Thomas Edison State College is located in the capital city of Trenton, New Jersey. Originally founded in 1972 to serve the needs of adult students exclusively, this world-renowned institution is a national leader in the assessment of adult learning and a pioneer in the use of educational technologies. One of New Jersey’s 12 senior public institutions of higher education, Thomas Edison State College is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Identified by Forbes magazine as one of the top 20 colleges and universities in the nation in the use of technology to create learning opportunities for adults, the College provides adults from every state and more than 70 other countries with unparalleled flexibility and many ways to complete a quality degree. Graduate study is primarily online. Online courses require student interaction and collaboration; intensive communication with mentors is the norm.

Programs of study and degree requirements
Thomas Edison State College offers four graduate degree programs that have broad appeal to adult students who desire to build professional expertise by completing high-quality, online degrees.

The Master of Science in Human Resources Management (M.S.H.R.M.) degree serves human resources professionals who wish to become strategic partners in their organizations. This program uses a cohort model and is designed to position human resources professionals as leaders within their organizations. The 36-credit program provides practitioners with technical human resources skills in staffing, providing professional development, managing organizational culture, and measuring and rewarding performance. Skills in assessing and using research and best-practice standards from the human resources field to improve their practice are integrated.

The Master of Science in Management (M.S.M.) degree serves employed adults with three to five years’ professional experience in management. Designed in partnership with major corporations, the M.S.M. degree program integrates the theory and practice of management. The 36-credit program is typically completed within eighteen months.

The College’s Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (M.A.L.S.) degree provides working professionals an opportunity to study the liberal arts from an applied perspective. Students work from the context of their ongoing professional work. Their study of professionalism, community, and change infuses their professional lives with a deeper understanding of the workplace and their responsibilities as professionals. Students acquire leadership tools as they gain a deeper appreciation of the value and relevance of the arts, sciences, and humanities to the practical concerns of the workplace. The M.A.L.S. program attracts a diverse student body working in positions such as museum curator, college business manager, computer networking specialist, nuclear engineer, and teacher. M.A.L.S. students add depth by designing their own professional focus through the learner-designed area of study.

The Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) degree in nurse education serves registered nurses with a current RN license valid in the United States who have already completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Graduates of the 36-credit M.S.N. degree program are awarded a Nurse Educator Certificate in addition to the diploma and are prepared for teaching positions in schools of nursing and health-care settings.

Thomas Edison State College also offers graduate certificates. Graduate certificates are available to students who have earned baccalaureate degrees. Students who successfully complete certificates may apply the credits earned toward a graduate degree at Thomas Edison State College. The College offers graduate certificates in human resources management, online learning and teaching, public service leadership, homeland security, and clinical trials management. The Nurse Educator Certificate is only available to students who have earned a Master of Science in Nursing degree.

The Mentors
Thomas Edison State College mentors share with students their academic expertise (90 percent have earned the highest degree in their field), real-world work experience and expertise in teaching online.

The Thomas Edison State College mentors have earned their highest degrees from large public institutions such as Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Temple University; University of California; and the University of Georgia as well as from private institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania, the Fielding Institute and Columbia University. Mentors have experience working in or consulting with corporate and nonprofit organizations. MSHRM mentors all hold terminal degrees. They are professors, attorneys, human resources management specialists, organizational development practitioners and adult educators. MSM mentors have worked as senior managers in human resources, finance, operations research, communications and public relations. The MAPS mentors have worked in communications, as academic faculty and administrators, as performing artists and as consultants, providing executive leadership programs. The mentors at Thomas Edison State College have designed their courses specifically for the online environment. MSM mentors have been teaching online since 1996.

Facilities & Resources
Located in Trenton, New Jersey, Thomas Edison State College’s campus embraces the historic Kelsey Building at 101 W. State St. and the adjacent Townhouse Complex, the Academic Center at 167 W. Hanover St. and the Kuser Mansion at 315 W. State St. This historical restoration project now houses the College’s electronic classrooms, computer labs and educational conference and training rooms as well as the College’s distance learning support, development and delivery facilities, linking students and mentors at colleges and universities throughout the country and around the world.

Thomas Edison State College students utilize the rich library research facilities of the New Jersey State Library, which is an affiliate of Thomas Edison State College. Students have access to VALE, the Virtual Academic Libraries Environment, a system that provides access to a network of research libraries.

The College is home to The John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy, which provides public policy analysis and other assistance to government, community groups and the private sector.

Expenses and Aid
Tuition for the M.S.H.R.M., M.S.M., and M.A.L.S. is $422 per credit in 2006–07. Fees and tuition are specified in the Graduate Prospectus. Books and materials are estimated at $200 to $300 per semester. Tuition for the M.S.N. program is $433 per credit in 2006–07.

Graduate students support their studies with employer tuition aid and loans. Unsubsidized loans are available to all accepted applicants. The Thomas Edison State College Office of Financial Aid & Veterans’ Affairs is available to assist students.

How to Apply
Admission is competitive for the M.S.H.R.M., M.S.M., and M.A.L.S. The programs are open to students with baccalaureate degrees in any field and three to five years' experience appropriate to the program. The application requires a statement of professional goals and analytic essays to demonstrate graduate writing skills, transcripts documenting the earned degree, a resume, and two letters of recommendation. Students are required to have computer access and be proficient in computer use. A minimum TOEFL score of 550 is required for applicants whose primary language in not English. The application fee of $75 is nonrefundable. Applications are accepted throughout the year, and students may apply online.

Admission for the M.S.N., in addition to a current RN license valid in the U.S., requires a baccalaureate degree in nursing. The M.S.N. application requires receipt of an official transcript from the institution where the B.S.N. degree was awarded. Students are required to have computer access and be proficient in computer use. Two years' experience in nursing is recommended. The application fee of $75 is nonrefundable. Applications are accepted throughout the year, and students may obtain a printable application online at the College's Web site.

Who to contact
Thomas Edison State College
Graduate School
101 W. State St.
Trenton, N.J. 08608-1176
Telephone: (609) 984-1168
Fax: (609) 633-8593
E-mail:
graduateschool@tesc.edu

http://www.tesc.edu

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