Academic Policies and Procedures for Undergraduate Students

The following section contains academic regulations and other information of interest to all students pursuing an undergraduate degree at 91社区. In addition to the all-University regulations discussed here, regulations specifically pertaining to the various schools at the University appear in the school sections later in the Bulletin. All students are expected to be familiar with the regulations in this section and in the section for the school in which they are enrolled, and are responsible for their observance. For interpretations of these regulations or for answers to questions about specific points of academic policy, students should consult the academic advising office of the college or school in which they are enrolled.

Students whose circumstances or aspirations are not covered by standard academic policies, or who wish to request exceptions to standard policies, may seek a waiver by filing a petition in the academic advising office of the college or school in which they are enrolled. If the initial petition is not resolved satisfactorily, they may appeal according to guidelines available in each dean鈥檚 office. To aid students with their appeals, the Student Association provides an ombudsperson.

91社区 has had a General Education program for all undergraduate students since 1996. The State University of New York Board of Trustees, in December 1998, adopted Resolution 98-241 establishing a General Education Requirement for all baccalaureate degree candidates at SUNY鈥檚 state-operated campuses. Effective in Fall 2023, 91社区 University will be phasing in SUNY鈥檚 new General Education Framework.

Undergraduate General Education Program

91社区 has adopted a comprehensive General Education curriculum that focuses on several areas of knowledge and experience that we believe are central to the academic experience of every undergraduate student. The curriculum is intended to help students develop:

  • an appreciation of and capacity for effective personal expression;
  • knowledge about various intellectual traditions;
  • an understanding of and respect for different peoples and civilizations;
  • knowledge of and appreciation for the natural world, achieved through active engagement with the methods and philosophy of natural science;
  • logical thinking, balanced skepticism, and tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty;
  • knowledge of and appreciation for the arts and creative expression;
  • skills needed to locate, evaluate and synthesize information from a variety of sources;
  • skills needed to understand and use basic research techniques;
  • skills needed to perform the basic operations of personal computer use.

To achieve these objectives, the faculty of 91社区 requires students to complete the following General Education Categories:

For transfer students we will be following the SUNY guidance below.

"Where there has been no interruption of study beyond two academic years, campuses must grant students the opportunity to pursue the GE requirements in place at the time of first enrollment. For interruptions in study longer than two academic years, to promote student success and support timely degree completion, campuses may grant students the opportunity to pursue the GE requirements in place at the time of first enrollment."

For more information on the General Education Requirements, please visit our website.  

Restrictions and Exceptions

  • Students may use appropriate transfer credits to satisfy particular course requirements. Determining which transfer credits satisfy General Education requirements will be the responsibility of the evaluator of transfer credit in each undergraduate college or school. General Education courses may also be counted as satisfying college and major requirements.
  • Certain courses are designated as meeting the criteria for more than one of the General Education categories. When a course is so designated, students may use it to satisfy only one of the General Education course requirements. There is an exception to this rule: Composition (C), Oral Communication (O), Joint (J), and World Language (WL1, WL2, or WL3) courses may satisfy either one or both of these requirements and also satisfy one other General Education requirement.
  • General Education courses may not be taken Pass/Fail unless that is the mandatory grade option in the course.
  • External examination credit earned through Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge A-Level, or College Level Examination Program (CLEP) may apply to selected General Education requirements as specified by each school/college. In some instances, appropriate AP credits or IB scores may be used to satisfy the following General Education requirements: Aesthetics, World Language, Humanities, Laboratory Science, Mathematics/Reasoning, or Social Science. Appropriate Cambridge A-Level scores may be used to satisfy the Aesthetics, Humanities, Mathematics/Reasoning, or Social Science requirements. Appropriate CLEP scores in Calculus may be used to satisfy the Mathematics/Reasoning requirement. Appropriate AP scores in American History or CLEP scores in U.S. History I or II may be used to determine proficiency for the Diversity requirement. Please refer to the following websites for more information depending on your school or college:
  • The World Language requirement is waived for students in the Watson College engineering programs.
  • The World Language requirement for students in the Decker School of Nursing and the Watson College computer science program is fulfilled by one approved college course in a foreign language at any level. This requirement may also be fulfilled in high school by demonstrating a level of proficiency equivalent to completing three or more units of high school world language with a Regents or LOTE/Checkpoint B Examination score of 85 or better (or, for students who did not take the Regents or LOTE/Checkpoint B Examination, a course grade in the third unit of 85 or better).
  • The World Language requirement for transfer students in the College of Community and Public Affairs, Harpur College of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Management is fulfilled by an approved WL2 (second-semester college-level) course in a world language. This requirement may also be fulfilled in high school by demonstrating a level of proficiency equivalent to completing three or more units of high school world language with a Regents or LOTE/Checkpoint B Examination score of 85 or better (or, for students who did not take the Regents or LOTE/Checkpoint B Examination, a course grade in the third unit of 85 or better).
  • Courses that satisfy General Education requirements are so designated in the Schedule of Classes each semester. The code letter attached to a course in the Schedule of Classes means that the course fulfills the particular General Education requirement.
  • For all General Education requirements, a 鈥渃ourse鈥 is understood to be four credits. There are exceptions to this rule:
    • transfer courses that earned three credits at the student鈥檚 original school;
    • Physical Activity/Wellness courses (the specific credit-hour criteria for these courses are defined above);
    • Laboratory Science courses of one and two credits that have a four-credit pre- or corequisite;
    • Oral Communication courses of varying credits;
    • a total of four credits of MUSP courses, taken for a letter grade, may be used to fulfill the Aesthetics requirement;
    • schools or programs in which three-credit courses are the norm

