Men and women of ability and achievement are welcome in all divisions of Canisius College. Admissibility as students is determined based on aptitude, achievement and character.
Secondary School Preparation
The secondary school program of studies should include a minimum of 16 units of credit in academic subjects. The college considers academic subjects as those stressing intellectual development, including English, social studies, science, mathematics and foreign language.
Applications for Freshman Admission
Candidates for freshman admission to the college should complete the admissions application either in paper form or on-line. A complete application requires a $40 application fee, an official high school transcript, a guidance counselor recommendation, official test scores from the SAT-I or ACT examinations and any supporting documentation the student chooses to submit. Letters of recommendation and an essay are encouraged. The application fee is waived for on-line application submissions.
Rolling Admission and Priority Notification
Canisius adheres to rolling admissions allowing students to apply at any time until the class is full. Canisius offers a priority consideration deadline of November 15. Students applying by this date will be notified of an admissions decision and scholarship award by December 15.
Condition of Admittance
Students who are accepted for freshman admission are admitted with the expectation that they will successfully complete their senior year of high school and graduate prior to enrollment at Canisius. Failure to graduate from high school or to maintain the academic standard for which admission has been granted are sufficient grounds to rescind an offer of admission to Canisius.
Early Admission Policy
Canisius College will accept approved candidates for early admission from high schools that officially approve of this policy and whose curricula are satisfactory. Early admission candidates are defined as students who have completed all or a majority of their high school graduation requirements in less than four years. Students applying for early admission must adhere to all freshmen admission policies.
Additional conditions for early admission are as follows:
1. Students must be recommended by their high school principal or counselor with the understanding that students will only be recommended if they have demonstrated excellence in academic achievement and motivation.
2. Students must have completed three years of high school curriculum prior to enrollment at Canisius. Exceptions to this rule are very unusual.
3. Ordinarily, students must have reached their sixteenth birthday or will reach their sixteenth birthday by the end of the first semester of freshman year.Candidate’s Reply Date Agreement – May 1
Canisius College adheres to the College Entrance Examination Board’s Candidates’ Reply Date Agreement (CRDA). According to this policy students may submit their tuition (and housing) deposit upon receipt of their letter of acceptance or any time prior to and including May 1. The deposit is non-refundable after May 1.
Advanced Standing and Transfer Credit Policies and Processes for Incoming Freshmen
Under the conditions indicated below, students may obtain credit for college-level courses delivered in high school through advanced placement exams, International Baccalaureate scores, CLEP exams, and submission of transcripts from accredited two- and four-year institutions. Requests for acceptance of such credits should be directed to the appropriate associate dean, who will consult with the Core Curriculum Committee or the major program or department as needed. A maximum of 30 credit hours will be granted to first-time freshmen enrolling directly from high school.
College Courses Delivered in High School Settings
Students who achieve a grade of C or above will earn at least elective credit for classes offered in their high school by accredited colleges. An official college transcript must be received by Canisius College before credit can be awarded. All requests to use such credits to fulfill core curriculum or major requirements should be made to the appropriate associate dean.
Advanced Placement Courses
Students achieving a 3 or higher on the College Entrance Examination Board Advanced Placement Test will normally earn at least elective credit toward a degree at Canisius College. (Canisius College reserves the right to deny credit for a 3 in a particular Advanced Placement Test if subsequent student performance in relevant courses at Canisius College has provided evidence that a 3 in that Test does not demonstrate college level competence.) Core curriculum credit for such courses is subject to approval by the Core Curriculum Committee, and credit in the major is subject to approval of course equivalency by the major department or program. Official results of the exam must be sent from the College Board to Canisius College before credit can be awarded. All such requests should be directed to the appropriate associate dean, who will consult with the Core Curriculum Committee or the major program or department as needed.
International Baccalaureate Program
A student who has earned the IB Diploma will be awarded a maximum of 30 credit hours and will have individual diploma exams evaluated as transfer credit to be applied toward major, general studies, area studies, or elective course requirements. Major credit will be determined in consultation with department chairs. Students will not receive additional credit for AP exams that duplicate credit awarded for the IB exams.
