Departmental Criteria for Admissions

Departmental Contact Information

Biology | Chemistry | Education | English | History
Interdisciplinary Studies | Mathematical Sciences | Music | Speech Pathology/Audiology

BIOLOGY

• An undergraduate major in the Life Sciences with requisite evidence of training and motivation necessary to succeed in graduate study.
• Supporting science background to include physics, calculus, and organic chemistry.
• Prospective students should forward Graduate Record Exam scores along with their application for admission to the program.

• An undergraduate major in Biology or related science with requisite evidence of training and motivation necessary to succeed in graduate study.
• Supporting science background to include physics, calculus, and organic chemistry.
• Prospective students should forward Graduate Record Exam scores along with their application for admission to the program.
• Initial certification to teach biology and general science in the secondary schools of New York State, or equivalent preparation.

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CHEMISTRY

• An undergraduate major in Chemistry with courses equivalent to those required for a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry at Fredonia.

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EDUCATION

• Initial certification to teach early childhood, childhood, middle childhood, or adolescence (secondary) education in the public schools of New York State or equivalent preparation.
• Undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or above.
• Completed Graduate Application submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies, including two current (within six months) letters of recommendation, and official academic transcripts from all prior undergraduate and graduate institutions (except SUNY Fredonia).

• Initial certification to teach early childhood, childhood, middle childhood, or adolescence (secondary) education in the public schools of New York State or equivalent preparation.
• Undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or above.
• Completed Graduate Application submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies, including two current (within six months) letters of recommendation, and official academic transcripts from all prior undergraduate and graduate institutions (except SUNY Fredonia).

• Initial certification to teach early childhood, childhood, middle childhood, or adolescence (secondary) education in the public schools of New York State or equivalent preparation.
• Undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or above.
• Completed Graduate Application submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies, including two current (within six months) letters of recommendation, and official academic transcripts from all prior undergraduate and graduate institutions (except SUNY Fredonia).

• Completion of a baccalaureate degree in an area of arts, science, or education.
• Undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or above.
• All candidates must have the equivalent of 12 credit hours of a "foreign" language [i.e., Language Other Than English (LOTE) except for candidates who are native speakers of a language other than English for which proof of literacy is required].
• Completed Graduate Application.
• As part of the Graduate Application, TESOL candidates, regardless of native language, must submit a satisfactory 250-word essay in English that will be evaluated by the College of Education.
• All TESOL candidates, including native speakers of English and native speakers of a language other than English, must meet the Language Proficiency Requirements by the deadlines provided (see 7 and 8 below). Failure to do so will result in removal from the program. (Candidates may apply to other Master's programs at the college, if they so qualify).
• Language Proficiency Requirements for Native Speakers of English:
  1. Candidates must demonstrate literacy in English by writing a graduate- level 250-word essay on a topic of the writer's choice.
  2. Candidates must complete the equivalent of 12 credit hours in a Language Other Than English (LOTE). This requirement can be satisfied by passing the New York State Regents LOTE exam earning a score of 85 percent or higher, scoring at the 50th percentile on the CLEP examination and completing 6 credit hours of undergraduate or graduate study of a LOTE.
  3. Completion of a satisfactory intermediate 250-word essay in the LOTE. Candidates may be accepted conditionally into the TESOL Program without the LOTE essay. Conditionally accepted candidates can complete 12 credit hours in the TESOL program before they are required to write the satisfactory 250-word essay in the LOTE. Matriculation into the TESOL Program is contingent upon the satisfactory evaluation of this essay.
• Language Proficiency Requirements for Non-native Speakers of English:
  1. Candidates must demonstrate literacy in English by writing a graduate level 250-word essay in English, on a topic of the writer's choice.
  2. The 3 credit-hour requirement for New York State for the Language Other Than English (LOTE) is waived.
  3. Candidates must demonstrate literacy in their native language(s) by writing a graduate level 250-word essay in the native language and providing a notarized "Affidavit of Native Language".

