Admissions - Undergraduate
Admissions Office
Moot Hall 110
(716) 878-4017
admissions.buffalostate.edu
admissions@buffalostate.edu
Admission to Buffalo State University is based on the academic and personal qualifications of the applicant and is granted without regard to race, sex, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, or marital or veteran status of individuals. The Admissions Office website provides detailed information regarding application procedures. Prospective students and families may direct their questions and requests for assistance to the Admissions Office.
FRESHMAN ADMISSION
Admission is based on academic performance in high school and on space availability. Successful applicants will be those who submit a completed application (i.e., application form, essay, and high school transcript) with a demonstrated competitive high school curriculum. Special attention is given to grades in math, English, science, history, and foreign language. Students who apply without demonstrated success in a competitive curriculum may be reviewed using a "holistic review" that includes a variety of factors (e.g., letters of recommendation, strength of high school program completed, extracurricular participation). Enrolling freshmen must hold a high school diploma, TASC/GED, or New York State-recognized equivalent.
Please note: The State University of New York has temporarily suspended any required submission of SAT/ACT examination scores in determining undergraduate admissions eligibility for all SUNY four-year degree granting colleges. https://www.suny.edu/attend/apply-to-suny/testing-requirements/New subpage content
EARLY ADMISSION
Well-qualified high school juniors may apply to Buffalo State for full- or part-time study during their senior year in high school under the early admission option.
Buffalo State offers several options:
Enrollment on a part-time basis while attending high school,
Enrollment as a full-time freshman during the last semester of the senior year of high school, or
Enrollment as a freshman for the entire academic year instead of completing the senior year of high school.
The University arranges with the high school for remaining high school diploma requirements to be fulfilled by taking appropriate freshman courses at Buffalo State. Thus high school diploma requirements are met while college credit is earned. Early-admission students are not eligible for federal financial aid.
Educational Opportunity Program
South Wing 710 (716) 878-4226
The Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) was established in 1967 to fulfill New York State’s commitment to access to higher education. The program is for students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds who have the talent and ability to succeed in college but have been placed at a disadvantage for access by financial and academic circumstances.
International Students
International applicants should possess the equivalent of 12 years of elementary and secondary education and must provide evidence of proficiency in the English language and the ability to meet the financial costs of attending college. Accepted students receive an I-20 form or a DS-2019 form enabling them to obtain, respectively, an F-1 (student) visa or a J-1 visa from the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in their home country.
All international students must enroll in a group health insurance plan, United Health Care Policy, offered by
Buffalo State. The premium is subject to change each year. The International Student and Scholar Services Office (ISSS) website provides information about the required policy. Students will have the insurance premium added on their student bill in August. The insurance premium as well as the entire student bill must be paid to the Student Accounts Office in Moot Hall. Failure to pay health insurance is a violation of the student visa. Any international student who fails to make payment will have an international health insurance hold placed on their student record.
Approximately $37,950 USD a year will be necessary to cover all college expenses. Financial bank statements are required to show financial support prior to issuing the I-20 or DS 2019. International students who reside on campus may live in any residence hall. A Global Village is now offered in Bishop Hall. There is a fee to remain on campus during the all breaks. The ISSS website provides additional information.
Buffalo State is authorized under federal law to enroll nonimmigrant alien students.
Transfer Students
admissions.buffalostate.edu/transfer
Admission is based on academic performance in college and on space availability. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 out of 4.0 is necessary for consideration, although some programs are very competitive and will require a higher minimum cumulative GPA and/or pre-requisite courses for admission. Students who have completed fewer than 24 credit hours will also have high school coursework reviewed as part of the admissions process. Transfer students with more than 45 credit hours are encouraged to apply for and be admitted to their intended major program of study. Those with less than 60 credit hours may be undeclared. No student who is on academic probation at another institution or who has been academically dismissed in the past year will be accepted.
Previously earned credit will be evaluated for all transfer students upon admission to Buffalo State, and accepted students will be informed regarding transferable credit. A maximum of 90 credit hours may be transferred from other regionally accredited baccalaureate degree- granting institutions, and no more than 66 credit hours from regionally accredited associate degree programs. Most credit hours earned at other institutions will be accepted, although the college cannot guarantee how credit hours earned will relate to bachelor's degree requirements. The most common cases in which transfer credit hours are not accepted are:
• Developmental courses (i.e. mathematics, English, and learning skills).
