Registrar FAQs

A. Here is a link to the final exam schedule for the current semester.

A. Your advisor is listed in the Student View block in Degree Works. Their name is a link to their email. You may also find them in the Faculty/Staff Directory.

A. The due date for final work to be submitted for the previous terms incomplete is worked out between you and your professor and submitted on the Incomplete Grade form. The latest date for work to be due is the last day of classes (prior to final exams) the semester following the incomplete. For example, if you have an incomplete for a spring (or summer) class, the latest your work is due is the final day of classes in the fall semester.

The Registrar’s Office can either provide an enrollment verification letter by filling out the Current Student Enrollment Verification Request form or if you have a form that needs to be filled out, please email a pdf to registrar@fitchburgstate.edu with your portion already completed.

A. Meet with your advisor or department staff to talk about your interest and plan. You will need to fill out our Special Studies Form. Once all approvals have been received, the Registrar’s Office will set up the Independent Study and register you for the course. 

A. Different departments have different procedures for internships. Meet with your advisor or department staff to talk about your interest and plan. If you are doing an internship for credit, you will fill out the Special Studies Form. Once all approvals have been received, the Registrar’s Office will set up the Internship and register you.

A. For either of these situations, you will want to speak with the support staff member for your major. Corrections are made within your major department.

A. Faculty are asked to post grades within 48 hours from the end of their last class or the final, whichever is later.

You can find all our forms on the Registrar’s page under Registrar Forms. If you’re unsure which section to find the form you’re looking for, simply expand all to see all the forms at once.
 

Find the undergraduate and graduate catalogs here. 

View the course schedule (aka the seats list)

View the Map and Directions

A. As an incoming student to Fitchburg State you are declared through the Admissions process. If you have not yet begun classes at FSU, reach out to Admissions to update your major of choice.

Once you have started classes, a change of major is processed by the Registrar’s Office. Students may change their major or degree program as long as they can meet the requirements for their new major. To change or add a program, please submit a Change of Major/Concentration/Minor Form by obtaining the signatures of the department chairs of the programs you are adding and dropping. Submit the completed form to the Registrar’s Office. Department chair approval is not needed for dropping a concentration.

A. To change or add a program, please submit a Change of Major/Concentration/Minor Form to us with the signatures of the department chairs of the programs you are adding. Department chair approval is not needed for dropping a minor.

A. A complete list of terminology can be found in the Academic Glossary tab on the left hand navigation bar.

Archived Catalog – A previous catalog that has been saved in the archives of the online catalog and can be viewed for reference.

Class Restrictions – A restriction on whether you have to be a freshmen, sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student to take the course. 

Corequisites – A course or requirement that needs to be taken at the same time as another course.

Cross-listed with – Some courses are listed under multiple departments. Example: COMM 2800 is cross listed with ENGL 2800. They are the same class but since the class involves both Communications Media and English Studies, the course is listed under both departments.  Students have a choice when registering as to which subject (COMM or ENGL) they want reflected on their transcript.

Major Restrictions – A restriction on whether you have to be in a specific program to take the course.

Matriculated – A student enrolled in classes during the term of admission to the University by the Admissions Office.

Prerequisite – A course or requirement that needs to be met prior to taking another course.

A: The catalog year refers to the catalog that was in effect at the time you enrolled, though you do have the right to change it after consultation with your advisor, however please note that students are not eligible to declare a catalog year prior to their enrollment. Catalog year is important because the catalog identifies your program requirements for graduation.  

For example, if your first semester was Fall 2023 and you are an undergraduate student, you should be looking at the 2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog for your degree requirements. For university policies, all students should refer to the current catalog. Graduate students should refer to the 2023-24 Graduate Catalog. Archived catalogs for earlier years are found in the Archives section on the bottom of the catalog home page.  

Please note: Students who are readmitted to the university should use the current catalog not the catalog in effect when they were previously admitted. 

A: Major requirements are courses that need to be taken or requirements that need to be met for the program of study being taken through a department. General Education requirements are a set of courses and requirements that all undergraduates need to take to graduate.

A. More information on the General Education requirements can be found in the curriculum section of the catalog or the General Education webpage. To fulfill requirements for a bachelor’s degree, students must complete either the requirements of the liberal arts and sciences program or the honors program. These courses are required in addition to your Major requirements.

A. The following are ways to identify a course as one that satisfies a General Education requirement. Please note you should always consult with your faculty academic advisor if you have questions about course requirements.

• Navigate to course descriptions in the catalog and choose a course you are interested in taking. If the course fulfills a liberal arts and sciences requirement, you will see the attributes listed at the end of the course description.
• Via a catalog search. From the catalog search button on the home page, select the option “courses” then type in the General Education requirement attribute you need to satisfy. Example: DP, FA, HI, PL etc. Check the “Find whole word or phrase only.” Your search will filter the courses that meet the criteria.
• Run a degree evaluation in Degree Works through Web4 (also known as self-service Banner) where you will see if your General Education course requirements are met.
• In College Scheduler choose to search by Course Attribute.

A. A degree evaluation is a computer-generated form personalized to your education which lists all of your met and unmet degree requirements. A degree evaluation can be obtained by logging into Web4 > Degree Works. Access Web4. 

A. Yes, view how to register as a non-degree student.

A. View the Academic Calendar
 

A. View the Academic Calendar

A. View the Academic Calendar

A. Contact the instructor to see if they will allow you to register for the course (aka a red card) If they approve, they can input the approval in web4 themselves, or ask their departmental support staff to input the approval. Once the red card has been entered, you will be able to register in College Scheduler.

