Frequently Asked Questions
Alternative Methods of Earning College Credit
Earning college credit is not restricted to the classroom. At Buffalo State, there are several options that can vastly accelerate the pace of your college degree without sacrificing its quality. These options can be of particular interest to adult and evening students. You can receive as many as 45 college credits through these alternative sources.
- Advanced Placement Examinations
- Contract
- Course Challenge
- Courses from non-collegiate organizations
- Courses from proprietary institutions
- Credit by Evaluation
- Credit for Experiential Learning
- Cross-Registration
- Independent Study (499)
- Internship (488)
- Military Service Educational Experience
- Off-Campus Study (To take summer courses at a different campus)
- Project (495)
- Published examinations
- Topics Courses (189 and 389)
- Transfer Students
Campus Policies and Procedures
Advanced Placement Examinations
Credit may be granted for acceptable scores in approved advanced placement examinations, provided the subjects meet the curricular requirements of the specialized units of the college. Approved examinations include:
- New York State College Proficiency Examinations (CPEP)
- College Entrance Examination Board Advanced Placement Examinations (AP)
- College Entrance Examination Board College Level Examinations (CLEP)
Students receiving the lowest passing grade may be admitted to an advanced course but will receive no credit for the beginning course that was exempted. All other passing grades carry college credit. Before taking such an examination for credit, students already enrolled at the college must receive advance approval from the appropriate department chair. When the examination subject is the same as or overlaps a college course already credited, no new credit will be granted. Contact the Admissions Office Moot Hall (716/878-5713 ).
Taking a course by contract is one form of independent study open to students who have reached sophomore level and are in good academic standing. If a course is not offered in a given semester, students may request to take a course by contract. Application forms are available in the academic department and the Registrar’s Office, Moot Hall, and must be filed with that office by the deadline published in the class schedule each semester. Both the instructor and the department chair must sign applications.
Students are provided with a course outline, bibliography, statement of responsibilities, and dates by which responsibilities are to be met. Students may then pursue the course independently under the guidance of a faculty member. The number of conferences, type of evaluation, and culminating activity will be decided by the faculty member and the student before registering for the course. These requirements must be filed with the department chair.
Freshmen are also eligible to take courses by contract under special circumstances. They may do so if:
- They are in their second semester of a one-year course and have a grade of A or B in the first semester part of the course.
- They have successfully challenged the preceding course in the sequence.
- They have entered the college with excellent high-school records or have done honors work in pertinent fields in high school.
Up to 45 credit hours may be accepted from the following sources:
|
Source |
Maximum Credit Hours |
|
Published examinations |
30 |
|
Course challenge |
30 |
|
Military service courses |
15 |
|
Non-collegiate institutions |
15 |
|
Proprietary institutions |
15 |
Included in this category are nationally given subject and general examinations sponsored by the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Advanced Placement Program (APP), and College Proficiency Examination (CPE). Passing grades are required for credit.
Each department determines which courses may be challenged by examination. Matriculated undergraduate students may earn credit hours by challenging the specially designated courses. The following rules apply:
- Total challenge credit may not exceed 30 credit hours.
- A course in which a student is currently enrolled may not be challenged.
- A course may not be challenged more than once.
- Credit earned will be recorded as credit (CR) only rather than by grade.
- No credit will be awarded when the challenged area duplicated an area for which credit already has been awarded.
- A student must be matriculated to register for a course challenge
Up to 15 college credit hours may be awarded for education received through military service, specialty schools, technical training schools, and basic training programs. Request for such credit should be made to the Admissions Office, Moot Hall. Documents showing completion of such courses should accompany all requests.
Evaluation of this experience is based on its relation to college degree requirements and recommendations suggested by the American Council on Education Credit Manual.
Courses from non-collegiate organizations
For credits to be granted, the institution must be approved by the State Education Department and listed in its Guide to Educational Programs in Non-collegiate Organizations. Non-collegiate organizations are those whose primary function is not education, such as the American Institute of Banking. Such credit applies primarily to the major and is determined by the appropriate department.
Courses from Proprietary Institutions
Proprietary credit is applied primarily to the major and is determined by the appropriate department.
Credit for Experiential Learning
Credit for college-level experiential learning is available. Matriculated students who consider their previous learning experience as college-level creditable may enroll in INS 300 Educational Assessment and Portfolio Development. This course is open to matriculated students who must attend an information session in August to become familiar with the portfolio development process. In INS 300W, students will conduct a self-appraisal and inventory of all potentially creditable prior learning. The portfolio will be treated as an application to appropriate departments for the award of college credit.
Within the guidelines noted below, credit for experiential learning follows essentially the same principle as transfer credit; students may receive credit for knowledge gained elsewhere. Students may receive a maximum of 30 credit hours. Credit will be awarded on the basis of its correspondence to existing Buffalo State courses. Credit earned will be recorded as credit (CR) only, rather than by grade.
