Graduate Enrollment Policies

Students who have been admitted for graduate study will want to carefully review and consider the following enrollment policies.

Exceptions to Enrollment policies are made for summer only and special programs.

International Student Enrollment Policies and Guidelines

Generally, international students who wish to study in the U.S. have a valid F-1 visa that allows them to legally enter, live, and study in the U.S. (Canadian citizens are not required to have an F-1 visa in their passport to enter the United States to study; however, Canadians are required to have a valid passport, Form I-20, and supporting documentation.) International students, including Canadians, who have been admitted to SUNY Potsdam must provide financial documentation proving they and/or their families have sufficient financial resources to cover their educational expenses including living and personal expenses. The Form I-20 is normally issued during the admission process and is required to complete the visa process. For more information about F-1 status and visa, please contact staff in International Education & Programs, international@potsdam.edu, 315-267-2507.

International graduate students, including Canadians, are required by F-1 U.S. immigration regulations to ‘maintain status’. By signing the Form I-20, an F-1 status student is indicating they have read and understand the terms and conditions of F-1 status. Students must pursue a full course of study each semester; international graduate students must be registered for a minimum of 9 credits at all times throughout the semester.

F-1 status students must follow both immigration and campus policies and procedures to transfer schools or change programs of study, change educational levels, and extend or shorten their program. In addition, international F-1status students must abide by grace period rules, report a change of address in a timely manner, and receive proper authorization before engaging in any type of internship, practicum, placement, or other paid or unpaid training activity off-campus. It is the responsibility of every international student to know and understand the F-1 immigration regulations in order to maintain legal status, and staff in the International Education & Programs office are available to educate, inform, and assist international students with immigration questions and concerns. International Education & Programs staff, are also available to assist students with cultural and academic transitioning related to living and studying in the U.S. For more information and assistance, please contact staff in International Education & Programs, international@potsdam.edu, 315-267-2507.

Academic Performance of Graduate Students

Graduate students are personally responsible for familiarizing themselves with the requirements of admission, registration, matriculation, and the application for their degree. They are also expected to become familiar with academic regulations regarding effective standards of communication, maintain academic integrity in the submission of their work, and show evidence of the ability to use research tools. The maintenance of competencies in these areas is requisite for satisfactory completion of any graduate course in any master’s degree program. In addition, Master of Science for Teachers students are expected to read, and agree to follow policies in the Guide to Student Teaching, available online here.

Advisement

As part of the graduate experience at SUNY Potsdam, students will be assigned an academic program adviser. Graduate students are required to read, understand and retain all materials sent to them during the admission and onboarding process. They are also required to meet with their adviser upon acceptance into the program in order to plan a timeframe for completion of the program and to complete the Approved Program of Studies form. Advisement forms must be completed and submitted to the Office of Graduate & Continuing Education by the end of the first week of classes. Failure to submit this form will result in registration holds for future semesters. The purpose of this is to help with planning and scheduling student coursework and educational experiences so that students might best accomplish their professional goals. The Advisement forms are also utilized in the degree audit process. To make the most of the advisement process, it is strongly recommended that students contact their adviser as soon as possible after assignments have been made. Due to limited availability of advisers during the summer, it is strongly recommended that students attempt to meet with advisers during the academic year.

Candidates will only be considered fully matriculated after the Approval Program of Studies form has been completed with the student’s adviser and filed with the Office of Graduate & Continuing Education.

Course Substitutions

There are multiple instances whereby a specific course may be substituted or waived based upon a student’s prior academic or work experiences. Each instance is outlined below. In all instances, a course substitution form must be completed (can be obtained by visiting the Center for Graduate Studies or here) with proper documentation and approvals of the substitution being sought.

1. SUNY Potsdam to SUNY Potsdam course substitutions: A program course requirement is being substituted with another existing SUNY Potsdam course or independent study. The justification for the substitution must be included with the request.
2. Program course requirement waiver: A program course requirement is waived based upon prior academic or professional experiences. Another course must substitute this waiver so that total required program hours may be met.
3. Transfer courses (external coursework): Approved credit hours completed at other institutions may be used to satisfy degree requirements within the following restrictions.

Credits transferred from another institution are accepted at the discretion of the department granting the degree and must meet the following: Upon evaluation, courses to be transferred are judged to be equal in scope and content to those offered by this College. Only graduate credit earned at accredited institutions is acceptable for transfer credit. The grades earned must be at the 3.0 level or above (based on a system where A=4.0). The transfer grade is not included in the student’s SUNY Potsdam GPA. Students must contact the Office of Graduate & Continuing Education to begin transfer requests.

Matriculated students planning to enroll in transfer courses at another institution must obtain prior approval for such courses from their adviser. Evaluation and approval must be requested in advance of registration for the course. A catalog description for each course must accompany requests for transfer credit. Transfer credit is not formally applied to the degree program until the student has achieved Full Admission. An official transcript confirming completion of the work must be submitted to the Office of Graduate & Continuing Education. This policy applies whether or not courses have been used to satisfy another graduate degree from SUNY Potsdam or elsewhere. Courses taken to complete a previous Master’s Degree at SUNY Potsdam will be treated as transfer courses in accordance with this policy.

Auditing Courses

Regularly enrolled students or other members of the community may audit courses on a space-available basis and the permission of the instructor. Auditors attend without credit or formal recognition. They are not enrolled or listed as registered for the course. To be approved to audit a course, a student must formally apply. Applications may be obtained in the Office of Graduate & Continuing Education.

