Hey, you! Want to go to grad school?

We are not talking to them – the nameless, faceless Audience.

We are talking to you, worrying about finances and time and online classes and homework. In a way, we’re talking to ourselves – the versions of ourselves from a year or so ago, unsure but excited, worried but determined.

WHJAKL Communications

Is graduate school for you? Here are some things that we’ve considered and overcome since starting our journey to Marist College’s M.A. in communications:

•  Finding time for classwork
•  Figuring out the online program technology
•  Fear of missing something (graduate school is more self-directed)
• Fear of failure
•  Funding
•  How to create a network/community when you’re not face to face

And the big one: Will my degree be worth it in the end?

You don’t have to listen to those anxious little voices in your head. These are all normal things to worry about, and they’re all things that can be faced and conquered. Marist has a comprehensive financial aid program, and many employers offer tuition assistance. Building communities online is a little different than seeing your classmates every day, but it works if you take it “one interaction at a time,” as team member Janice has noticed. Helen was most reassured by Marist’s reputation, including making it on a Princeton Review list of “50 colleges that create futures.” Kristen does miss the in-person interaction of a traditional classroom, but enjoys the flexibility an online program allows. Lorrie has conquered the work/school/life balance in admirable ways that make the rest of us jealous.

No matter how great a program, there is always room for improvement. Wanda would like to see more variety in majors offered. Kristen would like some study abroad opportunities. A great thing about Marist is their dedication to enhancing their students’ experience and education. Have a concern you want addressed? Feel like something’s missing from their educational approach? Reach out through the student information portal, attend a grad student open house and talk to people who’ve been there, see an advisor – there are ways to get your ideas and questions heard.

This team isn’t nameless or faceless either. We were where you are now. Some of us already have master’s degrees. Some of us have spouses and children. Some of us finished our bachelor’s more than a decade ago; some were fairly recent. We have jobs and lives to work around, and we’re here to tell you that if we can do it, you can do it. Marist College can help.

Student Services at Marist

How you are treated by the college, before you start there, will help you decide if that is the school you want to attend. For the big test we recommend calling each perspective school to see what response you get before you plunk down that huge tuition payment. Are you going to get a real, happy person to answer the main number or are you going to have to battle with the automatic call distribution system before you get to talk to someone? Or worse yet, when you get to where you want to go, is the system going to refer you back to the college website?

In a world of virtual reality, we endorse Marist College for its fantastic student services. When you call Marist, cheerful people actually answer the phones in a friendly tone starting from the main number, the admissions and the financial offices, to the library and the help desk. Marist is still one of the few colleges which not only have lively and helpful people answering the phones, it also still does face-to-face interviews! Imagine that: there is still a college that is actually interested in you and wants to meet you in person. They want to get to know you to make sure you are making the right college choice. Imagine that: in today’s world there is still a college which actually cares about you, not just your tuition payment! And don’t you want to spend your years attending a graduate school where people care about you?

From the minute you call the main number on the Marist website, a lovely voice on the other end of the line will direct you to where you need to go and whom you need to speak with. Not only will the admissions officers talk to you and answer all your questions, but they will follow-up with you via an e-mail and a letter. Yes, an actual written letter sent in the envelope with the postage stamp on it. Admissions officers will make you feel special and wanted, because they really do want you to attend Marist. Even the online students are offered a choice of the in-person or a telephone interview. Here, at Marist, people actually talk to you and not you’re Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, or other accounts.

When you arrive on campus you will immediately fall in love with Marist and the spectacular Hudson Valley. It is a beautiful, intimate campus right on the bank of the Hudson River. The views are spectacular and you are not going to want to leave. The attentive staff will make the admissions process stress free and easy. Once you start at Marist, you will continue to fall in love with the faculty, the student body and the rest of the school.

This school is not only a great place for students taking classes on campus, but also for the on-line students. The librarians are fantastic and will always help you find that one perfect article you are trying to find. The help desk is friendly and will help you get set up with all your IT needs. The finance department will keep you updated on your financial situation.

