Degree Requirements and Graduation

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. Approved programs exist with Central College Abroad, the American Institute for Foreign Study, the Council on International Education Exchange, or the American University in Rome, Italy. 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 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.