• NYSED teaching certification
• Master's degree in education or related field with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
• Three years satisfactory teaching or professional experience in a Pre-K-12 school.
• Two written recommendations from the candidate's school superintendent and immediate supervisor.

• The Certificate of Advanced Study in TESOL is available for candidates who possess initial, provisional or permanent certification and already have completed a Master's degree. The certificate leads to certification in TESOL K-12 after the completion of the following 24 credit hours.

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ENGLISH

• The deadlines for Completed Applications conform to university policy that identifies April 1 for admission in the summer and fall semesters and November 1 for admission in the spring semester to avoid paying a late fee. Applications received before June 1 wilil be considered for spring semester only.
   
  
• Completed Applications must include:
  
  1. A writing sample. This 8- to 20-page essay should demonstrate the applicant's interpretive, critical, and writing skills as well as identify his/her intellectual interests.
  2. Transcript(s) of prior college performance. Candidates with at least a GPA of 3.0 in an undergraduate English major will receive preference for admission. Applicants with a lower GPA in the major may be admitted conditionally by permission of the Chair of the English Department.
  3. Personal Statement (2 copies). This statement (approximately 2-3 pages) details the candidate's reasons for applying to a graduate program in English at SUNY Fredonia. It should be a substantive commentary on the applicant's qualifications as a candidate, and his/her interests in the field of study, special areas of preparation, etc.
  4. At least two letters attesting to the candidate's breadth of preparation and quality of performance in an undergraduate English major or equivalent, and, if applicable, a letter from a school administrator addressing performance as a teacher of English. (This requirement is the same as the General Criteria for Admission - please do not send two sets of letters.)
  5. A copy of any teacher certification.
  
  
• Any student applying to the program who has not completed an English degree (e.g., an applicant with a degree in History), must take or have taken the equivalent of a minor in English. The Chair of the English Department will review the scope and content of these courses to determine if any additional preparation or course work will be required prior to an applicant's acceptance as a candidate for the master's degree. The applicant is required to maintain, or have maintained, an overall GPA of 3.0 in these courses.
   
  
• Recommended preparation for graduate studies in English includes course work related to world literature(s), an author in depth, a literary period, and criticism and theory. Students who have completed an undergraduate English degree before 1995 might consider auditing a literary criticism and theory course in the department, or familiarizing themselves with recent theoretical developments in the field. Useful anthologies are listed on the English Department website.

• The deadlines for "Completed Applications" conform to university policy that identifies April 1 for admission in the summer and fall semesters and November 1 for admission in the spring semester to avoid paying a late fee. Applications received before June 1 will be considered for spring semester only.
   
  
• "Completed Applications" must include:
  
  • A writing sample. This 8- to 20-page essay should demonstrate the applicant's interpretive, critical, and writing skills as well as identify his/her intellectual interests.
  • Transcript(s) of prior college performance. A GPA of 2.75 is required for admission. Preference will be given to those candidates with a GPA of at least 3.0.
  • Personal Statement (2 copies). This statement (approximately 2-3 pages) details the candidate's reasons for applying to a graduate program in English at SUNY Fredonia. It should be a substantive commentary on the applicant's qualifications as a candidate, and his/her interests in the field of study, special areas of preparation, etc.
  • At least two letters attesting to the candidate's breadth of preparation and quality of performance in an undergraduate English major or equivalent, and, if applicable, a letter from a school administrator addressing performance as a teacher of English. (This requirement is the same as the General Criteria for Admission - please do not send two sets of letters.)
  • A copy of any teacher certification.
  
  
• Copy of initial Certification to teach English in the secondary schools of New York State, or equivalent preparation, for those seeking professional certification.

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HISTORY

• Initial or Provisional Certification in Secondary and/or Adolescence Social Studies Education.
• Twenty-seven (27) undergraduate credit hours in the social sciences, with 21 of those credit hours in history.
• At least a 2.75 grade point average in all undergraduate courses. Once accepted into the program, candidates must maintain a 3.0 GPA to remain in the program.
• Satisfactory scores on the general aptitude sections of the Graduate Record Examination. Candidates applying for financial aid must include GRE scores with initial application.
• Applicants who fail to meet the requirements may be considered for conditional admission to the program.

