, which has a paygrade of E-9. The holder of this rank and post is the most senior enlisted member of the U.S...
  
  , 2006–2008
• Colonel
  Colonel
  Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
  
   Russell Chazell '90, National Chief of Staff of the Civil Air Patrol
  Civil Air Patrol
  Civil Air Patrol is a Congressionally chartered, federally supported, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force . CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded membership that includes people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and...
  
  
• Sergeant Major
  Sergeant Major
  Sergeants major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. In Commonwealth countries, Sergeants Major are usually appointments held by senior non-commissioned officers or warrant officers...
  
   Gary W. Coleman Jr., Command Sergeant Major of the Army Sergeants Major Academy at Fort Bliss
  Fort Bliss
  Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in the U.S. states of New Mexico and Texas. With an area of about , it is the Army's second-largest installation behind the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. It is FORSCOM's largest installation, and has the Army's largest Maneuver Area behind the...
  
  
• Brigadier General
  Brigadier General
  Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
  
   James H. Doty '90, Commander of 420th Engineer Brigade
• Francis T. Jennings Jr., Reserve Command Master Chief of the Ninth Coast Guard District
• Richard Russell '78, former Command Chief Master Sergeant of the Sixth Air Force, Nebraska Aviation Hall of Fame inductee
• Sergeant Major
  Sergeant Major
  Sergeants major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. In Commonwealth countries, Sergeants Major are usually appointments held by senior non-commissioned officers or warrant officers...
  
   Ronald W. Semerena '07, Command Sergeant Major of Fort Polk
  Fort Polk
  Fort Polk is a United States Army installation located in Vernon Parish, approximately 7 miles east of Leesville, Louisiana and 20 miles north of DeRidder, Louisiana....
  
  
• Colonel
  Colonel
  Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
  
   Kirk E. VanPelt '08, Commander of 39th Infantry Brigade
• Major General
  Major general (United States)
  In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
  
   Joseph J. Taluto
  Joseph J. Taluto
  Joseph J. Taluto is a retired United States Army general who served as the Adjutant General of New York State. He held the rank of Major General. As such, he was the director of the New York State Division of Military & Naval Affairs, and served as overall commander of the New York Army National...
  
  , retired Adjutant General of the New York National Guard
• Major General
  Major general (United States)
  In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
  
   Thomas D. Kinley, retired commander of the 42nd Infantry Division
• Lieutenant
  Lieutenant
  A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
  
   Frank T. Rupnik III '02, United States
  United States
  The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
  
   Navy
  Navy
  A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
  
   Chaplain
  Chaplain
  Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
  
  
• Major General
  Major general (United States)
  In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
  
   Deborah A. Ashenhurst '94, Adjutant General, Ohio National Guard
  Ohio Army National Guard
  The Ohio Army National Guard is a part of the United States National Guard and a reserve component of the United States Army. It is also a component of the organized militia of the state of Ohio, which also includes the Ohio Naval Militia, the Ohio Military Reserve and the Ohio Air National Guard...
  
  

Government

• Mark O. Lambert '89, Iowa Administrative Law Judge, former commissioner, Iowa Utilities Board
• Anthony J. O'Donnell
  Anthony J. O'Donnell
  Anthony O'Donnell is an American politician, currently representing District 29 in the Maryland House of Delegates.-Background:...
  
   '85, Maryland
  Maryland
  Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
  
   politician

Science and Technology

• John R. Wetsch '84, one of Computerworld
  Computerworld
  Computerworld is an IT magazine that provides information for senior IT leaders. It is published in many countries around the world under the same or similar names. Its publisher is International Data Group. Computerworld serves the needs of IT management via print and online...
  
   Magazine's 2009 "Premier IT Leaders", Kentucky Colonel
  Kentucky colonel
  Kentucky colonel is the highest title of honor bestowed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Commissions for Kentucky colonels are given by the Governor and the Secretary of State to individuals in recognition of noteworthy accomplishments and outstanding service to a community, state or the nation...
  
  
• John M. Tutton '98, noted computer scientist

Academia

• Robert B. Galin '08, Assistant Professor of English and Communication at the University of New Mexico
  University of New Mexico
  The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
  
  -Gallup
• Eric Harter '92, Dean of the Graduate School at Sullivan University
  Sullivan University
  Sullivan University is a private for-profit university based in Louisville, Kentucky and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Sullivan University currently has physical campuses in Louisville, Lexington, and Fort Knox, and an online Global e-Learning campus. With...
  
  
• Reed Markham '82, Associate Professor of Communication at Daytona State College
• Donald R. Murphy '90, Clinical Assistant Professor, Brown University Alpert Medical School. Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Research, New York Chiropractic College.
• Elizabeth Monti-Seibert '89, Director of Doctoral Education, Department of Nurse Anesthesia at Virginia Commonwealth University
  Virginia Commonwealth University
  Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
  
  
• Warren Moore '87, Associate Professor of English at Newberry College
  Newberry College
  Newberry College is a liberal-arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located on a historic campus in Newberry, South Carolina.The college has 1,025 students and a 19:1 student-teacher ratio...
  
  

Arts, Sports, and Entertainment

• Alfred M. Albers '92, author
• Steven Cowell '90, Aviation Safety Consultant; local and national media aviation expert
• Erik Feldmanis '86, author
• Kenton J. Falerios '00, military author
• June Jones
  June Jones
  June Sheldon Jones, III is the American football head coach for Southern Methodist University.-Playing career:Jones played the quarterback position on three college teams: Oregon , Hawaii , and Portland State . It is during his time at Portland State that he was introduced to the Run and Shoot...
  
  , Head Football Coach, Southern Methodist University
  Southern Methodist University
  Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
  
   in Dallas, Texas
  Texas
  Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
  
  
• James Terrence Karney, award-winning photographer, photojournalist, and author
• Anthony Saladino '03, noted filmmaker
• Afaa Michael Weaver '86, award-winning poet
• Susan Jeske '98, Ms. America '97