Retention of Student Work

the VP for Academic Affairs/Dean for signed approval prior to registration. Students should identify a faculty member or mentor with whom they will work during the independent study. Such mentors will be compensated by the College.

A student may earn no more than six credits in independent study toward the degree.

Residency Requirements, and Transfer Credit Process, and Placement Tests

The academic advisors evaluate students’ official records for applicable transfer credit. The Office of Academic Affairs also administers placement tests for math and English skill levels.

Transfer Credit

NYSID accepts transfer credits into its undergraduate programs for liberal arts and professional courses taken at other accredited colleges and universities. An accredited institution is one that is accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. These courses must have been taken for credit and awarded a grade of C or better for liberal arts courses and B or better for professional courses (in some cases P or S may be accepted, if noted in writing as the equivalent of an acceptable letter grade). Life experience, precollege courses taken at another institution, or remedial courses, or courses not taken for credit or a grade are not accepted for transfer credit. With prior approval of an academic advisor, remedial courses in math and English taken at another accredited college or university may fulfill prerequisites equal to the NYSID placement tests required for 171 Basic Mathematics or 150 English Composition I. A student’s academic advisor will evaluate evidence of skill in technical or support courses and determine if a required course may be waived. The College may accept some liberal arts credit earned through College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) proficiency examinations. Advanced Placement test scores of 3 or better in subject tests may be applicable as transfer credit; an official AP transcript must be requested from the College Board and sent directly to the academic advisor. Transfer credits from high school level International Baccalaureate courses will be accepted if they are HL courses with an earned grade of 4, 5, or 6; a scanned copy of the diploma or other official IB documentation must be submitted.

Regardless of professional or life experience, students must earn the number of credits required by their program of study. Official transcripts and catalog course descriptions must be submitted to a student’s academic advisor, who will determine whether credits may transfer. A portfolio containing representative work from classes taken at other institutions may be requested of the applicant. Final approval of transfer credit is made by the academic advisor. NYSID residency requirements for each program may in no case be waived.

Courses taken in graduate programs, other than NYSID’s, may not be applied as transfer credit to any undergraduate program. For instance, graduate level English, Math or other liberal arts courses/credits will not satisfy the related undergraduate level program. Students must either take the NYSID placement tests and place out of 150 English Composition I or 171 Basic Math; or, they may demonstrate their command of these subjects (or others) by successfully taking the relevant CLEP test.

Transfer credits cannot be formally applied until all official documents are received and the student has been accepted into a program. Every time that a student applies to a new program, their file is reevaluated for applicable transfer credits. It is the responsibility of students to ensure that all applicable transfer credits have been applied by periodically viewing their academic information via the NYSID