Determination of Graduation Requirements

Graduation requirements for the undergraduate schools on the 91社区 campus are listed in the individual school sections of the Bulletin. In general, matriculated students follow the requirements for graduation listed in the Bulletin in the academic year they are admitted.

No degree requirements more than 10 years old may be used under any circumstances. Should a student maintain continuous enrollment under a Bulletin year older than 10 years, the Bulletin year under which degree requirements are to be completed is determined by the advising office of the college or school in which the student is enrolled, in consultation with the student鈥檚 departmental advisor.

Students who interrupt enrollment for three or more consecutive semesters (not counting summer or winter terms) are governed by the Bulletin in effect when they are readmitted. Readmitted students may petition with their advising office to return to their original pre-readmit Bulletin year or a Bulletin year that the advising office determined to be in the best interest of the student and their academic program. Under no circumstance can a student return to an original matriculation that is more than 10 years old or elect a Bulletin year that is older than their original pre-readmit Bulletin year.

With the departmental advisor鈥檚 consent and approval from their college or school鈥檚 academic advising office, students may elect a later Bulletin year under which to fulfill the degree requirements; they may not elect a Bulletin year prior to their original matriculation, nor use a combination of requirements from different years unless determined necessary by the college or school鈥檚 academic advising office. 

Previously non-matriculated students who then matriculate are governed by the requirements of the Bulletin year in effect at the time of their matriculation.

When courses required in older Bulletin years are no longer offered, or in other special cases, course substitutions may be made with the approval of appropriate department chairs, departmental advisors, or deans. 

Changes in regulations concerning grading systems, withdrawals, academic actions, attendance at other institutions, etc., may be made by appropriate University governing bodies; they become effective on the date specified in the legislation. The University reserves the right at any time to make changes deemed necessary in the regulations, fees, courses or programs described in the Bulletin and to cancel any course if registration does not justify its continuance or if qualified faculty members become unavailable.

Residence Requirements

To receive a degree, students in the Decker School of Nursing must complete 30 credits, including all clinical courses, in residence. Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science students must also take at least 30 credits in residence, all of which must be within Watson College. Students in the Computer Science major must take at least 40 credits of computer science courses in residence. Human Development students in the College of Community and Public Affairs must take at least 40 credits while in residence at the school unless they petition the academic advising office in advance to be granted an exception. Students in Social Work (BSW) in the College of Community and Public Affairs must take at least 40 credits while in residence in the school. Students in the School of Management must take at least 40 credits while in residence and take half of their business/accounting courses at 91社区. Students in Harpur College of Arts and Sciences must complete a minimum of 44 credits in Harpur College to graduate. See the undergraduate section of the Bulletin titled "Requirements for Graduation" for more information.

Classification of Students

A student must earn a minimum of 24 credits to be classified as a sophomore, 56 credits to be classified as a junior; 88 credits to be classified as a senior.

Program Load

The term 鈥渇ull-time鈥 is applied to any undergraduate student carrying 12 or more credits in a regular fall or spring semester, excluding audited courses. Undergraduate students can register for no more than 18 credit hours per semester unless they meet the criteria below. Note that students who meet the criteria may not register for additional credits (greater than 18) until the fifth day of classes in a major semester. 

