Graduate Students

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Transfer of Graduate-Level Academic Credit

Graduate students may transfer up to six credit hours of graduate work from another regionally accredited institution. This approval will be dependent upon when the course was taken and the applicability toward the student’s program.

Transfer credit completed prior to enrollment at SUNY Cortland, or after matriculation at SUNY Cortland, must be approved by the student’s graduate coordinator or advisor and Associate Dean. Once enrolled in a SUNY Cortland program, students interested in taking courses elsewhere and transferring those to their SUNY Cortland degree are advised to seek permission prior to enrolling in such coursework.

Only courses with a grade of B (i.e., 3.0) or better will be transferable. Transfer credit may be applied to the fulfillment of degree requirements, but is not computed in the grade point average.

Process for Requesting the Transfer of Graduate Credit to be Posted on a Degree Audit

Courses may be taken prior to matriculation at SUNY Cortland or they may be taken concurrently.  Click to access/print the Permission/Request to Transfer Graduate Credit form. 

Note:  The outlined process below is designed only for the transfer of graduate credit (500 & 600 level courses). Graduate students seeking to take undergraduate courses at another college as pre-requisites or for certification should discuss with their academic advisor/graduate coordinator for approval.  In these cases, students should not complete a permission to transfer undergraduate credit form but simply have an official transcript of the course(s) sent to their academic department for verification of completion.  

Coursework taken prior to beginning program at SUNY Cortland

  1. Student completes the Permission/Request to Transfer Graduate Credit form and seeks permission from graduate coordinator/advisor.  Student must attach course description or syllabus to the form
  2. If approved, graduate coordinator/advisor forwards form to Associate Dean for final approval.
  3. If approved, Associate Dean forwards form to Advisement and Transition.
  4. Advisement and Transition will keep form on file awaiting official transcript(s).  Advisement and Transition will email students notifying them of approval.  When transcript arrives, credit(s) will be posted. 
  5. When transcript of coursework taken elsewhere arrives in Advisement, it will be matched up with approved permission form and credit(s) will be posted.
  6. Advisement and Transition will send original form back to the student when credits have been posted with a note stating that credit was posted and referring them to view Degree Works.  A copy of the approved form will be sent to the department.

Coursework taken after beginning program at SUNY Cortland 

  1. If the class is taken after student has begun program at SUNY Cortland, he/she is encouraged to seek approval PRIOR to registering for coursework elsewhere.
  2. Student completes the Permission/Request to Transfer Graduate Credit form and seeks permission from graduate coordinator/advisor.  Student must attach course description or syllabus to the form.
  3. If approved, graduate coordinator/advisor forwards form to Associate Dean for final approval.
  4. If approved, Associate Dean forwards form to Advisement and Transition.
  5. Advisement and Transition will keep form on file awaiting official transcript(s).  Advisement and Transition will email students notifying them of approval.  When transcript arrives, credit(s) will be posted.
  6. When coursework taken elsewhere is completed, student is responsible for sending official transcript to Advisement and Transition. 
  7. When transcript of coursework taken elsewhere arrives in Advisement, it will be matched up with approved permission form and credit(s) will be posted.
  8. Advisement and Transition will send original form back to the student when credits have been posted with a note stating that credit was posted and referring them to view Degree Works.  A copy of the approved form will be sent to the department.

Completion of Undergraduate Coursework by Graduate Students

Undergraduate coursework may be required as an overall program requirement, a certification requirement, or as a prerequisite to a graduate course.  Undergraduate coursework is typically not posted to the degree audit for a graduate student.  While no form is required, students and advisors may choose to internally document and track approved undergraduate coursework from other colleges.