Frequently Asked Questions

Admissions

What do I need to send in? 
Please review the Programs and Requirements page under the department of your program for detailed information on admission requirements.

Can the transcript I sent to SUNY Cortland for acceptance in the undergraduate program be used for applying to the graduate program?
The transcripts you submitted for undergraduate admissions are part of your permanent file in the Registrar's Office. The Graduate Studies Office will be creating a permanent file for your graduate records and must have original, official transcripts for that file. You will need to request official transcripts for your graduate application from all colleges other than SUNY Cortland. We can obtain your Cortland transcript in house.

I will graduate with my bachelor's degree and am applying for my initial certification, but I may not receive it in time to put it with my graduate application. Can I still get accepted without it?
Yes. When you fill out the graduate application you may mark pending next to the certification information. You can be accepted conditionally. When you obtain your initial certification, send a copy to the Graduate Studies Office. C.A.S. applicants must provide a copy of their permanent certification for acceptance into any of the C.A.S. programs that require certification.

I am interested in a Master of Science in Education teaching program. Is the GRE required for admission?
The GRE is only required for physical education, exercise science and sport study, history, and sport management (which also accepts the GMAT).

What program should I take?
What are you interested in? What is your undergraduate degree in? You are the one who knows your own strengths and what you like. Review our Programs and Requirements page online to see what programs are available and the admission requirements.

Certification

How do I apply for certification once I have completed my Master's Degree Program?
Students apply on line for certfication through the New York State Education TEACH system. In addition to applying on line, please be sure you have sent us a Teacher Certification Authorization Form so that we can make our recommendation on the Teach system.

Where do I get the materials I need for the video?
Our Career Services Office has information on videos. They may be reached at (607) 753-4715.

Do I need to have two years of classroom teaching before I can apply for NYS certification?
No. You may apply for certification without classroom teaching. However, if you are applying for a professional certificate, the State will not award your certification until you have completed three years of experience one of which is mentored.

Which certification test do I need to take?
Our Career Services Office has information regarding all tests for certification. They may be reached at (607) 753-4715.

When will I get my certification?
There is a short turn around time once we recommend you to the State Education Department. You can check on the status of your application on the TEACH system.

When does my financial aid come in?
All questions pertaining to financial aid should be addressed to the Financial Advisement Office. You may review the Financial Advisement Office Web site, or contact them at (607) 753-4717.

Why is there an extra cost to take the payment plan?
You are paying for a service to maintain and track payments. This service costs $35 every semester you use the payment plan.

I am a non-matriculated student. What is the availability of financial aid?
Non-matriculated students are not eligible for financial aid.

Graduation

You may apply for certification through the New York State TEACH System.

Once you have applied for graduation on Banner web, we will generate a graduation checklist to your advisor. The checklist is returned to the graduate studies office, and we will notify you in writing if there is anything missing for you to graduate. Courses you are currently enrolled in are also reviewed.

Do I need to apply for certification at the same time I apply on-line for graduation?
No. You may apply for graduation on Banner web and apply on-line for certfication at a later date. Once we post your degree, we will recommend you for certification through the TEACH system.

I already took my C.A.R. and S.A.V.E. Workshops at Cortland, can you send me proof?
When students take C.A.R. and S.A.V.E. Workshops here, it is noted on your transcript. We do not give certificates as only enrolled Cortland students can take our workshops. For proof of these workshops you need to ask the Registrar's Office for a copy of your official transcript

When will I get my diploma?
Once your grades have been posted and your degree has been posted, we order your diploma. It takes approximately 6-12 weeks for the printer to print the diplomas and mail them to us. We will mail your diploma to you.

Internships

I am in the C.A.S. program and getting ready to do my administration internship. Who do I speak to about the paperwork?
All C.A.S. internships are assigned through the Educational Leadership Department. You may reach them at (607) 753-2444. You will need to complete paperwork with that department, however, you also will be required to register for the internship the same as you would any other class.

All other internships are handled through the Career Services Office (607) 753-4715.

How many credits are considered part time?
Anything less than nine credit hours is considered part time. For financial aid, part time is 6-11.5 credit hours.

I am taking my comprehensive exam for health, this says I need a CAPP form, what is it and do I need it?
The CAPP form is an advisement tool on the web. To access CAPP on the web go to the SUNY Cortland home page and go to Banner Web in the quick links menu. Once you log in to the system (Your user ID is your Social Security number or your college ID number and your password is your date of birth the first time you use it in a mmddyy format. If you have been on Banner Web before, you would have created a new password) select Academic Services/Registrar, then Student Records Menu, then CAPP. This will allow you to review the requirements for your program, what you have completed, and what is left to fulfill.

I already took a course as an undergraduate and now I need it for my graduate degree, do I have to retake the class?
Any class taken for your undergraduate degree cannot be applied toward the graduate degree. In addition, any 500-level courses taken as undergraduate can not be changed to graduate after the fact. You may request a waiver of that course requirement from your department, but you will still have to take the same number of graduate credits for the degree.

