Connecting to Campus in an Online Program
The COVID-19 pandemic has literally and figuratively separated people from one another. It’s a year-long experience that will be studied for decades to come. But one of the greatest triumphs of the pandemic (in addition to the vaccine) is the resiliency and adaptability of New York University.
Like many other colleges and universities, NYU made the abrupt transition from in-person learning to remote at the onset of the pandemic. This was a radical shift for everyone involved, and the GMAC office would like to formally commend and celebrate everyone for their efforts as we (hopefully) approach the end of the pandemic.
One of the advantages NYU has had in this transition is an existing body of fully-online graduate programs, certificates and non-degree courses. These programs provided the groundwork for operating a streamlined, prestigious online university.
In this post, I will outline some of the ways in which New York University makes an online campus feel like a physical one.
THE VIRTUES OF GRADUATE SCHOOL
One of the most exciting things about graduate school is the common academic interests shared by an entire program. Students in your cohort will have the same interests, career ambitions, and/or thinking style as you–they’re excited to collaborate and learn alongside you. These folks will become your network as you enter the job market together with the same lived experience. As you spend anywhere from one to five years evolving together as students and professionals, camaraderie will inevitably and undeniably develop and the professors at NYU are happy to facilitate networking among classmates through Slack, LinkedIn, and Zoom.
GLOBAL RESOURCES
NYU students of any program are entitled to most, if not all, the resources provided by the university. Although a sizable portion of the physical resources are housed on the Washington Square Campus, there are several libraries located all over the world, including London and Shanghai. As an online student, you are granted access to these physical resources should you be near one of NYU’s 10+ libraries for a week, a month, or for the duration of your program.
NYU is a highly streamlined university, with tons of academic journals, books, and publications uploaded to the NYU Libraries webpage for free, online access. Every academic field has an assigned librarian, meaning there are over 35 full time librarians here to help students navigate the several terabytes of information. In an online program, your librarian is just a Zoom consultation away.
JUGGLING EMPLOYMENT & FINANCING YOUR STUDIES
Candidly, graduate school is costly. There are ways of mitigating cost through scholarships, fellowships, and financial aid, which NYU proudly offers through a merit-based system. Fortunately, there are resources and experts available to help students prepare for enrollment, including the Office of Financial Aid, the Office of the Bursar, and your programs admissions office.
One of the questions we often get asked at the GMAC office is “is attending NYU online worth it?” And the simple answer is, yes, of course. With a keen financial plan and liberal use of NYU’s online resources, students can learn, create and manifest goals in a way that is financially fulfilling, internally rewarding, and beneficial to professional careers.
Additionally, there are several online employment and work study opportunities offered through NYU’s job platform, Handshake. Online students can be just as connected to NYU operations as in-person students through employment and use of resources.
EDUCATION STANDARDS & ACCREDITATION
Professors within online programs are seasoned veterans in their field, many of them serving as adjunct faculty with active careers. This is incredibly useful in receiving an education that is state of the art and opening doors in the professional world.
NYU extends the same quality of education and university accreditation to students in online programs as they do to in-person programs–a diploma from an NYU online program is backed by the incredible reputation of this institution.
CONCLUSION
As a student currently enrolled in a program that was designed to be online prior to the pandemic, I have to voice proud support for NYU’s forward thinking and academic ingenuity. In the American Journalism Online program, I’ve had opportunities to cross paths with nearly every person in my program through publishing The Click, our online newspaper. The online factor is a very small barrier to participating in a way that feels just as real as an actual classroom.
