Local Navigation

Academic Requirements for Entering Transfer Students

Two important items that need to be completed before registering for Orientation!

There are many resources and programs for incoming Transfer Students. It is our ultimate goal to ensure your success at SUNY Oswego.  Please visit our Transfer Services website to review information about the many programs and services we offer including; MOST Mentoring Program, Tau Sigma, our OzTransferBlog, and much more.

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. 

There is one primary step that a Transfer Student must complete prior to registering for an Orientation program that are outlined in Step 2 of the New Student Menu in myOswego. It is to ...

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

Depending on your major, you may be required to take a math entrance exam.  If so, the exam will be given when you come to Orientation Click here for more information

PLEASE ALLOW TWO BUSINESS DAYS AFTER COMPLETING THE NECESSARY STEPS BELOW FOR PROCESSING BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO REGISTER FOR AN ORIENTATION PROGRAM.

Beginning in June 2013, all incoming transfer students will be pre-registered for major based courses, including cognate courses. This pre-registration process is designed to provide students with a much friendlier and stress free Orientation experience. All transfer students will have the ability to adjust their schedule during and after Orientation. Please review the "Scheduling Factors" below to understand how your pre-registered courses will be chosen. For more information on pre-registration, please contact Corie Sievers, Transfer Coordinator at corie.sievers@oswego.edu

Scheduling Factors
The following criteria are looked at by an academic advisor when pre-registering students:

  • Major requirements
  • Course Availability
  • Math Entrance Exam results (Biology majors)
  • Foreign Language background and requirements
  • Advanced Placement (AP) and College Credits
  • 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

How your College Curriculum is Organized
Every college education consists of four parts:

The curriculum may be divided roughly into four parts: (1) general education, (2) the major field, (3) cognate requirements for the major, and (4) electives.

  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, including health and physical education courses, and in courses numbered 300 or higher.

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


Back To Top