Transfer Students

St. John Fisher University welcomes qualified transfer applicants from other regionally accredited two- and four-year institutions. Applicants are reviewed when the first two items listed below are on file. The Committee on Admissions makes decisions on a rolling basis. Notifications are communicated to applicants two to three weeks after an application is complete. Transfer Credit Evaluations are provided to students upon or soon after being accepted to the University. For more information, refer to the University’s Transfer Admissions website.

Procedures for admission are:

  • Submit application.
  • Submit official transcripts of all previous college work, including official score reports from Advanced Placement, CLEP, International Baccalaureate, if relevant. Once St. John Fisher University receives these transcripts, they become part of the student’s official academic record and cannot be released and/or forwarded to any other individual, including the student.
  • Official high school transcripts (if you have completed fewer than 24 credit hours at the college level)
  • SAT/ACT scores (if you have completed less than one semester of college level coursework) NOTE: St. John Fisher University is test-optional.
  • Every entering student is required to provide an acceptable health history as well as a record of current immunizations. These documents must be presented to the Health and Wellness Center prior to the start of the semester.

Admissions Requirements

Transfer candidates must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00 (4.00 scale) in order to be considered for admission, for some programs, a higher GPA may be required. Exceptions will be reviewed on an individual basis. Students transferring to St. John Fisher University from colleges operating under the quarter system will have their credits evaluated by taking two-thirds of the total number of acceptable hours taken at the other college(s). For example, if a student takes and passes 60 acceptable quarter hours at another college, a total of 40 hours will be transferred to Fisher’s semester-hour system.

Procedures applicable to the various types of transfer students/credits are listed below.

Students With Associate Degrees

The University guarantees acceptance of a minimum of 60 credits in transfer to applicants who hold A.S., A.A., or A.A.S. degrees from fully accredited* colleges at the time of transfer, provided the courses are in reasonable conformity with the St. John Fisher University curriculum and no Fisher credits were used to earn that degree. Normally, the University does not accept credit for courses with earned grades below “C;” however, in some cases this policy may be waived to ensure that associate degree holders receive the minimum 60 credits. In most cases, these associate degree holders will be able to complete their bachelor’s degree in four semesters of full-time study at St. John Fisher University.

*Fully accredited means that a college is accredited by both the State Department of Education and the appropriate regional accrediting association.

Students transferring to the University with an associate degree may require more than an additional 60 credits (or more than two academic years) to complete the requirements for a bachelor’s degree.

  • In certain majors/programs, state regulations require that a specific number or level of courses be completed either at the upper-division level or at the college conferring the bachelor’s degree.
  • Transfers from an associate degree program to one at the bachelor’s degree level may involve a significant change in academic orientation similar to a change in major within the same college (for example, from history to chemistry). Therefore, it may be necessary for the student to enroll in certain prerequisite courses at St. John Fisher University before completing the major requirements.
  • In certain programs (for example, Education), some courses require a minimum grade of “C” for successful completion. If a course transferred as part of an associate’s degree carried a grade lower than “C,” that particular course must be repeated at St. John Fisher University to satisfy the major requirement. Since credit cannot be awarded twice for the same course, the transfer credit will be lost when the course is repeated at the University. If extra credit exists on the associate degree transcript, the lost credit will be replaced with other credit. If no additional credit is available, the student’s transfer total will be reduced.

Students From Two-Year Colleges Without Associate Degrees

Students who transfer to the University without an associate degree but with coursework from programs which grant A.S., A.A., or A.A.S. degrees will be able to transfer credit for courses in which grades of “C” or above are obtained. Regardless of whether the student has an associate degree or not, the maximum amount of credit that can be applied to a degree from St. John Fisher University from a two-year college or a combination of two-year colleges will be 66 credits or their equivalent. This limit includes courses taken in the summer, in the evening, or through inter-institutional registration before the student has enrolled at the University, as well as courses the student may take at any two-year college after enrolling at St. John Fisher University. This limit also applies to credits a student may have obtained through testing sources such as CLEP, IB, and AP. The one exception to this is credit earned through the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). ACTFL credit earned through the appropriate score and test does not apply to the 66 credit hour limit.

