Registrar Information and Policies

• Courses numbered 100–199 are considered introductory.
• Courses numbered 200–299 are considered intermediate.
• Courses numbered 300–499 are upper-division and are designed for juniors and seniors.

Certain sequential courses require the satisfactory completion of the first semester of the course for admission to the second semester. The credit value for each course is based upon the amount of scheduled meeting times. A change in the credits assigned to a scheduled course will NOT be permitted.

Full-time matriculated students have a normal course load of 15 credits each semester over an eight-semester period. The minimum course load for a full-time student is 12 credits, and the maximum course load is 19 credits per semester. A student wishing to carry more than 19 credits in any semester must have the permission of the School dean. Such permission will be granted only in rare cases to students with a cumulative GPA below 3.00.

A matriculated student who wishes to change between full- and part-time status need only register for the appropriate number of credit hours for the semester in which the change is effective.

The University utilizes the following guidelines for student classification:

• 0–29 credits earned = first-year student
• 30–59 credits earned = sophomore
• 60–89 credits earned = junior
• 90–120 credits earned = senior

The major is that subject in which the student has chosen to take a concentration of work. Students should explore a number of majors by taking courses in a variety of disciplines and seeking advice from faculty and advising staff before making a final decision. Requirements for majors are found in each department within the catalog.

Students may earn majors in more than one discipline. Official recognition of additional majors will be made on the transcript provided the student has met the requirements set by departments.

• The student will receive only one degree with the two majors noted on the transcript.
• The majors will appear in the order in which they were declared. If the majors conflict in relation to the degrees conferred, i.e., B.A. and B.S., the degree of the first major will be the degree of record.
• Students seeking multiple majors are not required to complete a minor. They are reminded that all requirements for each major must be met before they can be certified for graduation.

A minor signifies knowledge in a field of study outside of the major. The minor helps students become academically well-rounded and learn to approach problems from a multidisciplinary perspective by directing them to broader interests and perspectives in a structured and intentional way. Students enrolled in B.A. degree programs are required to declare and complete a minor which will be recorded on their transcripts.

A cumulative GPA of 2.00 for all courses included in the minor is required. Most minors require a minimum of 18 credits. Consult the department and program listings for specific requirements.

Minors in education and nursing are not available.

In addition to established minors, students may request an interdisciplinary minor, which should include courses from more than one field of study. For an interdisciplinary minor, students must submit a list of courses to be used for the minor. No more than one course required for the major may be used for the interdisciplinary minor.

Students complete the online Academic Program Change Request form to declare, change, or drop a minor.

An elective is a course chosen because of personal interest or some relation to the major. Along with the core, major, and applicable minor requirements, students complete electives to earn the minimum of 120 credits required for graduation. Students considering graduate or professional schools should include sufficient study of a classical or modern language within their electives to be competent in at least one foreign language. They should also include work in philosophy, history, and literature.

St. John Fisher University recognizes the value of the academic experience of working independently on a topic of interest with a supervising faculty member and uses independent study courses to allow students to explore areas of study not regularly available. To avail themselves of these experiences, students may register for independent study courses in most academic departments and programs. These courses carry the subject code of the sponsoring department and are usually numbered 496.

Since these courses are offered in response to a particular student need and involve significant amounts of close faculty-student interaction, faculty are under no obligation to supervise an independent study.

Independent study courses are of variable credit to accommodate a variety of experiences. The quality and quantity of work expected in an independent study project must be equivalent to expectations in regular classroom and laboratory courses. For each credit of independent study, a minimum of 45 clock hours in a combination of meetings and supplementary assignments are required. The University limits to six, the number of credits of independent study that may be applied to a degree program.

Independent study projects are open only to students who have completed at least 12 credits and earned at least a 2.50 GPA in the field in which the independent study is to be undertaken. At least six of these credits must have been completed at St. John Fisher University. Individual departments may develop more specific or rigorous regulations.

Part-time students may enroll for independent study projects providing the total number of credit hours for which they are enrolled, including the independent study, does not exceed 11.

Independent study projects cannot duplicate an offered course at the University. Similarly, independent study courses may not be used to repeat a course in which a student has previously enrolled and earned a grade of less than “C” (unless it is the same independent study). The provost or his designee and appropriate department chair must approve exceptions.

