Mar 29, 2024  
2021-2022 Graduate Catalog 
    
2021-2022 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Graduate Admission



Admission

Admission to SUNY Oneonta is based on the academic and personal qualifications of the respective applicants without regard to race, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, disability, or status as a veteran. The selection process identifies students whose academic ability, past performance, and motivation indicate a reasonable chance for success at SUNY Oneonta.

Departments may require multiple sources of information so that they may thoroughly consider an applicant’s knowledge, abilities and suitability for a program of graduate study. At the discretion of each department, these sources may include any or all of the following: evidence of academic preparation and accomplishment; samples of academic work; letters of recommendation; a statement of professional goals; a personal interview; scores received on the GRE and equivalent tests; and evidence of professional experience related to the program of graduate study.

Admission is competitive, and meeting or exceeding the minimum admission requirements identified by programs and departments does not guarantee admission.

Admission into a Master’s Degree Program

The following items are required of students applying for a master’s degree:

  1. Evidence that they hold a baccalaureate degree or the equivalent from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants applying for graduate school before obtaining their undergraduate degrees may be accepted into a program but will need to provide evidence of the bachelor’s degree prior to the first day of classes.
  2. An application for admission to graduate study, application fee and ALL supporting documents must be submitted by published deadline dates on the graduate admissions web page. It is the responsibility of the applicant to submit required documents before deadlines. Completed applications received after the deadline will be considered based on space availability. 
  3. Submission of specific materials determined by program of study. Additional requirements are determined by the academic department and are listed on the Graduate Admissions web page and communicated at the time of application.

Students are admitted to a specific semester. Some programs allow deferral of admission to a subsequent semester. To obtain a deferral of admission, a student must submit a written request, and that request must be approved by the department offering the program. Students must begin their program in the semester for which they are accepted or in the semester to which their acceptance is deferred. Students who do not register for and attend classes in the semester for which they are accepted or to which they have had their acceptance deferred will need to re-apply.

Application Deadlines

Applications are processed on a continuing basis and are forwarded to the appropriate graduate admissions committee when they are complete. Some programs have specific application deadlines for each semester in which a graduate student can matriculate. These deadlines are included on the Graduate Admissions web page.

Additional Admissions Requirements

Certificate of Advanced Study Programs (CAS)

Currently this program is associated with the School Counselor master’s degree. All applicants must present evidence that they hold a master’s degree or the equivalent from a regionally accredited institution and possess a New York State School Counselor certificate. For students with degrees in progress, admission is contingent on presentation of an official transcript indicating conferral of degree.

Teacher Education Programs

  1. New York state mandates that all SUNY teacher preparation programs adopt college entrance assessments for admissions consideration. Effective Aug. 31, 2015, anyone submitting an application for admission is required to submit scores for either the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or an equivalent test.
  2. An undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale is required.

M.S.-Nutrition and Dietetics Program

The M.S.-Nutrition and Dietetics program integrates supervised experiential learning with graduate coursework. Students applying to the M.S.-Nutrition and Dietetics program must complete the online graduate degree application and the Nutrition and Dietetics program’s supplemental application materials available on the program web page. Please refer to the program web page for detailed information about the program and contact information for the Program Director.

International Students

International students are, by definition, those who currently hold or are seeking F1 or J1 student visas or other non-immigrant categories allowed to engage in full or part-time academic studies. In addition to the submission of the graduate application, proof of bachelor’s degree and meeting the program specific requirements, prospective international graduate students must submit the following:

  1. Proof of English proficiency if English is not the native language. A minimum iBT TOEFL score of 79 or PBT 550 or IELTS score of 6.5 is recommended for graduate admission.
  2. Official English translation and original college transcript for any transcript not in English
  3. Autobiographical essay
  4. International Student Financial Statement and the required documents to verify financial support
  5. A photocopy of the biographical page from the applicant’s current passport

Conditional Admission

Some graduate course offerings have prerequisites. Applicants who lack prerequisites and who are otherwise qualified may be conditionally admitted to graduate study with the requirement that they take undergraduate or graduate courses in addition to their regular graduate program as part of their degree requirements. The conditions of admission will be stated in the letter of admission. Students must register for any required undergraduate courses as graduate students through their graduate program. Although such courses will be assigned a grade in accordance with the undergraduate grading system, a minimum of a “B” grade is required. Any graduate student earning a grade of “B-” or below in a required undergraduate course will be subject to dismissal from the graduate degree program. If students do not meet the conditions by the date set forth in the acceptance letter their admission into the graduate program will be rescinded.

