Upon admission, a student is a candidate for the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in the major for which he or she indicated a preference. Entering freshmen must fulfill all the requirements for graduation contained in the St. John Fisher College catalog in effect in the year in which they enter the College. Transfer students must fulfill the requirements for graduation in effect when their transfer credit is evaluated. If graduation requirements change, students may choose any single subsequent catalog to satisfy their graduation requirements. College-wide policy changes with specific implementation dates may be exceptions. It is the student’s responsibility to know and fulfill all the requirements for the declared degree and major.

Academic advice is offered to all students through freshman seminar, departmental and program advisors, as well as the Center for Academic Advising and Support Services. Ultimately, the final responsibility for knowing and meeting all graduation requirements rests solely with the student.

To earn a bachelor’s degree from St. John Fisher College, the student must:

• Complete a minimum of 120 credits and have no incomplete grades.
• Earn a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 for all courses taken in residence and for all courses taken in residence for the major and minor, unless otherwise specified. See Grading for an explanation of the grade point average.
• Satisfy the residency requirement by earning at least 30 credits at St. John Fisher College. At least 30 of the last 36 credits must be earned in residence, unless waived in individual cases by the Academic Standing Committee. In addition to credit hours earned at St. John Fisher College, credits earned in approved study abroad programs will be considered in residence. Credits earned through St. John Fisher College’s Credit by Examination are considered in residence.
• Satisfy the degree requirements of the declared major. At least one-half of the required credits in the major must be completed in residence unless this requirement is waived in writing by the department chair and the provost or his designee.
• Complete the appropriate College Core Requirements.
• Complete the courses required for the declared minor. A minor is required in all B.A. degree programs.
• File an Application for Graduation. Students who qualify for graduation must notify the Registrar’s Office by completing the online Graduation application. Submission of this form initiates an administrative process in which the student’s record is reviewed with regard to program requirements for graduation and potential difficulties. Notification of the availability of the online application will be sent to students using their Fisher email accounts. Failure to apply on time may result in a delay in graduation. St. John Fisher College confers degrees three times per year, in May, August, and December.

Failure to meet these deadlines may result in a delay in graduation.

August and December potential graduates who will need no more than six credits to complete their degrees may request permission to attend the May Commencement ceremony. Students in Inclusive Adolescence Education or Inclusive Childhood Education may participate in the May ceremony provided they have only student teaching to complete. Students allowed to participate in the May commencement ceremony who have not completed all graduation requirements will be noted on the commencement program with an asterisk (*) and are not eligible for Latin Honors until their requirements are completed. For those students who complete their graduation requirements after the commencement ceremony, the official date of graduation noted on the diploma and all official College records will be the graduation date at the end of the semester in which the student completes requirements.

A student who is away from the College for more than four calendar years from the semester of last attendance will be held to the degree requirements in place at the time of the student’s return to St. John Fisher College. Upon return to the College, the student’s previous coursework will be evaluated by the appropriate department chair. Depending upon the age of prior credit, the chair may require that some or all coursework be repeated.

Note: A student who has been certified as a graduate will be allowed to remain in attendance at St. John Fisher College in matriculated status only if pursuing a second degree.

Students will be approved for graduation based on the degree requirements outlined in the College catalog they are following. Freshmen follow the catalog that is published in the fall semester they enter the College. Transfer students follow the catalog under which their transfer credits were evaluated.

Note: Transfer students who enter in the fall semester follow requirements in the previous year’s catalog.

Catalog information is available in Fish ‘R’ Net, and, unless changed, the online degree evaluation will be based on the entering catalog. Students may stay with the catalog under which they entered the College or choose to follow any subsequent catalog in place while they are in attendance. A change in catalog is a serious decision since it will affect the major, minor, and degree requirements. Core Requirements will remain unchanged. A change of major, concentration or minor does not result in a change of catalog unless requested by the student.

A request to change a student’s catalog must be made in writing in the Center for Academic Advising and Support Services.

Students who are away from the College for more than four calendar years will be readmitted under the degree requirements outlined in the current College catalog. Readmitted students continue to follow the Core Requirements in effect during their first period of attendance.

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.

Multiple Majors

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.
• Interdisciplinary studies cannot be part of a multiple major.

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 obtain the signature of their academic advisor and the provost or his designee and 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.

A decision on choice of minor must be approved by the student’s major advisor and should be made before the student has completed 70 credits. The Declaration of Minor form is available in the Center for Academic Advising and Support Services.

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.