To enroll in an independent study course:

• The student meets with an appropriate faculty member to discuss the possibility of independent work.
• If the faculty member agrees to the independent study, the student submits a written proposal to the appropriate faculty member. The student and faculty member agree on a timeline and means of assessment.
• The student completes an Independent Study/Tutorial Authorization form and secures the signature of the supervising faculty member.
• The authorization form and proposal are delivered to the department chair for approval.
• If the proposal is approved by the department chair, the paperwork will be sent to the school dean for approval. If approved, the forms will be sent to the Registrar's Office for processing.
• If adding the independent study course does not increase the student's tuition liability, the student will be registered in the independent study.
• The faculty member will not begin working with the student until the registration has been processed and the instructor can view the class list in Fish 'R' Net (login required).
• Notification will be sent by Fisher email when the paperwork has been processed and the registration completed.

The faculty member supervising the project will maintain a detailed record of the work carried out, including a list of assignments and the frequency and duration of meetings, as well as identification of methods of evaluation used. A copy of the proposal will be maintained in the student’s academic folder and kept in accordance with the University's records-retention policy. Students are advised to keep a copy of the proposal for their records.

Note: Projects of three credits must be registered for within the first two weeks of the beginning of the semester in which the project is undertaken. Projects of two credits must be registered for within the first five weeks, and projects of one credit must be registered for within the first seven weeks of the semester.

Topics courses are offered in a wide variety of disciplines. These courses identify areas within the discipline that are not part of the regularly offered courses.

Courses taught as tutorials are individualized instruction in the content of a course listed in the University catalog. These courses, though taught independently, carry the subject, number, title, and credits of the actual course.

Tutorial courses are open only to students who have completed at least 12 credits at the University and earned at least a 2.50 GPA in the field in which the tutorial course resides.

To enroll in a tutorial course:

• The student meets with the instructor who offers the requested course to discuss the possibility of a tutorial and the justification.
• If the instructor approves, the student initiates the process by submitting the tutorial portion of the online Independent Study/Tutorial Authorization form.
• If the request is approved by the dean, notification will be sent to the Registrar’s Office.
• The Registrar's Office will notify the student by email when the request has been processed and registration is completed.

Requests for tutorials will be processed in keeping with the relevant registration deadlines.

In general, students are expected to spend two hours per week in outside reading, assignments, research, library work, etc., for every one hour they spend in class. For example, a student who is enrolled in 15 credits during a semester will spend 15 hours per week in class and another 30 hours each week engaged in academic pursuits outside the classroom, for a total expected time commitment of 45 hours per week (also subject to change).

Independent study plays a valuable educational role in the graduate curriculum. The quality and quantity of academic endeavor expected of a student in an independent study course project must be equivalent to expectations in the regular class setting.

For each credit hour of independent study, a minimum of 45 clock hours, in combination with meetings between the instructor and student as well as any supplementary assignments, readings, and/or research conducted by the student, is required. An independent study may not duplicate the content of a regularly offered course.

To enroll in an independent study course:

• The student must prepare a written proposal and submit it to the appropriate faculty member and/or chair. The proposal must include the intent of the independent study course project, including goals, content, and mode of assessment.
• The student must complete the online Independent Study/Individualized Instruction Authorization form.
• If the independent study course project is approved by the chair and dean, the registrar will process the form and notify to the student.
• Work on the independent study course project should not begin until the approvals are confirmed, the paperwork is processed, and the course appears on the instructor's class listing in Fish 'R' Net (login required).

After the paperwork is processed, the student will carry out the independent study course project, maintaining regular contact with the instructor as the work proceeds.

Note: Requests for independent study courses will be processed in keeping with the relevant registration deadlines. Independent study courses are open only to matriculated students.

Courses taught as tutorial courses are individualized instruction in the content of a course listed in the University catalog. These courses, though taught independently, carry the subject, number, title, and credits of the actual course.

Tutorial courses are offered only under unusual circumstances when a student is unable to register for the course during its regular offering cycle. The dean's approval of a tutorial course is required and dependent on suitable justification of its necessity and the availability of an instructor to undertake the course.

To enroll in a tutorial course:

• The student meets with the instructor who offers the requested course to discuss the possibility of a tutorial and the justification.
• After securing the approval of the instructor, the student initiates the Independent Study/Individualized Instruction Authorization form, completes the individualized instruction portion, and provides all relevant documentation.
• The completed form is routed to the chair and the dean for approval and then to the Registrar's Office.
• Once the course is created, the student will be registered and notified of the registration.
• Work on the tutorial course project should not begin until the student is registered and the course appears on the instructor’s class listing in Fish 'R' Net (login required).
• After registration, the student will begin the tutorial course, maintaining regular contact with the instructor as the work proceeds.