Admissions Information

St. John Fisher College seeks to admit students whose academic records indicate their willingness and ability to profit from instruction at the College. St. John Fisher College admits students of either gender, of any age, race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, or disability. For detailed information regarding admissions to St. John Fisher College, visit the College’s Admissions and Aid website.

Admissions Requirements

While the requirements for admission to various programs may differ slightly, these general requirements and procedures apply to all applicants.

With the exception of the Pharm.D. program, applicants for graduate study must hold a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree (for doctoral programs) from a regionally accredited college or university and demonstrate the motivation, ability, and preparation to successfully pursue graduate study. While personal interviews with graduate admission counselors are not required for most programs as part of the admission procedure, they are encouraged as an opportunity for the applicant to become better acquainted with the program and application process. Applicants may request an interview with the program chair as well.

The admissions committee of each program, the graduate program chair, and the director of graduate admissions will make an admission decision based upon records of undergraduate achievement, prior graduate work (if appropriate), recommendations, and other supporting documentation where required.

Admission requirements for the doctoral programs (executive leadership, nursing practice, and pharmacy) differ from the other graduate programs. Please refer to each program for specific information.

Application Process

Prospective students must submit a graduate application to the Office of Transfer and Graduate Admissions. Applications will be processed on a rolling basis. Admissions decisions are typically mailed to applicants within three weeks after the application is complete. For more information, refer to the College’s Graduate Application Process page.

International Student Admissions

All international students studying at St. John Fisher College with student visas must enroll full-time (9 credits) each semester to comply with the regulations of the U.S. Immigration Service. Information and documentation required for accepted international students can be found on the International Student Services site.

Transfer Credits

A maximum of nine credits of appropriate graduate work completed at other institutions in accredited graduate programs may be considered for transfer into a master’s degree program. The credits must have been completed with a grade of “B” or higher and be appropriate to the program of study at Fisher.

For courses taken prior to admission, students should submit the Transfer Credit Request form including the course description to the Office of Transfer and Graduate Admissions with an official transcript. For courses taken after admission, matriculated students must submit the Transfer Credit Request form to the program chair with the course description prior to registering for off-campus study.

Determination of appropriateness for transfer credit will be made at the sole discretion of the program chair. Grades earned in courses transferred from other institutions do not affect the Fisher grade point average. For coursework taken as quarter-hours, students receive credit for two-thirds of the total hours earned.

Enrollment

Once admitted to St. John Fisher College, students can expect to continue in attendance at the College as long as they maintain satisfactory academic standing, meet their financial obligation to the College, and do not seriously or persistently violate existing College regulations (see the Student Conduct website). St. John Fisher College expects all students to conduct themselves professionally, as befits those pursuing an advanced degree. Any student who engages in disruptive behavior may be subject to disciplinary action. Academic dismissal from the College occurs only after appropriate review and according to established College procedures.

Students are considered full-time if they are enrolled in nine or more graduate credits in a semester. Students are considered part-time if they are enrolled in fewer than nine graduate credits in a semester.

Note: For financial aid purposes, twelve credits is considered full-time and nine credits is considered three-quarter-time.

Student Designations

Graduate students are admitted with a certain status, depending upon the specific application decision and the student’s individual circumstances. The admissions committee seeks to select candidates who are not only academically strong but who can benefit from the program and who will also contribute significantly to the learning experience of their peers. The admission decision will be based on an evaluation of all criteria rather than upon academic record alone.

Matriculated

Applicants who meet the program admission requirements qualify for matriculated status.

Conditionally Matriculated

Applicants who marginally meet the admission standards but appear to have potential for success in the program based on other evaluation criteria may be matriculated with conditional status. Conditional students can take courses for a maximum of two semesters and should meet with the program chair at the end of each semester to discuss their plan and progress. At the conclusion of the second semester, the program chair may remove the conditional status for students with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher. All conditional students with a cumulative GPA below 3.00 will be referred to the Graduate Academic Standing Committee for consideration. The committee may place a conditional student on academic probation or dismiss the student from the program.

Provisionally Matriculated

Students are admitted on a provisional basis if supporting documentation is not complete at the time of admission. If all admission components are not in place by the date specified in the letter of acceptance, these students may not be allowed to register for any subsequent courses until their application is complete. Official degree-bearing transcripts must be submitted and received within 30 days of the first day of class of the semester a student matriculates. If you do not submit complete transcripts by this time, you may be withdrawn from Fisher and not allowed to re-enroll until these transcripts have been received by the Office of Transfer and Graduate Admissions. Full graduate standing is granted when the documents are received in the Office of Transfer and Graduate Admissions by the date specified in the letter of acceptance.

Non-Matriculated

Students with baccalaureate degrees from accredited undergraduate colleges may register for graduate coursework on a space available basis. These individuals must submit a transcript from the undergraduate institution indicating completion of a bachelor’s degree and must complete a Non-matriculated form. Non-matriculated status does not indicate acceptance into a graduate program at Fisher. Students may be non-matriculated for only one semester and enroll in no more than six credits, after which they must submit an application for admission. Financial aid is not available to non-matriculated students.

Continuous Matriculation

Maintenance of matriculation requires the successful completion of at least one graduate-level course at Fisher during the calendar year. Pre-approved transfer credit may be used to meet this requirement for continuous matriculation. Degree requirements existing at the time of admission will remain in force if the student maintains continuous matriculation. A student who discontinues enrollment for more than two semesters must apply for readmission. The student must meet any new requirements for admission, as well as any new requirements for the degree.

Deferral of Admissions and Readmission

Deferral of Admissions

Admitted students who wish to delay their entrance may do so for one semester. Students may request a deferral by contacting the Office of Transfer and Graduate Admissions. Students who do not request a deferral must reapply with the Office of Transfer and Graduate Admissions when they are ready to begin their studies.

Readmission

Readmission is required for any graduate student who did not register and complete a course at St. John Fisher College for more than one year or was accepted but did not enroll or update his or her application status. Program chairs consider every readmission request on its merits and retain the right to grant or deny admission for a future term.

The process for readmission is:

  • Application: Complete and submit the online application for the semester you intend to return.
  • Transcripts: Submit official transcripts from each college and/or university that you attended since you last attended St. John Fisher College.
  • Note: Previous St. John Fisher College students may indicate on their application permission to allow the Office of Transfer and Graduate Admissions to request their official Fisher transcript from the Registrar’s Office.
  • Personal Goals Statement: Applicants should provide information about yourself, your goals and plans for the future, and reason for graduate study in your chosen field. Applicants should also indicate why they left the graduate program and why they would like to return at this time.
  • Resume: Applicants should submit an up to date resume
  • Meeting: Readmission applicants may be required to meet with the program chair to discuss educational goals, their decision to return to St. John Fisher College, and to map out a long range academic plan.

Once the readmission application is complete, it will be forwarded to the program chair for review. Admissions decisions are mailed to applicants within three weeks after the application is complete.

Policy for Admissions Review Involving Prior Convictions, Pending Criminal Charges, and Prior Suspensions/Dismissals

Applicants for admission to the College (undergraduate or graduate) are required to disclose any prior criminal convictions or pending criminal charges (felony or misdemeanor, with the exception of any proceedings involving “youthful offender adjudication” as defined in NYS Criminal procedure Law Section 720.35 or any conviction sealed pursuant to NYS Criminal procedure Law Sections 160.55 or 160.58) as well as any past disciplinary suspensions or dismissals from higher educational institutions.

For the full policy, refer to Policy for Admissions Review Involving Prior Convictions, Pending Criminal Charges, and Prior Suspensions/Dismissals on the College’s website.