• Courses in programs not offered at Buffalo State (e.g., nursing, occupational therapy, etc.).
• Only credit is transferable. Grades, quality points, and cumulative averages do not transfer.
The evaluation of transfer credit hours is recorded in Degree Works, Buffalo State's online degree audit system. 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 adviser, and it is useful to have a copy of the catalog and course syllabus from the previous institution available.
Special Credit
In addition to credit awarded for traditional college work, up to 45 credit hours may be accepted from the following combined sources. All transfer credit awarded shall not exceed a maximum of 90 credits.
Published examinations: 30
Included in this category are nationally given subject and general examinations sponsored by the College Level
Examination Program (CLEP), Advanced Placement Program (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and College Proficiency Examination (CPE). Passing grades are required for credit. (No more than 18 credit hours may be in general examinations)
Course Challenge: 30
Military Service Credit:15 Non-collegiate institutions: 15
Proprietary institutions:15
Further details may be found in the section on Academic Policies
Military Credit
Credit for military experience and training provided by the Armed Forces will be granted on a case-by-case basis. In addition to credit awarded for traditional college work, every effort is made to award credit for learning acquired in military service that satisfies degree completion, consistent with recommendations of the American Council on Education (ACE) and/or those awarded by the Community College of the Air Force. Official documents (AARTS, SMART, Community College of the Air Force or DANTES transcripts should be submitted directly to the Admissions Office. A maximum of 15 credits can be awarded for military credit.
State University of New York Transfer Guarantee
admissions.buffalostate.edu/transfer
An opportunity to continue full-time study at a four-year State University of New York (SUNY) college is guaranteed to all New York State residents who transfer directly from a SUNY or City University of New York (CUNY) two-year college with an A.A. or A.S. degree. To be eligible, students must:
• File a transfer application with the SUNY Application Services Center or the Common Application.
• Provide four-year campuses with an official two-year college transcript, showing three semesters of completed studies, by March 15 for fall admission or by October 15 for spring admission.
• Complete any required supplemental application materials by April 15 for fall admission or by November 15 for spring admission.
The transfer guarantee becomes effective if applicants are denied admission to all SUNY four-year college choices. Applications to all baccalaureate campuses must be complete.
Dual Admission Programs
admissions.buffalostate.edu/transfer
Students who expect to receive an Associate in Arts (A.A.) or Associate in Science (A.S.) degree from participating community colleges, and are in a parallel program, may file a single application for simultaneous admission to one of the two-year colleges and to Buffalo State University. These students follow a definitive curriculum at the two-year college and receive counseling and advisement that will facilitate enrollment into a parallel program at Buffalo State University upon completion of the associate degree. They will matriculate at Buffalo State University as juniors in credits and can expect to earn the baccalaureate degree for most programs in four additional semesters of full-time study. Students planning to pursue programs requiring certification or accreditation (e.g., education and professions) may require more than four semesters of full-time study to finish. The admission, general education, and major requirements for the bachelor’s degree at Buffalo State University will be those in effect at the time of the student’s application for dual admission at the two-year college. Further details are available from the undergraduate admissions office at Buffalo State University or the counseling office at the participating two-year college.
Admission Procedures
Buffalo State participates in the SUNY application (freshman and transfer) and the national Common Application (freshman and transfer). These forms can be completed and submitted online at suny.edu/attend,admissions.buffalostate.edu, orcommonapp.org. Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis beginning in November for spring and fall applicants.
Processing continues until new-student enrollment goals have been met. Applicants are encouraged to submit their application and supporting materials as early as possible to receive timely consideration.
New York State Public Health Law 2165 requires college students to show proof of immunity to measles, mumps, and rubella. Students born before January 1, 1957, are exempt from this requirement; please show proof of age at the Weigel Health Center. The New Student Health Form must be signed by a health care provider or submitted as an official record from a doctor or school to be accepted as proof of immunizations. This documentation must be on file at Weigel Health Center. Students who do not fulfill this requirement will be prevented from registering for classes.
All accepted students must submit a $125 advance tuition deposit, with the exception of Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) participants. This deposit is applied to the fall or spring semester tuition bill (whichever is appropriate). The tuition deposit is not refundable after May 1 for fall, after November 1 for spring, or 30 days after date of acceptance— whichever comes later.
Requests for tuition deposit refunds must be received in writing and include the appropriate documentation.
