"I
just had a question regarding your diploma. Does The University of the State
of New York issue the degree for Excelsior (Regents)? I assume that the
other state assessment colleges you list at your website issue their own or
the State does. Hope you can answer my question. Very helpful site. "
At one time
degrees were conferred directly by the University of the State of New York
(USNY). My first bachelor degree was conferred by USNY. The name of the
University appears on the diploma, with no mention of the administering
college (the then, Regents College).
The last
conferral date for USNY degrees was 24 April 1998. After that date, Regents
College, which had earlier separated from USNY, and was now an independent
college, conferred its own degrees. Thus from May 1998 until the renaming
of Regents College as Excelsior College, degree diplomas were conferred in
the name "Regents College" with reference to it's source of
authority as being the University of the State of New York (add to that the
redundant billing, "Member of the University of the State of New York").
This is sure to be confusing to some.
USNY is also
effectively the Department of Education of New York State, and it is true
that all degree granting institutions operate under its auspices. However,
I doubt that SUNY or Columbia, or NYU, feel it necessary to include such
direct and pervasive reference to USNY on their diplomas.
Excelsior
College diplomas are, in every respect except name, identical to Regents
College diplomas. Their diplomas therefore carry the same references to
USNY. Those less charitable than you or I, might wonder if Excelsior
College would continue to carry the same bold titling if "The
University of the State of New York", were tomorrow to be more
accurately renamed the "State Education Department for New
York"
The other two
assessment colleges COSC and TESC, are part of their respective state
systems, unlike Excelsior College, which is, as mentioned previously, now a
private institution. If memory serves, the diplomas of both these state
institutions make direct reference to state authority vis-à-vis degree
conferral.
Liberal Arts
degrees with concentration by convention, have no major listed on the
diploma. Degrees with a named major, have the discipline of the major
noted on the diploma. Were you to earn the current Excelsior Liberal Arts
degree with concentration, it would appear without reference to the
concentration. Where honors have been awarded, a gold bar is present to the
left of the title of the degree. Hope that's clear.
Final
observation would be that utility wise, I've hawked these degrees round a
number of graduate institutions both foreign and domestic (in search of
suitable graduate programs) and no school, so far, has batted an eye. All
have accepted these regionally accredited credentials apparently without
reservation.
Regards
Addendum
As of 1 January
2003, Excelsior College (nee Regents College of the University of the State
of New York), began awarding degrees in the Liberal Arts program, with
named majors. That is to say, the specialization of the degree, formerly
designated a “concentration”, is now deemed to be a full-blown major. For
example, the degree, BA or BS with concentration in (say) Psychology, is
now awarded as a “Bachelor of Arts in Psychology” or “Bachelor of Science
in Psychology”.
Note that nothing
has changed in respect of degree requirements. Only the degree designation
has changed. Both the degree diploma and the student transcript reflect the
change and carry the new degree title.
This is no small
deal.
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