Admission to a Second Degree or Second Certificate Program

Graduate students seeking a second master’s degree should contact the department to which they are applying. Each department sets its own policies for obtaining a second master’s degree. Programs have tightly configured requirements and may not allow or have room for accommodating transfer credits.

Admission as a Non-Degree Student

Students who have earned a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent from a regionally accredited institution and who do not wish to apply to a degree program may apply for admission as a non-degree student in order to take graduate courses. A previously earned master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution is required to take coursework offered as part of an advanced certificate program. Approval to take graduate courses must be obtained by the appropriate department chair upon application as a non-degree graduate student.

Applicants are encouraged to consult with the graduate program before submitting an application. Not all courses or master’s programs are open to non-degree students.

Interested students must submit a non-degree admission application available on the website or in the Continuing Education Office, 215 Hunt Union. Applicants must include an official transcript reflecting award of a baccalaureate degree or a master’s degree in the case of coursework related to an advanced certificate. Additional supporting documentation may be required for departmental review and approval to take graduate courses as a non-degree student. No more than 12 s.h. of graduate coursework can be completed as a non-degree graduate student.

Admission as a non-degree graduate student does not guarantee future admission to a degree program, nor does it guarantee availability of courses at the time of registration. Please check with the appropriate academic department before completing coursework as a non-degree student if you plan to matriculate in a graduate program at Oneonta. Non-degree students register for classes after degree seeking students. Any coursework completed as a non-degree student is evaluated for program applicability at the time of admission if a student chooses to apply for matriculation.

Tuition for non-degree graduate students is based on the level of the course(s) in which the students enroll. Graduate courses are assessed at the graduate rate; undergraduate courses are assessed at the undergraduate rate.

Graduate and Teaching Assistantships

The College offers assistantships to some full-time graduate students who are enrolled in degree programs. Assistantships may involve tuition waivers and/or stipends. Interested applicants should contact specific departments for additional information.

Notification Dates and Deposit Requirements

A graduate committee within the department reviews the academic background and other qualifications of each candidate and makes appropriate recommendations to the Office of Graduate Admissions. All candidates receive official notification in writing. 

If there are conditions to be met prior to the admission date, the candidate must provide proof of having met the conditions to Graduate Admissions prior to registration in the program. Students who are admitted to a graduate degree program but do not plan to attend are asked to notify Graduate Admissions as soon as possible so that other students may have an opportunity for admission.

An admission deposit is required to confirm enrollment. The deposit is applied to the first semester tuition and fees. It is not refundable to students who fail to enroll or beyond the deposit due date.

Transfer Credits

Graduate students may be able to transfer up to 6 credits of coursework with the exception of students in the Literacy programs, who may be able to transfer up to 9 credits; the Dietetics program, who may be able to transfer up to 12 credits; and the Counselor Education master’s program, who may be able to transfer up to 18 credits. Acceptance of transfer credit is at the discretion of the academic department.

Only credit satisfactorily completed at regionally accredited institutions of higher education, institutions accredited by the New York State Board of Regents, or through approved external programs will be considered for transfer. Courses with earned grades of “B-” and below will not be accepted in transfer.

All requests for transfer credit at the time of admission must be indicated on the program application or by the time of deposit. Decisions concerning transferability may be deferred until student advisement occurs.

Matriculated students who subsequently wish to take credit at another institution toward their degree program must submit a prior approval form to their academic department and receive departmental approval.

Readmission

Policy

Matriculated graduate students who did not earn a SUNY Oneonta graduate degree or certificate and who withdrew, were administratively withdrawn, or were academically dismissed must apply for readmission.

Applications for readmission will be considered by the graduate admissions committee of the program to which the student is applying. Readmission is not guaranteed. Past history at the college, space availability, and academic history are all considered in addition to the new application materials.

Students will be subject to the policies and requirements in effect at the time of readmission; courses older than 6 years will not apply to degree requirements. 

Students whose dismissal resulted from a violation of the Student Code of Conduct are not eligible for readmission. Students who are academically dismissed after readmission will not be eligible for readmission another time.

Readmission Procedures

Students applying for readmission must submit:

  1. Graduate application for the appropriate program.
  2. Official transcripts of any institution attended since last enrollment.
  3. Statement explaining what changes the applicant has made to foster success.
  4. Letter of support from a faculty member in the program to which the student is applying.

Deadlines for Readmission

Applications for readmission are processed on a continuing basis and are forwarded to the appropriate graduate admissions committee when they are complete. Some programs have specific application deadlines for each semester in which a graduate student can matriculate. These deadlines are included in the application materials for individual programs.