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INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES

• Earned bachelor's degree at an accredited institution with an overall GPA of at least 2.5. Undergraduate and/or previous graduate transcripts should reveal adequate preparation in selected disciplines to meet graduate course prerequisites.
• In some cases in which the applicant may not meet those standards, applicants may be granted conditional graduate acceptance. At a later time, the granting of matriculated status would be contingent on successful completion of undergraduate foundational courses as approved by the advisor or of a stipulated number of graduate courses to demonstrate academic ability.
• Along with the submission of all materials required for a full graduate application packet, applicants for course work and/or degree programs in Interdisciplinary Studies must complete a separate two-part proposal form available in the Graduate Office. Part I of this form requires the applicant to provide an explanation of the proposed program; Part II asks for both a proposed program topic or title and a list of graduate courses at the 500- and/or 600-level that will constitute the entire 30 credit-hour program.
• As part of the application review process, the Graduate Office will send the details of the proposed program to the departments mentioned, and those departments will make recommendations to the Dean of Graduate Studies about the quality of the proposed program and the feasibility of its successful completion. Based on details of this review, the student may or may not be accepted as a matriculated graduate student.

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MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES

• Initial certification in New York State in Adolescence Education - Mathematics, with a bachelor's degree in mathematics that includes courses equivalent to MATH 210, 223, 323, 331, and at least two of MATH 341, STAT 350, and MATH 381.
   
  
  Or
  
  Initial certification in New York State in Middle Childhood Education - Mathematics Specialist, with a bachelor's degree in mathematics that includes courses equivalent to MATH 123, 210, 231, 341, 381, MAED 301, 302, 303, and a statistics course.

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MUSIC

• The completion of a baccalaureate degree in Music at an accredited four-year institution.
• Applicants seeking the Master of Music in Performance degree must audition for and be accepted by the appropriate applied music faculty.
• Applicants seeking the Master of Music in Theory-Composition degree must have had undergraduate studies in music equivalent to a Bachelor of Music degree with a major in theory or composition, or any other undergraduate music degree which includes four semesters of music theory (equivalent to SUNY Fredonia's MUS 121-122, 123-124, 221-222, 223-224), a music history survey (equivalent to MUS 263 and 264), and advanced undergraduate courses in theory, composition, orchestration, counterpoint, or music history totaling at least 12 semester hours. The degree program is structured so that the student may place emphasis on either theory or composition. Those who wish to follow the theory emphasis must present evidence of previous analytical work; those who wish to pursue the composition emphasis must present a representative selection of compositions for evaluation. All applicants, therefore, must interview with and be accepted by the theory-composition faculty.

• The completion of a baccalaureate degree in Music at an accredited four-year institution. Applicants in music education must have had undergraduate studies equivalent to the Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree offered at SUNY Fredonia.
• A performance audition is not necessary for admission to the Master of Music in Music Education degree program. However, students in the Music Education degree program who desire to do a performance project must audition for and be accepted by the appropriate applied music faculty at the time of application and not later than 6 to 12 hours into the program.
• A minimum of 3.0 GPA is preferred. Applicants who do not meet these requirements may be admitted conditionally by permission of the Director of the School of Music and with the approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies.

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SPEECH PATHOLOGY AND AUDIOLOGY

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution whereby an applicant has completed a minimum of 15 credit hours in courses related to the normal development of speech-language-hearing and/or the sciences related to the use of speech, language and hearing; 9 credit hours in speech-language pathology; and 6 credit hours in audiology.
• A minimum of 3.0 GPA is preferred.
• Submission of a completed application, including all required documentation, to the Office of Graduate Studies by February 15th.

Applicants who do not meet these requirements may be admitted conditionally by permission of the chairperson and with the approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies. A minimum of 18 semester hours in speech pathology and audiology or permission of the chairperson is required for admission to all graduate courses.

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