From school counseling, to nursing, to business, Albany State University offers 12 graduate degrees and professional programs in a variety of fields to fit the needs of traditional and non-traditional students.

“Students attending our graduate programs can be assured of quality, affordability and flexibility,” said Louise Wrensford, dean of the ASU Graduate School.

Keeping up with industry trends, the ASU Graduate School has concentrations in high impact fields. According to Forbes, jobs related to accounting, healthcare, management and education careers are among the most profitable industries in the country.

Albany State offers master degrees in business administration, education, public administration, social work, criminal justice, nursing and counselor education. An Education Specialist degree is also available. Many programs, such as criminal justice, nursing and education are offered fully-online.

“The online programs address the need of both traditional and non-traditional students, but even for programs that are not fully online, many courses are offered in a hybrid format,” Wrensford said.

ASU alumnus James Brown remembers the challenge of balancing school and a full-time job as he worked to receive a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in human resources management. But, he said, the demanding schedule was worth it.

“My experience as a graduate student at ASU was actually amazing. I met amazing professors and they were eager to help me along the way. I really enjoyed my experience,” said Brown who now works as a graduate admissions counselor at ASU. “It was challenging at first – working full time and balancing graduate school – but I had to keep in mind that I had an end goal and that was to graduate with my master’s degree.”

Many students choose to attend part-time, Wrensford said, in efforts to address other responsibilities in their career and family life.

“Face-to-face classes are scheduled after 5 p.m. so students can attend after the work day, and many classes are scheduled once a week. There are also weekend classes.  This flexibility allows the working professional the opportunity to pursue their educational goals,” Wrensford said.