For information regarding credit for experiential learning, students should contact the Individualized Studies coordinator, South Wing 310 (716/878-5303.
Students who have reached the sophomore level may take courses at any public or private college in Western New York with which Buffalo State has a cross-registration relationship for degree credit as long as they maintain a 12-credit-hour courseload at Buffalo State. They may enroll for no more than one course elsewhere in any semester. Students who fall below the 12-credit-hour courseload at the college will forfeit any credit hours earned at another institution that semester under the cross-registration procedure.
Students wishing to take a course on another campus that will apply toward a major must receive permission from the department chair. Cross-registration approval forms are available in the Registrar's Office, Moot Hall, and must be signed by the student’s advisor and returned to the Registrar’s Office for signature. Students must then take the signed cross-registration approval to the appropriate campus where they must register according to the procedures of that campus.
Transcripts are forwarded automatically to Buffalo State at the end of the semester. Courses taken through cross-registration are recorded as if they had been taken at Buffalo State (credit hours and grade counts in cumulative GPA).
There is no cross-registration during the summer.
Western New York Consortium Participants
- Canisius College
- Daemen College
- D'Youville College
- Empire State College
- Erie County Community College; City-North-South Campus
- Genesee Community College
- Hilbert College
- Houghton College-Main Campus
- Jamestown Community College
- Medaille College
- Niagara County Community College
- Niagara University
- St. Bonaventure University
- SUNY at Fredonia *
- SUNY at Alfred
- SUNY at Buffalo *
- Trocaire College
- Villa Maria College
Western New York Consortium of Registrar's (for detailed information about each partipating college including their policy & procedures and deadlines)
* Only SUNY @ Fredonia and SUNY @ Buffalo participate in Graduate Cross Registration with Buffalo State College
Independent study provides students with the opportunity to pursue a topic that may be covered only briefly or not at all in regular course offerings. Students may choose a faculty sponsor who is an expert in the selected topic and together determine all aspects of the study, including the method of evaluation. The chair of the sponsoring department must approve the description of the study.
Students electing to do independent study should have a degree of knowledge in the area they have chosen, in addition to a strong motivation to work alone much of the time. Independent study is never a substitute for a course already being offered that term.
Specific requirements for independent study:
- Sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have successfully completed basic courses or their equivalent in the area of study chosen are eligible to participate. They need a minimum GPA of 2.0 and a minimum GPA of 2.0 the previous semester, plus a minimum GPA of 2.0 in work completed in the selected area. Freshmen who have successful advanced preparation in the selected area may also be allowed this option.
- The study must be relevant to the student’s total program, and the student must derive special benefit from supervision by the college staff. The study must meet standards established for such programs by the department or program.
- No independent study may be undertaken for fewer than 3 credit hours. A maximum of 30 credit hours in all areas may be taken independently by a student. No more than two independent studies may be taken in one semester.
Further information is available from the department chair and program coordinator. Application forms are available in the academic department and the Registrar’s Office, Moot Hall, and must be filed with that office by the deadline date published in the class schedule each semester.
Internship programs provide students with guided and supervised field experiences (experiential learning) as part of their degree programs. Students who wish to participate in the program must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 and a background of courses or experience within the area of interest. Approval for experiential learning situations must be obtained from either the student’s advisor or the chair of the department within which the student is a major, the supervising faculty member, and the chair of the department within which credit will be granted. An individual student will be permitted to apply a maximum of 15 credit hours toward the baccalaureate degree.
Courses may be taken at other institutions for transfer credit as long as prior approval from the department chair is obtained and the proper forms from the Registrar’s Office, Moot Hall, are completed and returned to that office.
Students are urged to have transcripts of all coursework completed elsewhere forwarded to the Registrar’s Office as soon as possible. Coursework undertaken elsewhere, other than by cross-registration, will be recorded as transfer credit on the college transcript.
Upper-division students may undertake a project related to a required course for up to 3 credit hours per project. No more than 6 credit hours of academic project work is allowed. Application forms are available in the academic department and the Registrar’s Office, Moot Hall, and must be filed with that office by the deadline date published in the class schedule each semester.
The topics format provides the opportunity for in-depth study and examination of rapidly and significantly changing disciplinary issues, topics, or practices, and may be used to accommodate requests of external agencies or the specialized resources of visiting faculty members. Students may accumulate a maximum of 9 credit hours in one discipline.
Credit hours previously earned will be evaluated for all transfer students upon receipt of official transcripts, and all transfers will receive a copy of this evaluation. A maximum of 91 credit hours may be transferred from other accredited institutions, with no more than 66 credit hours transferred from two-year colleges.
All passing grades will be evaluated on the same basis as grades earned by students at this college.
