College and Post-Secondary Education
Welcome to the Army Education Center at the Robert C. McEwen Education Complex. The Army Education Center provides a wide range of services to both Soldiers and Family members at Fort Drum. Co-located with the post library in Building P-4300, the center provides traditional and non-traditional educational opportunities and counseling services for the military, their Families and the civilian workforce. We support not only Fort Drum but also an area of responsibility for northern and western New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
The Army Education Center at the Robert C. McEwen Library and Education Complex
315-772-6878
Building P4300, Camp Hale Road
www.drum.army.mil/hr/Pages/education.aspx
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and 12:45 to 4 p.m. Wednesday
There are two types of classrooms available for general use: computer and traditional. Both types have fully instrumented instructor platforms; computer classrooms have 24 student computers. Units and organizations needing classroom space may schedule on a first-come, first-served basis through the Facility Management team at 315-772-6881.
Counseling Office
315-772-6878
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and 12:45 to 4 p.m. Wednesday
Army counselors are available to support Fort Drum active-duty personnel, their spouses, Reserve components and DOD civilians in a variety of counseling settings.
Basic Skills Education Program (BSEP)
Hours: 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday or as scheduled
BSEP is a 20-day, hybrid, instructor-led and computer-assisted on-duty program. BSEP is designed to provide Soldiers with instruction on math, reading and language skills. The goal is to improve job performance, prepare Soldiers for advanced schooling and civilian higher education, increase re-enlistment options and enhance trainability.
Counselor Support Facility (CSF)
315-772-9993
Hours: 2 to 9 p.m. Monday; 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 2 to 4 p.m. Friday
The CSF provides a wide range of educational services and resources to the military community. Some of these services and resources are: mandatory briefings, information briefings, various study guides on military and civilian testing, foreign language CD-ROMs and self-study material for reading and grammar, GED preparation, English as a Second Language study material and a computer lab with 24 computers for educational purposes.
Army Personnel Testing (APT)
315-772-1251
APT is done by appointment through the Education Center’s Testing Center. The Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE), the Armed Forces Classification Test (AFCT) and the Selection Instrument for Flight Training (SIFT) are just a few of the tests conducted. The TABE and the AFCT are critical links in improving a Soldier’s General Technical and other skill scores. These are linked to a variety of personnel actions including retention, reclassification, specialty training or pre-commissioning programs.
The DANTES National Test Center
Sponsored by Columbia College of Missouri — Fort Drum
315-775-0128
Columbia College sponsors a test center supporting the Defense Activity for Non- Traditional Education Support (DANTES) College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and DANTES Subject Standardized Testing (DSST) credit by examination programs. These tests are available by appointment through Columbia College. Testing is held at 10 a.m. or noon, Tuesday, Thursday and 10 a.m. on Wednesday. Appointments are scheduled by visiting www.ccis.edu/ftdrum. Additionally, the test center provides examination proctoring for other colleges for a $20 fee.
Higher Education Transition Workshop
315-772- 1181
Clark Hall RM B 2-18A/B
10720 Mount Belvedere Blvd.
www.facebook.com/DrumSFLTAP
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday
As part of the Soldier for Life-Transition Assistance Program (SFL-TAP), transitioning Soldiers have the option to attend a two-day Higher Education GPS workshop that provides information on education after separation. As part of this workshop, facilitators have Soldiers complete an education needs assessment and help Soldiers research academic institutions, including tuition costs, fees, accreditation, financial options, admission standards, veteran’s programs and more. At the conclusion of this workshop, Soldiers provide an acceptance letter from their college of choice or are able to demonstrate researching and completing a college application if they are still reviewing their options.
Career Skills Program (CSP)
315-772-1022
Clark Hall RM B 2-11
10720 Mount Belvedere Blvd.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday
Career Skills Programs are employment skills training, on-the-job training, apprenticeships, internships, or job shadowing opportunities that are available to transitioning Service member that are within 180 days of their ETS or terminal leave. Service member that are in the IDES or MEB process may also participate in CSPs. Service members in other branches of service, National Guard, Reservist and Veterans may participate in CSP upon space available. First priority will be given to Army transitioning service members. Fort Drum has three current CSPs: Solar Ready Vets, Onward to Opportunity, Natural Gas Boot Camp. Upcoming CSPs are Veterans Conservation Corps. (May 15 to Sept. 8), FDM Group (July 10 to Sept. 25), and Heavy Construction
Academy (June start date). Local internship and apprenticeship opportunities should be brought to the CSPIA. Career Skills Program Briefs take place every first Tuesday of the month at Clark Hall. To sign up for a CSP brief, call your SFL-TAP office at 315-772-3434.