Nondegree Status
Nondegree status enables individuals to take college courses for credit without working toward a degree. Students may enroll in up to 11 credit hours of coursework each semester on a space-available basis. Credits earned may be applicable to a bachelor’s degree at Buffalo State if the student applies and is accepted as a formally matriculated student. The only entrance requirement is a high school diploma or its equivalent. Students who have been academically dismissed from any institution must wait one full year from the time of dismissal before enrolling under nondegree status. The nondegree status application is available online. Nondegree students are not eligible for financial aid.
Adult learners without college experience who do not qualify for matriculated study may also enroll as part-time, nondegree students. After completing 15 credit hours of college-level coursework with a minimum 2.0 GPA, they are eligible for degree study pending a completed application. Credit hours earned will be applicable toward a degree. Undergraduate non- matriculating students who have completed 44 credit hours, will have a registration hold in place on their accounts until they meet with an academic advisor assigned by enrollment management.
Students are responsible for completing the degree requirements in effect at the time they reach matriculated status.
Readmission
Students who attended Buffalo State previously in a matriculated status and wish to re-enroll must apply for a specific program and have their applications reviewed by the appropriate department. Readmitted students are
Required to follow the major/degree requirements in effect for the semester in which they are readmitted, as outlined in the undergraduate catalog for that semester/year. If other courses have been taken at other institutions since leaving the university, official transcripts must be submitted.
Undergraduate and graduate students who discontinue attendance without taking a leave of absence can register for classes, without applying for readmission. Baccalaureate graduates and undergraduate students with less than a 2.0 cumulative GPA retain registration eligibility for only one fall or spring semester beyond the semester in which they were last registered.
Effective summer 2023, all new transfer and readmitted students at Buffalo State are required to fulfill General Education 2023 (GE23) requirements regardless of their initial matriculation date into a regionally accredited four- year institution or two-year college. Students who have been academically dismissed must wait one full year from the time of dismissal before being considered for readmission. If readmitted, all coursework taken previously will be considered in computing the cumulative average.
Readmission forms are available online.
Summer Session
Departments frequently offer creative or unique courses in the summer, including online courses. Summer Session is an opportunity for matriculated Buffalo State students, nonmatriculated students, and students at other colleges home on summer break to catch up on coursework to graduate on time, catch up on electives, fulfill final credits, complete professional certification requirements, or take advantage of affordable in-state tuition. Students from other colleges are required to complete a nondegree status application (https:// connect.buffalostate.edu/register/ugnon/) for admission in advance of registration.
A number of scheduling options are available beginning in late May and run through mid-August. Summer Session courses and course registration dates are posted online (https:// suny.buffalostate.edu/summer/) in January, including credit- hour limits and other important registration information.
Students seeking financial aid for Summer Session should consult the Financial Aid Office Summer Aid web page (https://financialaid.buffalostate.edu/summer-aid/) prior to registering.
January Term (J-Term)
The January Term (J-Term) is a three-week mini-term that occurs during the first three weeks of January. It is an opportunity to earn 1-7 credits.
Matriculated students must secure approval from an appropriate academic adviser to register for more than 7 credit hours.
Probationary students seeking to override the 4-credit-hour limit must receive approval through their dean’s office.
Cross registration is not permitted during J-Term.
Federal Financial Aid Processing
J-Term is not considered a stand-alone semester. It is part of the spring semester.
Students identified as ineligible for federal financial aid after the fall semester cannot regain aid eligibility for the spring semester by attending J-Term.
A separate aid application is required to be considered for J-Term financial aid and is available online each November.
Tuition and Fees
Students are charged per credit hour for J-Term. J-term charges are not included with spring charges and a separate bill will be generated for each term.
Evening Study
All students, whether part time or full time, day or evening, are admitted through the Buffalo State Admissions Office. There is no separate evening division. As a result, the provision of basic college services is direct and efficient.
Students enjoy the flexibility of being able to switch between day and evening schedules simply on the basis of the courses for which they register. The general programs, policies, procedures, and course descriptions throughout this catalog apply to both day and evening students.
Evening study programs are noted on the Undergraduate Major and Minor Programs section. The courses for each of these programs are sequenced over several semesters so that evening students can fit them into their schedules.
Courses are offered on weekends and online. These major and minor programs also can be completed through day-time study.
Student Retention
On an annual basis, the university collects student data regarding retention, persistence, and graduation rates. This information is provided on the Institutional Research Office website (https://institutionalresearch.buffalostate.edu/ common-data-set/).