St. John Fisher University 2+2/Dual Admission Transfer Agreement

This agreement establishes cooperative degree programs between select community colleges and St. John Fisher University. Students currently enrolled at a participating community college are eligible to be considered for this cooperative degree program. In most cases, students selected for this program will, upon completion of a prescribed sequence of courses leading to an associate’s degree from the participating community college, be able to complete the appropriate bachelor’s degree in two years of full-time study at St. John Fisher University. All coursework must be completed in conformity with St. John Fisher University’s Standards of Academic Progress.

Student Selection

Candidates must present strong records of academic achievement and preparation. Candidates selected for the program will receive confirmation from the participating community college. Participants in the 2+2/Dual Admission cooperative degree program must complete their associate degree with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00. Some agreements may require a higher GPA. In addition, they must complete the prescribed sequence of courses for their designated academic program.

Program Selection

2 + 2/Dual Admission agreements are available in all undergraduate majors at Fisher. A complete list of 2 + 2/Dual Admission agreements and the participating community colleges is available by contacting the Office of Transfer and Graduate Admissions at (585) 385-8064.

Application Procedures

Students who are applying for admission into a 2 + 2/Dual Admission agreement are initially required to file only the community college application for admission. Formal application to Fisher is necessary for students participating in the 2 + 2/Dual Admission program. Participants are required to submit an application the semester prior to enrolling at St. John Fisher University.

Transfer Students From Four-Year Colleges

For transfer of credit, courses must be in reasonable conformity with the curriculum of St. John Fisher University and a grade of at least “C” must have been earned in these courses. There is no limit to the number of credits that can be transferred from four-year institutions; however, students must be aware of the St. John Fisher University residency requirements.

Credit From Non-Collegiate Institutions

The American Council on Education (ACE) and the New York State Education Department (NYSED) evaluate selected educational programs in non-collegiate institutions, such as the armed forces, industries, the Chartered Life Underwriters (CLU), and American Institute of Banking (AIB) programs. ACE and NYSED recommend appropriate baccalaureate credit; St. John Fisher University accepts these recommendations in awarding transfer credit, provided that the courses are compatible with the character of the University.

Transferring Course Credit

Current students desiring to take courses at other colleges must complete the online Transfer Credit Equivalency Request form in order to ensure that the course(s) they plan to take will be accepted in transfer. Credit will not transfer for courses in which a student earns grades below “C,” unless the student is guaranteed these hours as part of an associate degree at the time of the original transfer. Students should keep in mind that grades earned in courses taken at other colleges are not calculated into their Fisher grade point average (GPA). Exceptions are made for students majoring in a modern language at Fisher who enroll in courses in that major at Nazareth College. In this case, both the credit and the grade will be transferred and averaged into the Fisher GPA.

Credit will not be granted for the same course more than once whether earned at St. John Fisher University, at another institution, or by examination. It is the student’s responsibility to be certain not to enroll again in the same course for which credit has been received. In doubtful cases, consult with the Registrar’s Office.

New incoming transfer students should consult with the Office of Transfer and Graduate Admissions if they have questions concerning their transfer credit evaluations or have additional transfer credit to submit for evaluation.

Maximum Transfer Credits

The maximum transfer credit awarded for any combination of associate’s degree, Advanced Placement (AP), Excelsior College Examinations (ECE), International Baccalaureate (IB), College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), and ACE and NYSED recommendations for credit based on study in non-collegiate institutions will be 66 credit hours or their equivalent. This limit includes courses and examinations taken through inter-institutional registration before the student has enrolled at St. John Fisher University, as well as courses or examinations taken after enrolling at the University. This limit does not include credit earned though American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) testing.

Residency Requirement

Every student must complete a minimum of 30 credits in residence at the University and take a minimum of one-half of the major courses in residence. All students must complete 30 of their last 36 credits in residence at the University.

Deferral Admissions and Readmission

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. Official updated transcripts may be required to ensure minimum admissions requirements are still being met.

Readmission

Readmission to the University is required for returning matriculated students who meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • It has been more than two semesters (NOT including summer) since you last attended Fisher.
  • You have graduated from Fisher and are returning to earn a second bachelor’s degree or certificate.
  • You have been dismissed from Fisher for academic and/or disciplinary reasons.

A student readmitting to the University after an absence of 4 calendar years from the date of last attendance, will be held to the degree requirements in place at the time of re-admittance.

Process for Readmission

  • Application: Complete and submit the Application for Undergraduate Readmission online 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 University.