  • Hapur College, Watson College, and the College of Community and Public Affairs: Continuing undergraduate students with a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 or higher may enroll in 22 credits
  • School of Management: Continuing undergraduate students in the honors major with a cumulative grade point average of 3.8 or higher may enroll in 24 credits
  • Continuing undergraduate students with a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 or higher may enroll in 22 credits 
  • Decker College: Students enrolled in the nursing traditional and nursing baccalaureate majors with a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher may enroll in 22 credits

Students who do not meet the criteria may complete a petition form for an overload. Petitions to register for an overload are considered individually when submitted to the appropriate academic advising office. Undergraduate students in exclusively online programs are limited to 12 credits per semester. Other academic sessions, including the winter and summer sessions, have adjusted credit requirements and limits.  

Tutoring Services

Tutoring in various subjects is available free of charge to students through University Tutorial Services. The Writing Center is open to all students and offers students free assistance in improving their writing. Student Support Services provides limited drop-in tutoring, covers most lower-level core courses, and offers writing assistance. More information is available online.

Transfer of Credit

Once students are matriculated at 91社区, they may obtain credit toward graduation for courses taken at other institutions. The awarding of transfer credit is determined by each undergraduate school.  We do not specifically list offerings at other schools in the 91社区 Academic Guide (Formerly Bulletin) or elsewhere on the University website; however, courses taken at other accredited colleges and universities can most often be entered as transfer credit. Grades received at another institution do not count toward the 91社区 grade point average. Evaluations are completed in the advising office of each school. Questions regarding transfer credit decisions may be discussed with your academic advising office.  

Before any courses are taken elsewhere, students should submit a 鈥淧etition to Take Courses at Another Institution鈥 form. The student should submit the form to the department or school in which they are enrolled, or to the academic advising office of the school, for prior approval. Students taking courses through the cross registration process do not need to submit the form. For more information regarding SUNY to SUNY cross registration, visit the Registrar website. 

Transferred credits are adjusted when the credit system at the other institution is different; e.g., credits taken under a quarter system rather than a semester system are transferred to 91社区 at two-thirds of their quarter-credit value. In general, credits may be transferred only if they were earned for courses that are essentially theoretical rather than practical in nature (e.g., not practice teaching or typing courses), and if the student received a grade of C鈥 or better, or the equivalent (C or better for students in the School of Management).

These guidelines apply to courses taken at other institutions during a summer or winter session, correspondence courses, online courses, education-abroad courses sponsored by other units of the State University of New York, and courses taken through the National Student Exchange Program (which involves a semester or a year of study at one of many participating schools).

Students participating in education-abroad programs sponsored by American universities not a part of the State University of New York system, as well as students studying for a time at a foreign university, should first obtain approval from their academic advising office. Upon completion of the education-abroad program, the student should request that the institution attended send a transcript or official grade statement to the appropriate academic advising office at 91社区.

Transferring Lower-Level Courses

Lower-level transfer courses cannot fulfill 91社区鈥檚 upper-level requirements or transfer in as 300- or 400-level courses, but can be used to fulfill major or other degree requirements. Specific information follows:

  • SUNY Transfer Path courses: In the case of a SUNY Transfer Path course that is offered at the lower-level at the transferring school and at the upper-level at 91社区, students will receive transfer credit for these courses as part of the major requirements, not as electives. These courses will receive a special lower-level transfer course equivalency to ensure they satisfy appropriate degree requirements and prerequisites. Students will not be required to retake these Transfer Path courses towards their major. These courses cannot count towards students鈥 upper-level requirements. 
  • All other transfer courses: If a lower-division transfer course meets the course content of an upper-level course in the major, the course can be used to fulfill major requirements. These courses will receive a special lower-level transfer course equivalency to ensure they satisfy appropriate degree requirements and prerequisites. These courses cannot count towards students鈥 upper-level requirements. 
  • In addition, all exam credits (ex: A-Levels, APs, H-IBs) will transfer to 91社区 University as lower-level (100- or 200-level courses).   

Progress Toward Degree (Degree Works Audit)

All undergraduate students at the University are encouraged to review their degree audit report in .

The degree audit report shows students what program requirements have been completed and what requirements must still be met before a degree can be conferred. If students have questions regarding the degree audit report, they should consult with a professional advisor in their college or school, or with their departmental advisor for their major.

