Academic Requirements for Entering First Year (Freshmen) Students

There are many resources and programs for incoming First Year Students. It is our ultimate goal to ensure your success at SUNY Oswego.  Please visit our First Year Program website to review information about our academic programs including; First Year Advisement, FirstChoice Academic Program and First Year Living and Learning Communities

Step 2 of the myOswego new student menu- Academic Requirements
Below you will find links that will assist you in understanding your academic requirements and completing your responsibilities prior to attending an orientation and ultimately starting your journey at SUNY Oswego in the Fall.  First Year Students will be pre-registered for a full course load prior to coming to Orientation.  A team of experienced advisors will work to review all information and preferences submitted and plan a schedule that best suits each student.

There are two primary steps that a First Year Student must complete prior to registering for an Orientation program that are outlined in Step 2 of the New Student Menu in myOswego. They are...

1. Complete the Health and Immunizations requirement ...

2. Complete the First Year Student Information Sheet (complete in the New Student Menu on myOswego, under step 2)

PLEASE ALLOW TWO BUSINESS DAYS AFTER COMPLETING THE INFORMATION SHEET IN MYOSWEGO FOR PROCESSING BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO REGISTER FOR AN ORIENTATION PROGRAM.

You may be required to complete a Math Entrance Exam (if needed, based on your major) The exam will be taken when you come to Orientation. - Click here for more information

Scheduling Factors
What classes you receive and when your classes are scheduled will be affected by several considerations

• Major requirements
• Undeclared students who indicate an interest area will be placed into a course in that area if possible
• Math requirements
• English Composition background
• Foreign Language background and requirements
• Advanced Placement (AP) and College Credits
• Honors Program Requirements
• Intercollegiate Athletes need to complete courses prior to the start of their scheduled practices (generally prior to 4pm each day).
• An attempt will be made to make sure there is time allotted for lunch when the dining halls are serving
• Scheduling is done on a first-come /first-served basis.  As classes close, we must use your lower priority courses or may even have to substitute similar courses not on your priority list.

1. The general education segment has seven components: Basic Skills; Foreign Language; Knowledge Foundations; America and the Western Heritage; Human Diversity; Intellectual Issues; and Advanced Expository Writing. These components are explained in greater detail in at the link General Education Requirements.
2. The major field section of the degree program gives students an opportunity to specialize in the academic or professional field of their choice. See the specific Major requirements listing.
3. Cognate requirements are courses not offered in the major department, but which support and complement the major. For example, students majoring in a science would be severely handicapped if they did not develop certain mathematical skills. Therefore, mathematics is a cognate requirement for majors in the sciences. See the specific Major requirements listing for the cognate requirements.
4. Elective courses bring the student's total number of credit hours to the 122 (123 for BFA in Art, 127 for Technology Education and Technology Management, and 126-127 for Vocational Teacher Preparation majors) required for graduation. Although there is generally no restriction placed on electives, each student must be careful to earn the appropriate number of credit hours in liberal arts courses and in courses numbered 300 or higher.

Click here for more General Curriculum Information.

Students are encouraged to focus in on completing the majority of their General Education Requirements (except for the Intellectual Issues requirement) within their first four semesters (two years) as many upper division major based courses are completed in the third and fourth year. The sample schedule below gives an idea of how the General Education courses fit into your first semester.  If you wish to graduate in eight semesters (four years), you must average 15 credits each semester. To find a list of courses that meet each general education area click here.  Course Descriptions can be found in the online course catalog. When you fill out your information sheet you will be asked to pick your top three choices for each area.  Be aware that not all courses listed are offered every semester.

Sample First Semester Schedule

Here are some additional resources for you to review in regards to your academic responsibilities, requirements, and experiences. 

General Education Requirements for all students

Course listing by General Education Categories (Note:  Not all courses are offered each semester)

Colleges, Departments, and Programs

Undergraduate Course Descriptions

Majors and Minors

College Catalogs

The Compass, A Success and Educational Planning Center