First-Year Students 2015
Welcome to Buffalo State!
Your General Education program is
Intellectual Foundations 2014:
IF14
General Education requirements
for ALL incoming students
Our Emphasis Today
• Understanding college and graduation
requirements so you don’t take unnecessary
coursework
• How to read your Degree Works (DW) audit
sheet
Technical details about how to access DW can be
addressed with the OLs later this afternoon.
Log in to DW
From the Registrar’s web site:
http://registrar.buffalostate.edu/degree-works
From MYBUFFSTATE Toolbox:
http://suny.buffalostate.edu/students
IF14 Requirements
http://intellectualfoundations.buffalostate.edu/intellectu
al-foundations-2014
Web page above summarizes requirements
• Degree Works (DW) is a degree audit system
• DW audit sheet helps you and your adviser keep
track of the courses required to graduate
Degree Works summarizes
Three primary categories of courses:
–IF14 courses
–Major and minor courses
• Some majors and minors have elective
courses within them
–All-college electives = everything else
Summaries at the Top
of DW Audit Sheet
General Requirements
• Minimum 120 credits to graduate
• Minimum 32 credits campus residency (taken
at Buffalo State)
• Upper-Division 33 credits (on a later slide)
• Must maintain minimum 2.0 GPA cumulative
and in the major
– Some majors have higher minimums
IF14: English Composition
Basic Written and Oral Communication
 CWP 101 (3 credits) – must earn a minimum grade of C
 CWP 102 (3 credits) – must earn a minimum grade of C
• Check DW audit sheet to see if you have an exemption
• AP course
• High SAT score
• Send your HS transcript to Admissions for this purpose
• If you get a grade less than C, must retake the course
– Questions? Contact College Writing Program, TWIN 100
IF14: Mathematics/Quantitative
Reasoning
One of the following courses:
ECO 305 Statistics for Economics
MAT 103 Introduction to Contemporary Mathematics
MAT 114 Functions and Modeling
MAT 122 Elementary Math from an Advanced Standpoint
MAT 126 Calculus
MAT 161 Calculus I
MAT 311 Introduction to Probability and Statistics
PHI 107 Introduction to Mathematical Logic
Requirement may be met through:
• Credit-bearing (AP) coursework—evaluated by Admissions from
student-submitted HS information
IF14: Cognate Foundations
• Need 3 credits in each of four categories:
 Arts
 Humanities
 Natural Sciences
 Social Science
• ONLY designated courses count
– See IF14 quad-fold pamphlet & online list
• Must be outside the major prefix
– Example: PSY 101 cannot fulfill Social Science
requirement for Psychology major
IF14: Foundations of Civilizations
 American History
 3 credits
 Western Civilization
 3 credits
 Non-Western Civilization
 3 credits
• These courses can satisfy major or minor
requirements
IF14: Diversity
• One course from the designated list (3 credits)
• “Double dip” means that a course satisfies two or
more requirements
– Example: SOC 240 counts both as Diversity and
Social Science Cognate Foundations
– But it’s still only 3 credits
• Diversity courses can be double-dipped with ANY
other requirement (major, minor, IF14, etc.)
IF14: Global Engagement
Select one of four options*
Can satisfy major/minor requirements
1. Study one foreign language
– Requirement of proficiency at the 102 level, that can be
satisfied with high school proficiency (One year in HS = one
semester here)
– MUST send HS transcript to Admissions for this purpose
2. Take a proficiency test
3. Cultural immersion through study abroad
4. Global engagement through specific servicelearning experiences
*See the IF14 web site for full details
Upper-Division: 33 Credits
• Upper division courses are generally 300 or 400 level
– Foreign Language 201 and 202 count as UD if taken at BSC,
although not required for degree
• All students must complete a minimum of 33 credits
of upper division courses
• If a course from a two-year school transfers in as
300/400 level, it is considered upper division
• Most students, but NOT all, get enough UD credits in
major
General Tips
• See your adviser regularly!
• Read your Buffalo State e-mail!
• Always get proof of advisement!
– Signed advisement slip from your adviser
– Notes in DW audit sheet made by adviser
• For most IF requirements, you need only a category,
not a specific course, e.g.,
Specific Course
PHI 101
CHE 100
IF14 Category
Humanities, IF14
Natural Science, IF14
Thus, if the specific course is closed, you can search
in Banner for another course in the same category
(Banner Advanced Search Attribute Type* box)
* see next slide
Financial Aid basics
• Students must be accepted into a major no later
than 60 credits
• Financial aid is threatened (& may be lost) when
– a student is not full-time (12 credits or more)
– classes are not completed (E, F, W, I, U)
– GPA is below 2.0
• Financial Aid rules are different for state (TAP) and
federal aid
More information:
http://www.buffalostate.edu/financialaid/
Questions?