Non-degree Study

Reasons for applying to become a non-matriculated (non-degree) student vary, but usually fall into the following categories:

  • Personal or professional development: Those who have earned a master's degree or higher at SUNY Fredonia or elsewhere are welcome to apply for non-degree graduate study for the purpose of personal or professional development. A maximum of 9 credit hours is allowed, but may be waived with permission of the Associate Provost for Graduate Studies and Research by completing the form located at the web address: http://www.fredonia.edu/gradstudies/current/progress.asp.
  • Pre-graduate preparation: Students who have earned a bachelor's degree and need to take graduate-level course work in order to bolster a weak undergraduate GPA or to prove capability for graduate-level work may apply for non-degree study and, if approved, take a maximum of 9 credit hours.
  • Visiting graduate students: Graduate students who attend other schools and are interested in taking course work at SUNY Fredonia may apply for non-degree graduate study and, if approved, take a maximum of 9 credit hours.

To help maintain the quality of Fredonia's graduate programs and to ensure appropriate enrollment capacity, the university asks that applicants explain reasons for requesting non-matriculated admission and indicate from which department(s) desired classes are sought.

A maximum of 9 credit hours (6 credit hours of education course work) taken as a non-degree student is allowed. The credits may later be applied to a graduate degree program at SUNY Fredonia upon the student's request.

As a general rule, students taking graduate courses without pursuing a degree who decide to apply for a degree program must have a grade point average of at least 3.0 at the time they apply. Under unusual circumstances, chairpersons may accept students with a lower GPA into a degree program, but in that case, the students enter with conditional status, with one semester in which to improve their records.