Planning efforts aim to identify viable options for long-term care education and career management. The following factors have been identified as the primary needs in program development in health administration for long-term care facilities: defintion and scope of the field; methodology for priority identification; resources needed for an external degree program; and relationships and cooperative programming. These factors along with funding and implementation mechanisms are discussed regarding the role of Oswego College. The ultimate objective is to integrate an external degree program with a customary academic program and to bolster it through an ongoing continuing education program. (LBH)