Adult Learner
Degree Options

Prioritizing education, your life and your future.

With a legacy of empowering adults for over 90 years, Monroe College has been the driving force behind countless success stories. Ranked #1 for social mobility, we firmly believe in providing every individual with the chance to overcome past setbacks and achieve their goals. We created a program specifically for adults tailored to fit busy lifestyles, offer personalized support and provide a generous life experience and academic credit policy.  

You earned the credits, now earn the degree!

Earning your college degree can make a huge difference in your life. A bachelor’s degree can increase your employability by 43% over a high school diploma alone. It can also significantly increase your earning potential

You know you want to earn your degree — but you may be wondering how to do it. After all, you live a busy life already. Monroe is serious about helping working or non-working adults with some or no college credits earn a credential. 

    Flexible and Customizable
    • Save time and money
    • Transfer up to 90 credits
    • Earn credits for what you know through prior learning assessment
    • Flexible schedules – on campus, online (asynchronous), virtual (synchronous), hybrid, 7-week modules, or a combination
    • Partnership with a trusted daycare center near our Bronx campus — so you can be sure your children are safe while you further your education. 
    • Pre-enrollment Advisors who analyze your work, life and college experience so we can lay out the most efficient academic plan.
    • Networking opportunities.

    At Monroe, we recognize that any time is the right time to earn a bachelor’s degree.  All of our undergraduate programs are available for our adult learners and will provide you with the skills and credentials you need to get ahead in your work, to change careers, or simply to enrich your life.  However, if you have work experience and some college credits, we offer a couple of programs that are perfect to complete your degree.

    Earn credits for what you know:

    Prior learning assessment (PLA) is the awarding of college credit for what you already know. After all, not all learning comes from the classroom. Our PLA gives you an opportunity to demonstrate learning that has taken place in your life through your work, military training, CLEP exams, certifications, volunteer work, and elsewhere. The PLA process allows you to earn credit for college-level learning you already possess, decreases the amount of time to earn your degree, and saves you money.

    Calculate Your Credit

    It’s easy to find out if a first or even a second college degree is closer than you think.

    • Credit Predictor Standard: for adult students interested in applying to Monroe, the standard tool can be completed in 3 minutes and tells students if credit for prior learning may be for them.
    • Credit Predictor Pro: for accepted adult students, a more detailed questionnaire that walks student through how their knowledge and expertise may equate to college credits.
       

     Credit for Prior Learning Student Guide 

    To discuss your personal situation, please contact Janice Girardi and she will answer any questions, plus walk you through the process. 

     

    Bachelor’s in Professional Studies

    Are you an adult professional with work experience, some college credits, and a desire to earn a bachelor’s degree? This program offers working adults flexibility while earning a credential that advances their career goals and professional marketability. The curriculum allows you a customizable college experience that focuses on skills employers require across a broad range of industries.  Courses include those in your chosen 30-credit specialization, augmented by courses in critical thinking, problem-solving, leadership, communications, and management. Choose from the following specializations:

    • Accounting and Business Management
    • Criminal Justice Administration
    • Information Technology Management
    • Health Services Administration
    • Hospitality Management
    • Human Services Administration
    • Public Health Management

    Learn More

    Bachelor’s in General Business

    Are you an adult who already has credits toward an associate or bachelor’s degree in a business-related major? This program allows you to maximize the college credits you have already earned while broadening your understanding of the field of business within the context of your professional objectives. Under the guidance of an academic advisor, this highly flexible program allows you to design a custom curriculum to reach your career goals with an 18-credit, business-related specialization in one of the following areas:

    • Business Management
    • Accounting
    • Finance
    • Health Services Administration
    • Hospitality Management
    • Information Technology
    • Marketing

    Learn More

    Hear from Our Students and Staff

    Explore our site for adult learners and hear what our students and staff have to say about our programs.

    Adult Learner

    Mentors

    You will be paired with a mentor who will help analyze your background and experience to determine which PLA options fit your goals, and to create a PLA plan that includes specific courses that will earn you PLA credit.

    Career Pathways Program

    You deserve a pathway to success. We can help you earn college credit at the same time that you earn your High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma.

    APPLY NOW

    Learn More

    Janice Girardi, EdD

    Associate Vice President

    Michele Mumma

    Vice President, Admissions Operations

    Emerson Phillips

    Assistant Vice President of Adult Admissions