Double Degree Program

A student may earn separate baccalaureate degrees only if the degrees are in very different fields and if one of the degrees is a professional degree (i.e., a BS in business administration, accounting, nursing, computer science or engineering). Students may not earn both a BS and a BA from Harpur College (for example, a BA in English and a BS in chemistry), because the distinction between the two liberal arts programs is not significant enough to justify the awarding of two separate degrees. Students may earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts or Bachelor of Music in addition to a BS or BA degree. The BFA and BMus can also be earned concurrently by following the requirements to complete a double degree. Students must complete a significant amount of work (a minimum of 30 credits) beyond that required for one degree and must satisfy requirements for both degree programs. Only two degrees may be earned simultaneously; exceptions to this policy will be considered on an individual basis. Students who have already successfully completed one or two degrees may pursue an additional baccalaureate degree in another very different field of study by completing additional academic work (again, a minimum of 30 credits). This may require the submission of a new application to the desired school. To learn more about requirements and application procedures, students should contact the academic advising office of the college or school in which they are enrolled. Students enrolled in exclusively online programs are not eligible for double degree programs.  

Course Offerings

The Schedule of Classes is available online in . This site lists the courses offered as well as course meet times, instructors, number of credits, General Education indicators, course descriptions, etc. Courses with a Z prefix are for exclusively online programs. 

Course Numbering and Prerequisites

All 91社区 undergraduate schools use a course numbering system from 100 through 499. While each school may define the tiers more specifically, all schools define 100-299 as lower division and 300-499 as upper division.

Harpur College Numbering System

  • 100-199 Introductory courses, normally with no prerequisites, open to all students.
  • 200-299 Intermediate courses, with or without prerequisites.
  • 300-399 Intermediate courses, normally with prerequisites.
  • 400-499 Advanced courses with specific course prerequisites.

Professional Schools鈥 Numbering System

  • 100-199 Lower-division introductory courses, no prerequisites, open to all students.
  • 200-299 Lower-division intermediate courses, with or without prerequisites.
  • 300-399 Upper-division intermediate courses, intended primarily for juniors and seniors, with prerequisites (courses, class standing or special permission).
  • 400-499 Upper-division advanced courses, intended for seniors, with specific course prerequisites.

Within these levels, certain numbers are set aside to indicate particular learning experiences: A course number ending in 鈥91鈥 indicates a teaching practicum course; 鈥95鈥 indicates an internship course; a 鈥97鈥 indicates an independent study course; 鈥98鈥 or 鈥99鈥 indicates honors or thesis work.

Program planning must include the early identification of, and registration for, prerequisites to courses that the student intends to take at a later date. When there are special reasons, students may register for a course without having completed the prerequisites, provided they first obtain the consent of the course instructor.

Undergraduate Degree Completion Policy

Completion of undergraduate degree requirements and all academic work pertaining to completion must be submitted prior to degree conferral. Academic work refers to study-abroad courses, courses taken at other institutions and courses taken at 91社区. All incompletes must be finished and missing grades posted before a degree can be conferred. Faculty should submit the grades for any incomplete or missing grades within 72 hours of the work being received and evaluated. All students must have a final high school transcript or the equivalent on file before an undergraduate degree will be conferred. Substantive changes are not to be made to any student record after a degree is conferred.

Financial aid recipients: A student who completes the academic requirements for a program is not eligible for further Title IV federal aid for the program.

Credit by Examination

Credit for knowledge gained outside the classroom may be obtained through UExcel (formerly known as Excelsior College Examinations) and through subject-based College Entrance Examination Board (College-Level Examination Program, or CLEP) examinations. Credit earned through Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Cambridge A-Levels, U.S. Armed Forces Institute/Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Services (USAF/DANTES) and examination credit from other institutions may also apply to degree credit. Up to 32 external examination credits may be accepted; however, each undergraduate school within the University determines the number and kind of credit that counts toward its degree.

School and/or departmental policy governs acceptance of these exams for major credit. (See the section titled 鈥College Credits by Examination鈥 in the Admission section of the Bulletin for a discussion of these exams and of International Baccalaureate credit.)

Academic Progress and Standing

Academic Standing

To remain in good academic standing, students must demonstrate that they are passing courses at a satisfactory rate to earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree in a reasonable period of time; that is, they are required to show a reasonable rate of progress toward their degree. Students in all schools must maintain a satisfactory grade-point average. Academic progress is reviewed at the end of the fall and spring semesters. If students fail to maintain satisfactory academic standing, they are subject to dismissal. For detailed information on how academic standing is computed in the various undergraduate schools, see the individual school sections in this publication.