Most credit hours earned at other institutions will be accepted, although the college cannot guarantee how credit hours earned at two-year institutions will relate to bachelor' degree requirements. The most common cases in which transfer credit hours are not accepted follow:
- Secretarial science courses (except for transfers in the business education or office administration majors).
- Developmental courses in mathematics, English, and learning skills.
- Courses in theology or religion with sectarian emphasis.
Only credit is transferable. Grades, quality points, and cumulative averages do not transfer.
The evaluation of transfer credit hours is recorded in Degree Navigator, the audit system located at http://www.buffalostate.edu/registrar/dn4student.xml. The system records the major and general college requirements that have already been fulfilled, and those that remain.
Departments reserve the right to refuse to accept transfer credit hours in fulfillment of their own major requirements. Whether or not a course fulfills a major requirement may be open to discussion with the department chair or academic advisor, and it is useful to have a copy of the catalog from the previous institution available.
ADVISING
Academic Advising is an important service provided by the college to assist students in developing and realizing their academic potential. The advising process provides students with the information needed to make informed decisions to progress satisfactorily through a degree program, or, in the case of a student who has not as yet declared a major, to provide information to facilitate their entrance into a major.
An important component of the advising process is the relationship developed by the advisor and student. The advisor helps students formulate an academic plan, explains general education and major requirements, monitors the student's academic progress, recommends opportunities for personal and academic growth and development, interprets college policies and procedures, and refers students to campus resources and services when required.
The advising process is two-sided. The ultimate responsibility for making decisions about goals and educational plans rests with the individual student based on the information and advice provided by the advisor and career counselor. The advisor and career counselor aid the student's decision-making process and help to identify and assess alternatives and the consequences of decisions.
Academic advising is mandatory at Buffalo State College and students are encouraged to contact their advisor early in the semester to discuss their academic progress.
How is an advisor assigned to a student?
Students who have declared an academic major are assigned an advisor within the department.
Undeclared students who are affiliated with specific programs, such as EOP., Services for Students with Disabilities, SSSP, or Academic Intervention are assigned an advisor within the program.
Undeclared students not affiliated with any of the above programs are provided an advisor through the University College Academic Advising Center. Advisors are assigned to students based on the student's major interest or career goals.
Establishing a good advisor/advisee relationship is essential. There are times that schedules, personalities, etc. may make it difficult to establish a productive advisor/advisee relationship. If a student experiences incompatibility, they are encouraged to discuss, with the chair of the department or program director, possible reassignment to another advisor.
What is the advisor's role in advising?
The Academic Advisor:
- Helps students to define & to develop realistic academic & career goals.
- Assists students in planning a reasonable program toward timely graduation.
- Is knowledgeable about college policies and procedures and explains them to students.
- Establishes & maintains an accessible schedule.
- Refers students to support services when appropriate.
- Acts as a liaison between the institution and the student.
What is the student's role in advising?
Students should:
- Know the policies & procedures in the College Catalog, which is their contract with the college.
- Access Degree Navigator to evaluate their progress & the placement of required courses.
- Define & develop their career goals realistically.
- Attend advising sessions regularly & reschedule promptly when they must cancel.
- Use support services to improve their academic experience.
- Read all mail from electronic & hard copy notices from the college.
When meeting with the advisor:
- Be Prepared.
- Read and become familiar with the catalog and your program.
- Review program requirements and choose courses before your advisement appointment that satisfy those requirements.
- Choose alternative schedules.
- Ask clarifying questions until you understand.
- Retain copies of schedule forms, progress reports, evaluations, receipts, and other important documents in a file.
- Most importantly....Be Advised!!!
Why is academic advisement mandatory each semester?
To progress satisfactorily through a degree program, each student must have available ample and accurate academic advisement, tailored to their educational needs. Academic advising is a function considerably broader than assistance with course scheduling. It is a process which helps students interpret the values and benefits of higher education, assists students in their choice of educational and career objectives commensurate with interests and abilities, and examines the consequences of possible short- and long-range goals.
Each semester, students meet with their advisor to review academic progress while making informed decisions regarding coursework for an upcoming semester. Advisors can offer more than a signature on a class pre-registration schedule. They are knowledgeable about institutional requirements and are aware of the support services available. Advisors in the University College Academic Advising Center assist undeclared students in selecting a major. They also assist students who may be questioning the choice of a major. Students should contact their academic advisor at least 5 weeks in advance if they want to declare the major.
How can a student contact his/her advisor?
