Farmingdale State College’s most recent survey of alumni reveals that more than 90% of baccalaureate degree recipients are employed within six months of graduation.  Of that group, 83% are working full-time and 74% are working on Long Island.  Seventy-four percent are employed at a position related to their degree. 

The 2014-2015 “Six Months after Graduation Survey” was completed by 58% (824 total respondents) of the graduating classes of August 2014, December 2014 and May 2015. 

“These are the kinds of outcomes that occur when we not only offer first-class teaching, but provide our students with significant real-world, hands-on experience outside the classroom,” said Farmingdale President Dr. John S. Nader.  “In today’s highly competitive job market, students must have both, and we are proud to note how well our students are utilizing the opportunities we provide them.”

Other highlights of the survey include:

  • Among baccalaureate degree recipients whose positions are related to their degree, 47% secured their jobs prior to graduation. These graduates were largely nursing students.  The remaining 53% secured their jobs within six months following graduation.
  • 59% of the employed graduates believe Farmingdale prepared them “extremely well” or “very well” for their current position. This percentage goes up to 69% among those working in a job related to their major.
  • 78% of those employed are either “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with their current jobs.
  • 19% of baccalaureate respondents who are employed reported annual salaries of at least $60,000.  48% reported annual salaries of $40,000 or more.
  • 20% of respondents reported having done an internship at Farmingdale. Of that group, 38% were offered a permanent position at the company where they interned. 50% of those responding to the survey got their internship through a Farmingdale instructor or a Farmingdale internship program. 48% of those graduates believed the internship experience helped them secure their job.
  • Baccalaureate survey respondents received degrees in majors from the School of Business (41%), School of Engineering Technology (18%), School Health Sciences (8%) and School of Arts and Sciences (33%).

Lauren Liegmann, a Construction Management Engineering Technology major, got a job on Long Island, in her field, immediately after receiving her diploma last spring.  She had this to say about how Farmingdale prepared her for employment in her field: “Academically, Farmingdale prepared me for a career in the construction industry with the opportunity for so many different career paths.  I am working for a commercial painting and finishing corporation that specializes in major projects in New York City.  My title of Account Manager allows me to use my math skills and management background, to ensure that my job is done correctly.

“The different workshops and job fairs that Farmingdale offers are crucial in networking here on Long Island.  Sitting in on seminars about resume writing, interviewing skills, body language, social media usage, and other everyday work-related tasks, proved to be fundamental in the ‘real world’.”

(A profile of Ms. Liegmann, written in 2015, may be found at https://www.farmingdale.edu/news/student-spotlight/2015-06-09-lauren-leigmann.shtml)

The top Farmingdale academic programs that lead to employment include:

  • Business Management
  • Science, Technology & Society
  • Nursing
  • Law Enforcement Technology
  • Computer Programming & Information Systems
  • Professional Communications
  • Electrical Engineering Technology

Farmingdale assists students in gaining satisfying employment in several ways, including enlisting executives from business and industry to help advise the College on the development of academic programs, so they are shaped to equip students with the critical skills needed to succeed in the work place. The College also maintains extensive internship and experiential learning programs, networking opportunities with alumni, regular jobs fairs, and tutelage in job interviewing and resume writing.

Farmingdale, the largest college of applied science and technology within SUNY, has a fall enrollment of more than 9,000 students—giving it the second-largest undergraduate population among 4-year institutions in Nassau-Suffolk, after Stony Brook University.