On-Post Educational Opportunities
Education partners providing classes and programs at the Education Center are:
Columbia College of Missouri
315-775-0128
4300 Camp Hale Road
Fort Drum, NY 13602
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday
Columbia College of Missouri, Fort Drum, offers online and in-seat programs at the associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree level. Classes are offered in six eight-week sessions per year. Columbia offers a Spouses’ Opportunity Grant, allowing military spouses to take their first Columbia class tuition-free, and a Military Family Member’s Opportunity Grant, allowing military dependents to take their first in-seat class with Columbia tuition-free. In addition, Columbia offers a spouses’ tuition discount of 20 percent off regular in-seat tuition for the duration of the degree. Columbia College offers classes and provides academic advisors at their Fort Drum Education Center campus.
University of Maryland
University College
315-773-1920
4300 Camp Hale Road
Fort Drum, NY 13602
University of Maryland University College (UMUC) offers undergraduate and graduate programs, to include associate, bachelor’s, master’s and certificates. Programs can be completed entirely online with some undergraduate hybrid classes offered on site at Fort Drum. UMUC offers multiple start dates for sessions throughout the year. Military Education Coordinators are available to provide advising and enrollment assistance at the Fort Drum Education Center, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
State University of New York (SUNY)
Jefferson Community College
315-786-6566
Army Education Center
4300 Camp Hale Road
Fort Drum, NY 13602
1220 Coffeen St.
Watertown, NY 13601
315-786-2200
Located in Watertown, 8 miles from Fort Drum, Jefferson Community College (JCC) serves nearly 4,000 full- and part-time students from Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego and St. Lawrence counties. On average, 40 percent of enrollment is composed of service members, their Families, military retirees and veterans from the Fort Drum area. Jefferson offers 30-plus associate degrees and certificates for career preparation or transfer, as well as local access to bachelors and advanced degrees through partner institutions in Jefferson’s Higher Education Center on our Main Campus. JCC’s degree programs include six online degrees. The college offers classes and provides academic advisors at the Fort Drum Education Center and Annex. For flexibility, classes are offered in four-week, eight-week and traditional 15-week classes. Additionally, the college offers a wide variety of professional certification training programs and workshops for both professional development and personal interest for adults, children and Families throughout the year.
SUNY Empire State College
315-773-6139
4300 Camp Hale Road
Fort Drum, NY 13602
For more than 40 years, SUNY Empire State College has led the way in non-traditional education for working adults. SUNY Empire offers associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees, as well as graduate certificates, online, at Fort Drum, and at the Watertown Center. Degree programs are multidimensional and can be tailored to fit your schedule, interests or expertise. Classes are offered in group studies, independent study or online format, and because students design their own degrees, many transfer credits are easily accepted.
Off-Post Educational Activities
SUNY North Country Consortium
315-786-2257
Jefferson Community College Higher Education Center
1220 Coffeen St.
Watertown, New York 13601
Six campuses of the State University of New York partner to bring a wide array of programs from certificates to associate through master’s degrees to Fort Drum and the surrounding community. Courses and degree programs are designed to be convenient for adults with work schedules and other commitments. Classes are available in traditional classroom settings, as well as through online and hybrid modes. Shorter eight-week semesters, as well as evening and weekend classes, are also available. Members of the SUNY Consortium include SUNY Canton, SUNY Empire State College, SUNY Jefferson, SUNY Oswego, SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Upstate Medical University.
SUNY Potsdam
315-786-2373
44 Pierrepont Ave.
Potsdam, NY 13676
SUNY Potsdam is a four-year liberal arts and sciences college offering a Bachelor of Science in business administration and several master’s degrees and graduate certificates for teachers and education professionals in the Fort Drum and Watertown area. This includes degrees for those seeking to transition to teaching from other professions. Many other degrees and fields of study are available through the main campus an hour from Fort Drum in Potsdam, New York.
SUNY Upstate Medical
315-464-5540 or 800-736-2171
SUNY Upstate Medical University, located in Syracuse, is central New York’s only academic medical center, educating more than 1,200 students in four colleges — medicine, graduate studies, health professions and nursing — as well as their Binghamton Campus. Upstate Medical also hosts 450 graduate physicians in their residency and fellowship training programs and provides continuing education to practitioners. Degree programs offered locally in the Watertown area at the Jefferson Higher Education Center include Masters of Science, Family Nurse Practitioner and Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.
SUNY College of Technology at Canton
315-386-7073
34 Cornell Drive
Canton, NY 13617
SUNY College of Technology at Canton offers many opportunities for soldiers, veterans and their Families. SUNY Canton’s career-driven programs are offered in a variety of flexible formats to accommodate almost anyone’s schedule. Certificates, associate and bachelor’s degree programs are available in many applied and technology programs, as well as health care, business and other career fields.
SUNY College at Oswego
315-312-2270
7060 Route 104
Oswego, NY 13126
Founded in 1861, SUNY Oswego is a public comprehensive college in central New York on the shores of Lake Ontario, 55 miles from Watertown. Oswego offers a wide range of degrees at the associate, bachelor’s and master’s levels that feature practical applications, interdisciplinary approaches, independent scholarly and creative work, and skills for living in multicultural and global communities.