Overall, the student services are superb and you will get the help you need with a smile on the face and in the voice. So go ahead, start dialing and see how other schools stack up, and don’t forget to tell us all about your experience.

Online Student Demographics

So who are the online students and why are they pursuing their academic carriers online? According to OnlineUniversities.com, there are 7.8 million online graduate students with the average age of 34. Their gender make-up is 53% female and 47% male of which, 46.6% white, 24.8% black, 29.8% Hispanic, 3.2% Asian, and 4.6% others. The growth rate for online learning at 21% has significantly outpaced the growth of traditional education at 1.8%, demonstrating a significant change in the education environment. This article also states that the major reasons for selecting an online program are convenience, flexibility, work/family balance, program requirements, cost, availability of financial assistance, credit transfer, and future carrier opportunities. Why did you select the online program over on campus program? 

Our Audience

With the speed of change in today’s world we all need to be continuous learners to stay relevant. Marist online graduate program enables students to balance work, family and their academic lives. The classes are challenging and the students are able to learn a lot from their incredible teachers and class mates. Here is what some Marist graduate students are saying about the program. How do you feel about being an online graduate student at Marist?

Why Marist?

As we narrowed down the audience to graduate on-line students, the question comes to mind as to why Marist? Why did we all decided to attend Marist? We all selected Marist because of its reputation, quality of education, and dedicated faculty. After investing time, money and energy into a graduate degree, we all want it to look good on our resumes. We want to make sure that the school we went to has value in the market place and will enable us to advance in our careers. It was very exciting to see that Marist was named as one of the 50 "Colleges that create futures" article by The Princeton Review. According to this article, these 50 colleges are not only outstanding academically, but "the programs and services they offer outside the classroom are for many students, as trans-formative and enabling as the knowledge the students gain inside their seminars, science labs or lecture halls (please click here to see the full article). In addition, Marist College is ranked #13 Regional University in Northeast by the U.S. News & World report (please click here to see the full article) and listed by The Princeton Review as one of the Best of 380 Colleges (retrieved from please click here to see the full article). In addition to Marist’s reputation, quality of education, outstanding faculty, for some of us, cost was a big consideration. The cost of one graduate class at Marist is $2,250. Due to the rising cost of education, some corporations put a cap on the annual tuition reimbursement. Marist offers academic scholarships of $250 per class to students with GPA of 3.5 or higher and $150 per class to students with GPA of 3.2 to 3.49. Marist also provides significant discounts by partnering with corporations thought EdAssist program, which enabled some of us to get up to 25% discount on the graduate tuition.  Why did you select Marist?

Final Project

The Marist College

The Marist College fulfills its mission by pursuing three ideals: excellence in education, a sense of community, and a commitment to service. These ideals were handed down to us by the Marist Brothers who founded the College. Now an independent institution governed by a lay board of trustees, Marist continues to embrace the three ideals as an integral part of the College mission.Click here for the Strategic Plan. The purpose of the final project is to select one goal and three initiatives, in support of that goal, and to develop a strategic plan, tactics, and other materials to promote them. Our team selected goal number one: “Enhance the quality and distinctiveness of the Marist educational experience for all students - traditional age undergraduates, graduate students, and adult learners". The initiatives we selected are: "21. Systematically monitor trends in the graduate student market and survey the student population to determine what programs, delivery formats, services, and price points should be enhanced, developed, or modified; 22. Strengthen student support services for graduate students and make them more accessible, including online and on-campus services; 26. Develop community-based learning experiences for graduate students including research, internships, and service learning opportunities".

Our Mission

Marist College

Marist College defines its mission as "dedicated to helping students develop the intellect, character, and skills required for enlightened, ethical, and productive lives in the global community of the 21st century." In support of the mission statement and the three ideals, the Marist College defined eight strategic goals and 93 initiatives to achieve those strategic goals. The mission of the final class project is to enable our client organization, in this case Marist College, to communicate its initiatives in support of their 2011-2016 Strategic Plan.