Why a Graduate Degree @ SUNY Buffalo State
When the university opened its doors in 1871 as the Buffalo Normal School, its purpose was to train teachers to serve Buffalo’s fast-growing student population in the public schools. Buffalo State was authorized in 1945 to establish its first master's degree program and began accepting students on July 1, 1946, with an initial registration of 70 graduate students. From the beginning, Buffalo State focused on making quality education accessible to students while addressing the needs of the Western New York community.
Today, Buffalo State educates the more than 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled each year in programs in education, arts, sciences, professional, and graduate studies. Buffalo State offers 64 graduate programs that include four certificate of advanced study programs and eight graduate certificate programs, as well as 79 undergraduate programs and eight postbaccalaureate teacher certification programs (undergraduate status). The university is known for its strong community engagement and continuing commitment to providing high-quality lifelong learning opportunities.
Convenient, Attractive Campus
Buffalo State’s park-like setting features 125 acres of landscaped green space and outdoor gathering spots, along with an eclectic mix of modern and traditional architecture. With 38 buildings on one campus, every destination is within easy walking distance. Forming a "town square" for the university community, four core buildings, including E. H. Butler Library and the Campbell Student Union, are situated around a central, open quadrangle.
Vibrant, Metropolitan Neighborhood
Home to the Burchfield Penney Art Center and the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall, Buffalo State’s campus is a featured attraction of Buffalo’s cultural corridor. Nationally recognized recreational and cultural amenities are within easy walking distance, including the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the historic 367-acre Delaware Park. Distinctive shops and restaurants help give the Elmwood strip its characteristic flavor.
Buffalo and Beyond
Buffalo State students enjoy all the advantages of living in New York State’s second-largest metropolitan area, and the good word is out! Travel & Leisure ranked Buffalo #7 in 2021 Best Places to Visit for the extent of Buffalo’s vibrant city development, restaurants, arts, and culture. Also known at the City of Good Neighbors, the Queen City, the City of Light, and the Nickle City, Buffalo was listed #3 in 2017 America's Favorite Cities and voted in 2015 as one of the "hottest" cities for 25‒34-year-olds because of job opportunities, cost of living, and the variety of social and recreational activities.
Downtown Buffalo features national touring productions at Shea’s Performing Arts Center, Triple-A minor-league baseball at Sahlen Field, Sabres hockey and major concerts at KeyBank Center, and trendy night life. The NFL’s Buffalo Bills play in nearby Orchard Park. Niagara Falls—one of the world’s most visited natural wonders—is a half-hour away; cosmopolitan Toronto, Canada’s largest city, is about a two-hour drive from campus.
Accreditations
Buffalo State is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 1007 North Orange Street, 4th Floor, MB #166, Wilmington, DE 19801
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. secretary of education and the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation. Buffalo State also is accredited by the Board of Regents, University of the State of New York. In addition, the following professional organizations have determined that Buffalo State programs meet their accreditation requirements:
• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)[1]
• Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (Weigel Health Center)
• Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA)
• Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC)
• American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC)
• American Alliance of Museums (Burchfield Penney Art Center)
• American Chemical Society (ACS)
• Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering (ATMAE)
• Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA)2
• Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)3
• Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
• Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC)4
• International Association of Counseling Services (Counseling Center)
• National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST)
• Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation (COPRA)
Accreditation papers may be reviewed in the Provost’s Office, Cleveland Hall 519.
SUNY-Buffalo State's Dietitian Education Program is accredited by:
The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000
Chicago, IL 60606-6995 (312) 899-0040 ext 5400 www.eatright.org/ACEND
2 CAA, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, is the accrediting body of the:
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
2200 Research Boulevard #310 Rockville, Maryland 20850 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700. http://www.asha.org/academic/accreditation/
3 The initial and advanced level education programs at SUNY Buffalo State are accredited by: The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
1140 19th St NW, Suite 400 Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 223-0077
4 The Electrical Engineering Technology, Electronics and Electrical Engineering Technology Smart Grid programs are accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET
The State University of New York
As a comprehensive public university, the State University of New York provides a meaningful educational experience to the broadest spectrum of learners. Nearly 400,000 students are pursuing traditional study in classrooms and laboratories or are working at home, at their own pace, through such innovative institutions as the SUNY Learning Network and Empire State College.
Why a Graduate Degree?
The twenty-first century economy has become increasingly complex, with advanced study beyond the baccalaureate degree now preferred for various careers fields and a prerequisite for promotion and advancement in many others. Occupations requiring a graduate degree at entry level—including publicservice oriented careers is fields such as education and health care—are projected to be among the fastest growing over the next decade. Buffalo State offers over 60 graduate programs that enhance a student’s opportunities and career potential to meet these growing demands. The college has developed new degrees in dietetics, applied behavior analysis, conflict analysis and resolution, business management, data science and analytics, public relations, and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). These programs complement established areas of study such as education, speech language pathology, creativity and change leadership, criminal justice, multi-disciplinary studies forensic science, and higher education administration. Buffalo State is endlessly connecting to emerging areas in the economy to provide even more variety for students. Lastly, our graduate programs also prepare students to pursue doctoral studies if they choose, and our faculty maintain a robust research agenda in their fields. About 1,000 graduate students at Buffalo State discover an enriching and invaluable education when they enroll here.
Why a Graduate Degree at Buffalo State?
Buffalo State has been offering graduate degree programs since 1945 and currently offers 44 master's degree and 12 advanced certificate programs in a wide range of areas, with over twenty areas of specialization in the Master of Science in education—more choices in graduate education study than any other SUNY school.
Specialized graduate degree programs include applied behavior analysis, dietetics, creativity and change leadership, data science and analytics, literacy specialist, and art conservation. While teacher education remains a tradition at Buffalo State, graduate programs in business management, adult education, applied economics, conflict analysis and resolution, and higher education and student affairs administration are unique within SUNY. Applied programs in public relations, disaster and emergency management, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), urban education, music education, great lakes environmental science, public and nonprofit management (MPA), professional applied and computational mathematics, science education, and students with disabilities offer exceptional opportunities for professional advancement.
Other distinctive graduate degree programs include criminal justice, industrial technology, biology, English, history, and the nutrition track option within multidisciplinary studies.
Outstanding opportunities for internships and clinical practice abound. Because Buffalo State is an urban-engaged community located in New York State’s second-largest city, the university can arrange many opportunities for field study or research.
Buffalo State’s graduate teacher education programs are distinctive in their ability to provide training in urban, suburban, and rural settings. The training prepares teachers to work effectively in culturally diverse settings, enhance teaching and learning, and reach students with a variety of needs and abilities.
Through assistantships and externally funded research projects, an increased number of graduate students are able to attend full time and participate in research and scholarly activities. Most students complete an applied research project as a culminating activity for the master’s degree.
The campus also offers numerous opportunities for specialized study and research with its Great Lakes
Center, the Burchfield Penney Art Center, the Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, the Patricia H. and Richard E. Garman Art Conservation Department, the Center for China Studies, and various departmental initiatives.
Through the Career and Professional Education Center, students can obtain help seeking employment, and Buffalo State’s alumni network provides employment leads.
[1] SUNY-Buffalo State's Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics is accredited by:
The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000
Chicago, IL 60606-6995 (312) 899-0040 ext 5400 www.eatright.org/ACEND