I don't have any student teaching experience. Can I get it at Cortland without being in a program?
No. You must be matriculated in a degree program and meet all the prerequisites for student teaching.

Can I transfer in credits from another college?
After you have been accepted into a program here at Cortland, completed six credit hours here, and applied for Candidacy (if required by your program), you may complete a Request for Acceptance of Graduate Credit Completed at Other Institutions form which is available on our site under forms.

I am looking at CAPP on the web. It is not reflecting this particular (undergraduate/substitute) course I had to take, why not?
CAPP is programmed to show only the actual course requirements from the college catalog. Undergraduate courses or substitutions will not show but will be on your transcript. If you have a course substitution, you should contact your advisor and ask them to submit a course substitution form to the Graduate Studies Office so that course can reflect on the CAPP form.

If I received something about the MMR vaccine, does that have anything to do with your office?
No. You need to contact Student Health Service at (607) 753-4811 or review their Web page.

Where on the Cortland campus is the Mohawk building?
There is no Mohawk building on the SUNY Cortland campus. Courses at the Mohawk Valley Graduate Center are located at SUNY IT in Utica.

Do you have courses online?
Some courses are offered online and some are offered by distance learning. Asynchronous (ASYNCH) courses are the ones that are on line and do not require you to be in a specific place at a specific time. Distance learning courses (DL) do require you to be in a specific place at a specific time, however you will receive instruction and interact with the instructor via computer video. When reviewing the course schedule look for ASYNCH or DL in the title of the course.

Non-Matriculated Students

I already graduated. I want to take more classes to get another certificate but I can't register online due to student status, what does that mean?
Once you have graduated you are no longer in a program and are considered non-matriculated. Please follow registration procedures for non-matriculated students.

When do non-matriculated students register?
Non-matriculated students may register in person in the Graduate Studies Office, Brockway 216. Payment is required at the time of registration.

Please review our Dates and Deadlines page for information about when non-matriculated students may register. The Non-Web Registration form for non-matriculated students will be available on our forms page by the date you can register.

What if I can't come to the non-matriculated student registration?
You can fax in the registration form on the 17th of January with credit card information on the form. Your form will be processed in the same time period as walk-in students. If you can't fax it in then you can send a surrogate in your place with the form filled out and payment.

Non-Matriculated Student Status-International Students

International students (including those with permanent resident status in the United States) who are not accepted into a degree program and wish to take graduate courses as a non-matriculated student, must register and pay for their classes in the Graduate Studies Office. You will need to provide the following information when you register:

Copy of your Visa or Permanent Resident Card
Visa type
Nationality
Country of citizenship
Country of birth

How do I register?
Matriculated students can register via the web during a specific time frame. Please review the Web registration information for information regarding the registration calendar and instructions to register on line. You will need to scroll towards the bottom of this page to find the calendar and instruction links.

Once web registration has closed, matriculated students may fax, mail or bring in their registration forms to the Graduate Studies Office. The form will then be available from the Registrar's web page under forms and payment must accompany your registration. Faxed forms will require credit card information. .

Non-matriculated students must register in person or by fax one week prior to classes starting for the fall or spring semesters. Payment is required at the time of registration. For summer and winter terms, non-matriculated students may begin registering using the registration form immediately after the web closes.

I have an error message when I try to register: Why?  How do I take care of it?
Please review the Web registration information. You may print off both instructions and error message information.

When can I register for summer classes?
Matriculated students may register on the Web at the same time they register for their fall classes. Please review the Web registration information regarding the registration calendar and instructions to register on line.

What is a PIN and how do I get one?
Students need a Personal Identification Number (PIN) in order to access Banner Web and registration. The first time you access Banner Web your PIN is your date of birth in mmddyy order. You will be prompted immediately to change this to something else that you can remember.

The class is closed or shows major restriction will you put me in it?
Only the department chair can grant permission to register for a closed course, a course with a major restriction, a course that has prerequisites, or a course that requires special permission. The department must either lift the flag on your record so that you may register, or notify the Graduate Studies Office directly either by e-mail, phone call or have the department chair write permission on your registration form.

What is this HOLD and how do I get it off?
Banner will state what the HOLD is for and then you will need to contact that department to resolve the hold. No action can be taken on your registration until the hold is removed. If the hold is removed and it is too late for Web registration you may fax, with credit card information, mail or bring in your registration form with payment.

Some courses are four credits, can I take 13 or 14 credits?
Students may take up to 14 credits. It is up to the director of graduate studies to approve over loads. Please contact our office at (607) 753-4800 to inquire about permission for an over load.

What does 09_ mean as a section number?
The classes are at the Mohawk Valley Graduate Center at SUNY IT or at Madison BOCES.

What does 07_ mean as a section number?
The class meets off campus other than our Utica site. You should speak to the department who is offering the class for details about where the class meets.