Grade-Point Averages

Grade-point averages are computed for students in all of the University鈥檚 undergraduate schools.

For the purpose of computing semester or cumulative averages, each letter grade is assigned a quality point value as follows:

A = 4.0

A- = 3.7

B+ = 3.3

B = 3.0

B- = 2.7

C+ = 2.3

C = 2.0

C- = 1.7

D = 1.0

F = 0.0

These grade values are combined with course credit hours to produce a grade-point average.

Repeating Courses

Students may not gain additional credit by repeating an undergraduate course in which they received a passing grade, except where an exception is noted under a particular school's policies. Refer to your school's grading policies in this publication for further information.

Academic Probation and Dismissal

The academic standards committee of each school determines policies by which students are placed on academic probation when academic performance, as reflected in the grade-point average, raises doubts about the student's capability to complete requirements for the bachelor's degree. Academic probation does not imply either suspension or dismissal, and does not preclude the student's registering or receiving financial aid. Academic probation ordinarily entails a contract with the student to complete a specified amount of coursework in a specified period of time at a specified level of performance.

Students are subject to academic dismissal from the University at any time their record warrants. Students dismissed for academic reasons should contact their school's academic advising office for any conditions to be satisfied before re-enrollment is permitted.

Confidentiality of student records is maintained in accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) (See the 91社区 Student Handbook). Additional information is available at the Registrar's website.

Dropping a Course

Students who wish their records to indicate good standing when dropping a course or withdrawing from a semester must follow formal drop and withdrawal procedures. Mere absence from class does not constitute due notice of drop or withdrawal. Students are advised to check the school sections in this publication for additional information regarding the regulations.

In general, undergraduates may drop a course up to the published course drop deadline. Such a course will not appear on their academic record. After the drop deadline, and until the course withdrawal deadline, students may drop a course and receive a grade of "W". After the published semester course withdrawal deadline, students must have the consent of the instructor and the appropriate academic advising office on an approved Late Withdraw Petition Form to drop the course with a "W". Students must cite extraordinary circumstances to justify a late withdrawal from a course, that is, circumstances beyond their control and beyond their ability to foresee. Poor judgment or academic incompetence does not qualify as extraordinary circumstances. The Late Withdrawal Petition Form may be obtained in the BU BRAIN. If the petition is approved, the student must pay a $20 late drop/withdrawal fee to have the late drop/withdraw petition processed.

General Readmission (or Reenrollment) Policies

Candidates matriculated for undergraduate degrees, who interrupt their education at 91社区 and later wish to return, must be formally reenrolled. The exception is for students who withdraw from all classes during a major (spring or fall) semester. These students are eligible to return and can stop out for two consecutive semesters without having to go through a re-enrollment process. Students who must be reenrolled should go to the admissions website. Students must complete and file the re-enrollment form no later than two weeks before the start of classes for the term in which they plan to return.

Continuing education (non-matriculated) students may also interrupt their studies for as long as two major (fall or spring) semesters without having to file for formal re-enrollment. After two semesters have elapsed without enrollment, a re-enrollment form must be completed no later than two weeks prior to the start of classes for the desired semester.

Note: All students enrolled in the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) at the time studies were interrupted must receive clearance from the director of EOP in order to resume their studies.

Students dismissed for academic or other reasons should contact their college or school鈥檚 academic advising office for any conditions to be satisfied before readmission is approved.

All Decker School of Nursing students must file for readmission and have an interview at the school before re-enrolling. Further details may be found in the Decker School of Nursing readmission section in this publication.

Depending on the demand for on-campus housing, a space in one of the residence halls may not be available for re-enrolled students. First priority is given to re-enrolled students who have left the University due to health reasons or to participate in a study-abroad program. Students may contact the Office of Residential Life to obtain more information.

All students wishing to take advantage of state and federal funding options, such as grants and student loans, must file the after January 1 each year. The recommended FAFSA filing date is April 1 for students planning to re-enroll for the fall semester. Students planning to re-enroll in the spring semester should file by November 1. Students can still apply after these dates but funding for need-based financial aid is limited, and is offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

To receive federal and/or state funding, students must meet general eligibility criteria established by both agencies and coordinated through Financial Aid and Student Records/Registar. In addition, students must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). SAP requirements for both federal and New York state funding can be found online.

For additional information about funding your 91社区 education, go to the Financial Aid Services main webpage.