A new partnership between Syracuse University and Elmira College has created a formal academic pathway for Elmira students who want to pursue a master’s degree at Syracuse.

The agreement covers 15 graduate programs across four schools and colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences (biomedical forensic science; forensic science; speech-language pathology), the School of Education (social work; advanced standing social work), the School of Information Studies (applied data science; applied human-centered artificial intelligence; library and information science) and the Newhouse School (advanced media management; advertising; broadcast and digital journalism; magazine, news and digital journalism; media studies; multimedia, photography and design; television, radio and film).

“This pathway gives talented students a clear, supported route from their undergraduate studies to advanced work in fields where our schools and colleges are leaders, from data science and artificial intelligence to forensic science, social work and communications,” says Lois Agnew, vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer at Syracuse. “We’re grateful to our colleagues at Elmira for their partnership and look forward to supporting these students as they take the next step in their careers.”

First-year applicants to Elmira can simultaneously apply for conditional admission to one of the designated Syracuse graduate programs. Current Elmira students can seek early assurance at any point in their undergraduate careers. Students who earn a minimum GPA and complete program prerequisites will be eligible for admission to the designated program.

Students receive a guaranteed scholarship equal to 30% of the tuition rate, applied each semester. Students who earn a conditional offer as first-year applicants do not need to submit a formal graduate application once they meet the benchmarks. The graduate application fee will be waived for current students.

Elmira faculty or advisors will be identified to guide interested students.

“At Elmira, we’re focused on helping our students become career-ready,” says Patricia Ireland, provost and senior vice president of academic, administrative and student affairs at Elmira College. “That’s why we’re delighted to deepen our relationship with Syracuse University, which has some of the nation’s top-ranked graduate programs. For students looking for a smaller, more personalized undergraduate experience, this program offers the best of both worlds: the opportunity to build a strong academic foundation at Elmira and then continue their education at a leading research university.”