Graduate Studies students auditing courses are not responsible for meeting requirements of the course, nor will they be charged tuition or fees. No one may be an auditor in a foreign study program or in courses in which studio, observation or other participation is involved.

Independent Studies (Tutorials)

In some cases, students may complete an independent study in lieu of registering for a specific class with a faculty member. Courses taught in this fashion may not be identical to a regular class being offered in the same term. Completing an independent study may satisfy or substitute a specific program requirement. Faculty members must agree to conduct an independent study first before proceeding to the following steps:

1. Students must complete, with the faculty member, a “Proposal for Banner Tutorial” form . A signed copy must be submitted to the Office of Graduate & Continuing Education with each section of the form completed.
2. A course substitution form must also be completed and submitted with the form in step 1. This must be completed with the student’s academic adviser.The form must include justification for completion of the independent study.
3. The Office of Graduate & Continuing Education and the sponsoring faculty member will create the course and register the student after all approvals have been met.

Student Teaching Eligibility

Students must complete all prerequisites/content core requirement(s) and program coursework before the student teaching semester. Candidates should also note that additional College courses may not be taken during student teaching and that employment is also strongly discouraged. In order to enroll in student teaching or be recommended for a teaching certificate, candidates must attain a minimum of 3.0 grade-point average (GPA) in their MST coursework and at least a 2.0 in any core content coursework.

Candidates must also fulfill the equivalent of two clock hours of instruction in the Recognition and Identification of Child Abuse, six clock hours of training in harassment, bullying, cyberbullying, and discrimination in schools: prevention and intervention, two clock hours of School Violence Intervention and Prevention training, drug abuse prevention, child abduction, and fire safety and arson prevention by completing HLTH 230/530 School Health (CA, SAVE, DASA).

Length of Time to Complete Degree

All requirements prescribed for the degree shall be completed within six years from the date of admission. In certain cases, a graduate student’s studies may be interrupted or work toward a degree prolonged beyond the normal time required for a degree program. In such cases, the following time limit applies: no credit will be allowed for a course after 10 years from the date of registration for the first graduate course. However, a student affected by this rule may apply to the Director of Graduate & Continuing Education for exemption of particular courses. Extension requests may be formally completed by contacting the Center for Graduate Studies.

Policy on Awarding Credits Toward Multiple Degrees

In some cases, degrees in closely related fields may have identical courses that comprise an integral part of each program.  In some instances, coursework completed may satisfy the credit requirements of both programs.  In no instance shall credit for a single course satisfy requirements of more than two degrees and/or programs.

In order to earn two or more distinct master’s degrees, the student must satisfy all credit requirements for both degrees and/or programs. Courses satisfying degree requirements for two degrees and/or programs will follow the College’s transfer policy for graduate degrees (see Course Substitutions of the Graduate catalog). As such:

• If two degrees and/or programs require 30 credits each, then a maximum of 6 credits may satisfy the requirements of both degrees and/or programs.
• If two degrees and/or programs require 33 or more credits each, then a maximum of 9 credits may satisfy the requirements of both degrees and/or programs.
• In the case of two degrees and/or programs with different credit requirements, the total number of credits of coursework that may satisfy the requirements of both degrees and/or programs will be restricted to the allowable credits of the program with the lower total credits required (i.e., if a student pursues a 30-credit program and a 33-credit program, a maximum of 6 credits may be used to satisfy the requirements of both degrees and/ or programs).

Counting Course Credits for Both Undergraduate and Graduate Program Requirements 

Per the Graduate Courses for Undergraduate Students policy, exceptional undergraduate students may, with the instructors’ permission, take 500-level graduate courses. Those courses will count towards appropriate undergraduate program requirements. Should the student subsequently be accepted into a graduate program, they may count up to 12 credit hours of 500-level courses taken as undergraduate credit towards their graduate program requirements, with approval of the graduate advisor and department. Undergraduate students may take 600-level courses, under the conditions in the Graduate Courses for Undergraduate Students policy, but these credits can only be applied to graduate program requirements. Taking graduate level courses as an undergraduate student may have degree completion, financial aid, and tuition billing implications; students are strongly advised to check with their academic advisor and the One Stop before enrolling in graduate level courses. 

Admissions and Academic Progress

1. An applicant to a dual degree program must be admitted to each degree program individually and identify intentions to pursue a dual degree path so that, upon admission, appropriate advisement and academic planning can take place.
2. An applicant to a dual degree program who is admitted to one program but not to the other has the option of entering the program that offered admission to earn a single degree.
3. The applicant to the dual degree program will submit one application fee and, upon acceptance, one tuition deposit.
4. A student currently enrolled in the first year of one participating program in a dual degree program may apply for admission to the dual degree program. Admission is not open to students who have already completed one of the degrees.
5. The grade point average in each program will be completed separately, and a student must meet the minimum standard in each program to continue in the dual degree program.
6. Each student enrolled in a dual degree program will be assigned an academic adviser for each degree. Each adviser will facilitate the completion of a program of study form for that program.

Grading Policies

Graduate Grading System

The numeric grading system: grades are entered on the student’s permanent record and calculated into the cumulative GPA. Levels of achievement (see Note 1) are indicated as follows: