Masters Program

Housing

University housing is extremely limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. It fills up quickly since returning students take the majority of the available spots. If you prefer to live on campus, you should apply for housing as soon as possible. The academic year application is available at the Housing website (http://housingmealplans.syr.edu) and the summer application is also available on that site under Forms and Downloads. Completion of the academic year application and submission of the advance housing deposit is necessary to be added to the waiting list if all available slots are full.

Graduate housing is located on South Campus, about two miles from Newhouse. Frequent bus service from South Campus to Main Campus is available and is free for students. South Campus housing is fully furnished and includes all utilities, including cable, phone and high-speed internet, in one easy payment for each semester. On-campus housing will cost approximately $11,000 for 12 months, which includes all utilities, cable, phone and internet.

More information about on-campus housing can be found at http://housingmealplans.syr.edu. Here you can find costs, location and layout of South Campus apartments. Please note that even if all academic year slots are full, housing is still available at South Campus for the six-week summer session for a rate of $170 per week.

Due to the limited availability of campus housing,about 75% of Newhouse students choose to find off-campus accommodations in Syracuse. There are many houses and apartments available for students near campus, most within walking distance or on a free bus line. Off-campus rent ranges from $250 to $1,000 depending on number of roommates, type of housing, and whether heat is included. We recommend that you read through the Office of Off-Campus and Commuter Services website, http://oocp.syr.edu//, before you begin your off-campus housing search.

For listings of available properties near campus, visit http://www.orangehousing.com

Additional listings can be found at:

Other helpful Web sites for information on off-campus housing and the Syracuse community include:

For students in Broadcast Journalism, you will spend six weeks in Washington, D.C. next July and August. Housing arrangements are up to you, but there will be housing available in a Boston University dormitory, very close to Greenberg House, your center of operations. Each apartment is three bedrooms, two baths. Each bedroom can be rented either as a single or double. There's a small kitchen and comfortable living room in each apartment. The rate for 2010 is estimated to be $1,600 per person for double occupancy and $2,200 for single occupancy.

Meal plan information is also available at http://housingmealplans.syr.edu. Most Newhouse students do not purchase meal plans, however they do put money on their SUpercard account, which works like a debit card, and can be used in any campus café.

Advice

There are definitely a lot of pros and cons to both on and off campus living. Those who live on-campus did so because of the convenience. Furnishings, utilities, phone, cable, and internet services are included. Bus service is free and frequent (though not as frequent during the summer). A lot of other grad students live there, thus creating a great social atmosphere and making it easy to meet people. It's also a great option if you're coming from far away and can't take the time to come out and look at places. Since it's more like an apartment than a dorm, it feels just like living in a regular apartment off-campus. Students emphasized applying early if you want to live in South Campus. Apartments do fill up very quickly.

The biggest pro to living off campus is the cost, although off-campus housing costs are not always cheaper than on-campus. Students living off campus reported wide monthly rent ranges, depending on apartment size and whether or not utilities are included. Larger houses or apartments that you can split with roommates are usually cheaper on a per-person basis. Approximately 40% of apartments included partial utilities. This is especially important in a city that typically has very cold winters. The utilities range was also very wide, varying from $30 to $300 per person per month.

Rent ranges were as follows:

Most students living off campus said they found their houses/apartments through OrangeHousing.com, apartment finder Web sites, or by driving around the area and making phone calls.

Most off-campus residents live in neighborhoods very close to campus and they usually walk or take the bus. If you have a car, choose an apartment with off-street parking so you don't have to move your car everyday or be subjected to multiple parking tickets. The bordering neighborhoods are populated with a lot of students, mostly undergraduates, which can be good or bad, depending on your viewpoint. Some of the nearby apartment complexes were also recommended since they offer safety, convenience, and extras like pools and gyms. Other students live farther away to learn more about the community or as a way to "get away" from campus. But even most of the Syracuse neighborhoods and suburbs are only 10-20 minutes from campus by car.

The most important advice: Make sure you or someone you trust sees the place before you rent. Also, most of our new students find roommates via the Newhouse listserv in the early summer.

Meal Plans: Most students cook, eat out, or bring food to campus, thus eliminating the need for a meal plan. Many put money into their SUpercard account, which makes it easy to eat in Food.com in Newhouse, Schine Student Center, or Goldstein Student Center on South Campus. Just be aware of how much you put on there since money doesn't necessarily carry over from one term to the next. Marshall St. is very close to Newhouse so many students choose to eat at the many eateries in that area.