Graduate Admissions

All students who wish to take graduate courses and/or pursue an advanced degree or certificate must complete the application process. Application packets are available in the Office of Graduate Studies at 701 Maytum Hall or applications can be printed from the graduate website. Completed applications must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies by February 15 for admission to Communication Disorders and Sciences for the summer and fall semesters, by April 1 for all other programs for the summer and fall semesters, and by November 1 for admission to all programs beginning in the subsequent spring semester.

All applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable application fee of $50. Checks or money orders are to be made out to SUNY Fredonia. Applications received after the dates above will be processed on an incoming basis, but the fee rate for late applications will be $100. At the discretion of the Graduate Studies Office and based on extenuating circumstances, a student whose application is incomplete may temporarily be granted non-degree status until a final and late acceptance decision has been reached. Non-degree students are permitted to take no more than a total of 9 credit hours.

Admission to graduate study is based on the following requirements:

Completion of the baccalaureate degree at an accredited four-year institution with an appropriate major and depth of undergraduate preparation. Some departments may accept students who have successfully earned a degree from an accredited institution with a different major but applicants should at least have a minor of 18 credit hours in the major applied for, but each of these decisions is made on an individual basis during the departmental review of the full application and all transcripts.

The completed Application for Admission to Graduate Study must be filed with the Graduate Studies office, reviewed by the desired department(s), and approved by the Graduate Studies Office.

Submission of official transcripts is required from all institutions attended (except SUNY Fredonia) covering prior graduate as well as all undergraduate preparation.

Submission of at least two recent letters of recommendation, preferably written during the last six months, from individuals who can attest to the applicants qualifications for advanced study. Each reference must include the form provided in the application packet, but the letter itself may be on a separate sheet. For teacher certification programs, one letter may be submitted by a teaching supervisor. If the applicant has been out of school for several years, letters from work supervisors may be acceptable.

For students in programs leading to permanent certification to teach, proof of the appropriate initial or provisional certification is required.

Individual departments/programs may have other admissions requirements that must be met. Students should check departmental pages in this catalog, the application packet itself, and the graduate and/or departmental websites.

Inquiries about the application process and/or an applicant's status must be initiated by the applicant directly and addressed to the Office of Graduate Studies. Once a completed application is received (i.e. including all letters, documents, application fees, and official transcripts), the application review process generally takes four to six weeks. At the final stage of the review process, applicants will receive decision letters from the Graduate Studies Office.