Undeclared students can contact their advisor by visiting or calling the office the department they are affiliated with as noted below:
|
PROGRAM |
LOCATION |
PHONE (716) |
|
Academic Intervention Program |
South Wing 100 |
878-3734 |
|
EOP (Educational Opportunity Program) |
South Wing 610 |
878-4426 |
|
Services for Students with Disabilities |
South Wing 120 |
878-4500 |
|
SSSP (Student Support Services Program) |
South Wing 210 |
878-4042 |
|
University College Academic Advising Center |
South Wing 100 |
878-5223 |
A student, with their advisor's input, should formulate a plan tailored to the individual student's interests, abilities and goals. Devising a plan will help a student organize a tentative path to graduation while setting academic goals and organizing a course of study.
How does a student select courses and/or plan a course schedule?
Selecting courses is the important part of the registration process, since it requires planning and thought to ensure that selected courses meet the student's academic goals and the college's requirements.
Students who have developed an academic plan with their advisor will be able to select courses that meet general requirements. These courses can fulfill the requirements for many majors and allow flexibility if students are undecided or change their major later.
When making decisions about course selection, advisors will help students in answering some of the following questions:
-
Do the courses fulfill a general education or major requirement?
-
Do these courses follow the student's academic plan?
-
Are there any prerequisite courses that must be taken first?
-
Based on the student's past experience, does the student have the ability to succeed in these courses?
-
Will these courses help the student achieve his/her academic goals?
Planning a course schedule involves selecting times that best fit a student's personal schedule. Balancing work, school and other obligations is a challenge for many students. Time management is an especially important skill to cultivate. Students need to plan their course selection around these commitments. Many students benefit from completing a trial schedule to map out possible class schedules to plot their time obligations - class, work, family, social life, etc. Course availability will vary and students will want to be flexible with their schedules to graduate on time.
How does a student register for classes?
Using their campus NT username and password, students logon to BANNER.
Check out these links for more information.
Degree Navigator is Buffalo State's web-based student audit system. It shows the requirements of a student's academic program, completed courses, current course enrollment, course placement and any deficiencies. The system allows students and academic advisors to access and retrieve academic program information, from both on and off campus. Students can use it to check grades, review where they are at with academic requirements, and see how close they are to graduation.
Students can access Degree Navigator at http://www.buffalostate.edu/registrar/dn4student.xml
How does a student request a course placement change in Degree Navigator?
It is important to remember that Degree Navigator is a computer software program. If there is incorrect information in the full report, it is most likely because the information in the computer is incomplete or simply inaccurate.
Any questions or concerns should be addressed by emailing audit@buffalostate.edu.The email is monitored daily.
Students should follow the procedures below for requesting Degree Navigator changes to student audits:
-
Incorrect placement of courses in the Major: Contact the Major Department’s Audit Administrator
-
For any students inquiring about Transfer Courses, High School Credit, and AA/AS General Waivers: Contact Admissions: 878-5713, Moot Hall 110
-
Placement of courses in the General Education Area, General Questions on Audit Behavior: Contact Audit@buffalostate.edu
- The example below shows how to submit changes to Audit@buffalostate.edu:
- Student Name: example- David Kinney
- Subject Major Code: example- 0115
- Student username: example- kinndn11
- Student Gen Ed: example- GE2K
- Be sure to include a brief description of the problem: example- COM205 shows as Core Humanities and it should be placed in the major concentration.
Choosing a Major
Where can a student get help deciding on or selecting a major?
Buffalo State's Career Development Center(CDC) offers a wealth of information on careers, career planning, career counseling and guidance.
Students can make an appointment with a career counselor to discuss any career planning concerns by calling (716) 878-5811, or stopping by Grover Cleveland Hall 306. After discussing career planning concerns with a career counselor, students may have the opportunity to take a personality or an interest inventory to help identify appropriate career options, such as DISCOVER.
DISCOVER is an interactive computer-assisted career guidance system that provides information about occupations, schools, and academic majors. It helps students learn more about themselves and identify occupations that may be right for them. The DISCOVER system can help with:
- Learning about the World of Work.
- Identifying work-related interests, abilities, and values.
- Finding and investigating occupations (over 500 descriptions).
- Choosing or changing a major.
- Researching graduate and professional schools.
The CDC has up-to-date reference information and is a student's best source for detailed career information for each of the Buffalo State majors. Books, brochures, and magazine articles are categorized by majors for review.
Students are also encouraged to browse the undergraduate majors section of the Buffalo State website. The individual major sites contain information about the degree programs offered, the department location, information about the department, a program fact sheet with information on career opportunities.
How does a student declare a major?
Students complete a "Change or Commit Form for Major, Minor, Second Major, Dual Degree" form available in the department of the major they would like to declare.
Campus Policies and Procedures
Academic Standards - assistance related to academic progress and financial aid eligibility
Academic Progress & Financial Aid - important factors in a student's ability to receive financial aid
Dates and Deadlines - Fall through Summer Academic Calendar
Graduate and Undergraduate Catalog - The college catalogs are available in PDF format. In order to view PDF files you must have Adobe's free Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. Click on the link to install.