Daemen University’s distance education programs, including Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Master of Social Work (MSW), continue to connect students across the United States and beyond. Overall, Daemen’s distance education programs have experienced a 10% increase in enrollment in the past year, expanding access to graduate education and indicating a growing trend among these programs for working adults.
As the name indicates, distance education programs are delivered fully-online, though out-of-state students and students from other countries still feel a strong connection to their Daemen peers and community. Several ABA and MSW distance education students attended Daemen’s 2026 commencement at Kleinhans Music Hall in May, including Jayden Singh Pooni ‘26 MSW, of British Columbia.
“Even with the distance, attending the graduation ceremony was incredibly important to me,” said Pooni. “I genuinely wanted nothing more than to celebrate this achievement alongside my peers who shared the journey with me, and to officially close this chapter of my life. Attending in person made the milestone feel complete. It’s a moment that wouldn’t be the same through a computer screen and was definitely worth the travel. The Daemen community was so welcoming at graduation and when I visited the campus. I am proud to forever be a Daemen Wildcat!”
“We have students throughout the United States and around the world, and seeing students travel to Buffalo for commencement is a powerful reminder that the connections formed in our online programs are meaningful and lasting,” said Dr. Vicki Knapp, associate professor and executive director and chair of the behavioral science department. “For many of our distance education students, commencement is the first opportunity for faculty and classmates to meet in person after building relationships virtually throughout their academic journey. It is a privilege to share in this important professional and personal milestone, and we greatly value the effort our students and their families make to attend and celebrate this achievement with us.”
Daemen will hold its next virtual graduate open house on July 20.