If a student does not attain the IB Diploma but presents individual Higher Level examinations with scores of 5 or above, he/she will receive 6-8 credits per examination (depending on the Canisius College course equivalency) up to a total of 30 credits. These credits may be applied toward major, general studies, area studies, or elective course requirements. Major credit will be determined in consultation with department chairs.
Credit for subsidiary exams with scores of 5 or above will be awarded only if the subsidiary exams are part of the IB Diploma. The student will receive 3-4 credits per examination (depending upon the Canisius College course equivalency). Individual subsidiary exams in the absence of the diploma will not receive credit.
IB exam information should be sent directly to the Office of Student Records, who will consult with the Core Curriculum Committee or the major program or department as needed.
College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Credit
Please see page 21 for a full description of the college’s CLEP policy.
International Students
International candidates for undergraduate admission should submit a completed application and certified transcripts from all secondary schools or colleges attended. Transcripts not in English should be accompanied by a certified English translation. International students from countries whose original language is not English must also submit official test results from either the paper or electronic version of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam. All documents should be submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
To be eligible for a student visa, students must also submit evidence of sufficient funding to cover educational expenses.
Applications for Transfer Admission
Students who have graduated from high school and have completed at least three credit hours of post-secondary, college-level work will be considered for transfer admission to Canisius College. Candidates for transfer admission should submit an application for transfer admission and submit official transcripts for all colleges attended. Additionally, a Transfer Recommendation Form completed by the dean of students or other appropriate official from the most recent college attended is required. Candidates who have completed fewer than 24 credit hours of college level work at the time of application must also submit an official high school transcript.
Adult Applicants
Applicants for freshmen or transfer admission who have had a break in their academic work must submit a statement of activity for the period representing the break in their education.
Advanced Standing and Transfer Credit Policies for Transfer Students
A transfer credit evaluation will be completed for transfer students who are accepted for admission to Canisius. A maximum of 60 credit hours may be transferred from two-year colleges and at least 60 more credit hours must be earned at Canisius in order to be awarded the bachelor’s degree. Students transferring from four-year institutions must complete at least 30 credit hours at Canisius, including at least 18 in their major, in order to earn the bachelor’s degree.
Transfer credit from accredited two-and four-year institutions of higher education is granted when the course objectives for the completed work are substantially the same as the course objectives at Canisius College. Transfer credit is awarded only for courses with a minimum grade of C or better. If an associate degree was earned by the student all courses with minimum grade of D or better will be considered for advanced standing.
For teacher certification candidates, a grade of C or better is required to transfer courses listed as major courses in teacher education, special education, adolescence education, physical education, health education and athletic training programs. Once transcripts have been submitted to and reviewed by the Office of Student Records, the student must meet with the appropriate associate dean to review the transfer credit and register for classes.
Canisius College has a variety of articulation and dual degree agreements with community and junior colleges throughout New York State. These agreements recognize specific programs and majors at the two-year institutions that allow students the most comprehensive transfer of courses and credits. Students at these institutions should consult with their academic counseling center for specific information on articulated programs and majors.
Dismissed Students
Academic policy at Canisius College prohibits acceptance of a student who has been academically dismissed from another college or university until one academic year after date of dismissal. Exceptions to this policy may be made after review of the applicant’s academic credentials by the appropriate academic dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Wehle School of Business, or the School of Education and Human Services.
Non-Matriculated Students
Non-matriculated students, i.e., individuals who are not working towards a degree at Canisius, may be approved for a maximum of three courses per semester. Courses requiring prerequisites may be taken only when supporting documents are presented at the time of application insuring that the prerequisite courses have been successfully completed. Non-matriculated students will receive the normal college credit for all work successfully completed.
Visiting Students
Students from other colleges or universities who wish to attend Canisius for the purpose of transferring earned credits to their home institutions must apply for entrance through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
An application for visitation must be accompanied by a letter of permission from the appropriate academic dean at the home institution. The letter, in substance, should state that the applicant has permission to take courses at Canisius for the purpose of transfer back to the home institution.
Auditors
Students wishing to audit courses at Canisius College must secure the approval of the Office of Student Records and Registration. No credit is granted for an audited course. Responsibility for examination, assignments and attendance is determined by the faculty member teaching the course. No student will be permitted to change from audit to credit after the first session of the class.
Auditing fees are listed in the Tuition section of the catalog.