Graduate Life at UAlbany

Now is the time for greatness. 

Pursuing a graduate degree at the University at Albany will give you the tools to unleash your individual potential in a community that believes in the change each person can make in this world.

Choose from more than 150 graduate programs that prepare you to succeed in a wide range of fields.

In every area of study, you’ll be instructed by faculty who are world-class scholars and teachers ─ many actively engaged in life-enhancing research that contributes profoundly to the public good. 

More than 17,000 students are enrolled at UAlbany — including nearly 4,500 graduate students and more than 1,200 international students — bringing with them varied perspectives and life experiences that enrich our learning environment. 

Additionally, UAlbany’s more than 250 student organizations and 19 NCAA Division I athletic teams provide opportunities in athletics, arts, politics, culture and community service. 

The excellence of a UAlbany education is recognized by many independent sources. UAlbany is ranked among the top universities in Forbes’ “America’s Best Public Colleges,” and U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks many of our graduate programs among the top 50 in the United States. 

 

UAlbany's Accreditations

The University is chartered by the Board of Regents of New York State. All UAlbany degrees and programs are registered, and all professional programs fully approved, by the Board of Regents through the New York State Education Department.  

UAlbany is fully accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and enjoys specialized program accreditation from the following accreditors:

  • ABET Computing Accreditation Commission
  • ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission
  • American Chemical Society
  • American Library Association
  • American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation
  • Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation
  • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
  • Council on Education for Public Health
  • Council on Social Work Education
  • Middle States Commission on Higher Education
  • National Association of School Psychologists
  • Network of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration
  • Planning Accreditation Board
Three students walk through campus, surrounded by fall foliage.

 

Please contact the Graduate School at [email protected] to schedule a tour of the Uptown Campus or fill out our form to request a tour. You can also contact your academic department to schedule a more specific tour.

 

Studying on our Campuses 

UAlbany has three distinct campuses, each of which offers a multitude of opportunities.

All students have access to free public transportation between campuses and throughout the Capital Region, thanks to our partnership with CDTA. 
 

The Uptown Campus

The University’s main campus, located at 1400 Washington Avenue in Albany, is a bold unified design, expressed by its towers, domes, fountains, soaring colonnades and sweeping canopy. The result is dramatically different from the dispersed buildings and disparate architectural styles of most traditional university campuses. 

The Uptown Campus is home to the College of Arts and Sciences, the Massry School of Business and the School of Education. 

The Uptown Campus also features the University and Science Libraries, the Performing Arts Center, the University Art Museum and the New York State Writers Institute. 

Other special facilities on the Uptown Campus include a National Weather Service meteorological laboratory, a linear accelerator for physics research, and a cutting-edge data center that supports high-performance computing and networking.  

The hub of student activity is the Campus Center, which includes lounges, meeting and dining rooms, a cafeteria, banking facilities, a convenience store, a Barnes & Noble bookstore, and a variety of food options. 

Students can access a variety of physical and mental health services through Student Health Services and Counseling and Psychological Services, both of which are located on the main campus.  

The Uptown Campus is also home to the University’s residence halls and apartments complexes, as well as recreational facilities.  

Our expansive indoor athletic facilities boast a running track, a pool, weight and wrestling rooms, a dance studio, and basketball, handball and squash courts. Outside, there are lighted tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, as well as gardens, a pond and other green spaces. 

The Downtown Campus

The Downtown Campus, located at 135 Western Avenue in Albany, is a classic Georgian-style complex that served from 1909-66 as the main campus.  

Recently renovated, it houses the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, the School of Criminal Justice, the School of Social Welfare, the College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering, and the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity. 

It is also home to the Dewey Graduate Library.

The Health Sciences Campus

The Health Sciences Campus, a former pharmaceutical complex purchased in 1996 and located at One University Place in Rensselaer, is one of the region's booming bioscience research and high-tech centers. 

Its academic anchor is the College of Integrated Health Sciences, and its research facilities include the Cancer Research Center, home to the Gen*NY*Sis Center for Excellence in Cancer Genomics, and the Center for Functional Genomics. 

Living in the Capital of New York

Albany has been named one of the best places to live in the country by U.S. News and World Report.

Excellent restaurants, shopping, museums, parks, concerts, food trucks, bike trails, theatre and even cross-town rivalry basketball games — did we mention that the Capital Region is home to more than 20 colleges for a total of 65,000 students? — are all part of what makes this area so unique.

Students get to experience all four seasons in Albany: The leaves change color in the autumn, snow falls in the winter, flowers bloom in the spring and the sun shines in the summer.

New York State is world-famous for culture, business, entertainment, international diplomacy and world-class universities. Our campuses are within reach of exceptional skiing, snowboarding and hiking in the Adirondacks, Catskills and Berkshires. New York City, Boston and Montreal are all about 3 hours away from Albany and easily accessible by bus or train.

Life in the Capital Region is much more affordable than in major US cities. Albany is home to a diverse range of neighborhoods. While many students move into the bustling downtown area that surrounds Lark Street and Washington Park, others prefer the quieter neighborhoods near our Uptown Campus.

 

Preparing for Your Future 

Albany is New York’s state capital and the third largest seat of government in the United States.  

As a Research I institution, the University at Albany’s location in the heart of TechValley provides unique research and work opportunities. Our students learn in state-of-the-art laboratories and work alongside those who are making a global impact.  

Our location and partnerships give UAlbany students direct access to internship and volunteering opportunities with well-known organizations, ranging from the Department of Health to GlobalFoundries. 

Many of our graduates find jobs right here in the Capital Region, which has vast opportunities in government, technology, business, healthcare and education. The area is home to General Electric, Philips Healthcare, Naval Nuclear Laboratory and Regeneron. 

Additional Information
The Schedule of a Graduate Student

Some programs require students to attend full time and others do not. Please check with your academic department of interest for the specific regulations for their programs. 

The schedule of classes varies for each program. You can search the Schedule of Classes to gauge the typical class schedule for your program. Contact your academic department for more information.

Since the number of courses students take each semester and the number of total credits required vary by program, completion time varies person to person. 

Get in Touch 

If you have questions about graduate life at UAlbany, please contact our Graduate Ambassadors at [email protected].  

If you have questions about admissions, graduate funding or programs that support our diversity, please contact the Graduate School at [email protected]

If you have questions about research, faculty and program-specific requirements, please contact your academic department.