A. Contact the Registrar's Office with your Student ID # and the course CRN that you are looking to register for that is giving you the error message. Once we verify that you are registered in the prerequisite course, we will be able to register you into the course.

A. You can contact the instructor and ask about a red card (an approval to be added as an extra student.)  Note: You will need to be sure to choose Open and Full on Course Status in College Scheduler or the full course will not show for you to be able to register, regardless of the red card that has been entered for you.

A. Your registration day and time is based solely on your number of completed credits. It does not take into account the credits you will earn for courses you are currently registered for. 

A. Log into Web4, go to the Student tab, select Registration, and select Check your Registration Status. For questions regarding your hold, contact the department responsible for the hold. For example, Student Accounts is the appropriate contact for a Student Accounts hold.

A. You will need to meet with your advisor to be given your Alt PIN during your advising appointment.  If you have already been given your Alt PIN, and have registered for the semester and then lost it, the Registrar’s Office can give you your alt PIN (by having already registered, you would have proven that you have already met with your advisor for your advising appointment). 

A. Registration add errors occur when the criteria is not met for the course you are registering for. 

• Prerequisite error means that you need to have completed a specific course prior to you registering for the current course. Please look at the prerequisite course(s) on the seats list/college catalog to be sure you have met the requirements. 
• Closed section error means that the course is full. Day students can reach out to the instructor to ask to register as an additional student. School of Graduate, Online and Continuing Education students will have the option to add themselves to the waitlist.
• Major Restriction error means that the department has put a restriction on the course to allow only students in a certain major to register.
• Class Restriction error means that the department has put a restriction on the course to allow only students who have completed a specific number of credits to register (e.g. A course can be restricted to seniors only).
• Linked course students cannot add the lecture without the assigned lab for the course. Students must enter both CRN's for the lecture and lab classes.
• Time conflict error is occurring because you have tried to register for two courses scheduled at the same time
• Level Restriction the error is occurring because the course requires a different level (Undergraduate, Graduate) than your current level.
• Duplicate section/CRN/Course you have already registered for the class this semester. Please choose an alternative course.
• Maximum hours exceeded the number of units of the course you have selected exceeds the unit maximum allowed for a semester.
• Out of date range for term means that the registration period has either ended or not begun. Please confirm you are registering in the correct term and then check the registration dates and deadlines.

A. The Online Accelerated Programs are specific programs where all the courses for the program run seven weeks. The courses are indicated with the location OAP. Students in an Online Accelerated program can only register for an OAP course. Students not in an Online Accelerated program cannot register for an OAP course. Fitchburg State University does have programs with online courses that run seven weeks but are not OAP. Please confirm your program if you are having difficulty registering for your course.

A. All official transcripts are ordered online - Request a transcript. Please note unofficial transcripts can only be retrieved via Web4. If you no longer have access to Web4, you will need to order an official copy through Parchment.

A. When ordering your transcript there is no option to choose Undergraduate or Graduate transcript.  When ordering a transcript you will receive both. Please note:

• Bachelor’s degree - Undergraduate
• Master’s degree - Graduate

A. Yes, they will appear with a grade of “In-Progress”. It will update once the final grade is submitted at the end of the semester. 

A. Once your degree has been awarded and posted to your official record, you will receive an email to your Fitchburg State email account letting you know that you can now order your transcript. This can take up to a few weeks.
  

A. An electronic transcript is typically sent within 60-90 minutes. Some transcripts (such as records with holds or records prior to 2000) may require longer processing time.
A paper copy, sent by the U.S. Postal Service will take 7-10 business days.
A paper copy, picked up at the Registrar's Office in the Anthony Student Services building may take 1-3 business days.  A photo ID is required to pick up the transcript to verify your identity. 

A. Official transcripts are provided by the Registrar’s Office through Parchment. Through Parchment, students can request their transcripts be sent to a third party. If the 3rd party is requesting the transcript be official, the transcript must be sent to them directly. If the transcript is sent directly to the student, to remain official the transcript cannot be opened. If a transcript is needed to send to another school or for licensure, an official transcript will be required.

Unofficial transcripts can be obtained by current students only and are only available through Web4.

A. You can do this by viewing your unofficial transcript on Web4.

• Enter a secure area 
• Enter Student ID 
• Enter Pin (*If you do not remember your Pin please click the “Forgot Pin” button to reset)
• Student
• Student Records
• Unofficial Transcript

A. To save your unofficial transcript as a PDF, choose the print option. Where you normally indicate the printer information, change the option to save as a PDF.

A. Yes, you may order:

• A paper copy, sent by the U.S. Postal Service or by FedEx (additional cost); or
• A paper copy, picked up at the Registrar's Office in the Anthony Student Services building during regular business hours. A photo ID is required to pick up the transcript to verify your identity. 

A. Electronic official transcripts cost $6.27 per copy, plus an additional $2.50 fee for paper copies. A debit or credit card is required to place your order.

A: You can have your transcript delivered to the university or organization, or directly to yourself, by one of the methods below:

• Electronic transcript, a secure, digitally signed PDF sent to the recipient (most popular)
• Paper copy, sent by U.S. Postal Service or by FedEx (additional cost)
• Paper copy, picked up at the Registrar's Office in the Anthony Student Services building during regular business hours. A photo ID is required to pick up the transcript to verify your identity.

A: It is your responsibility to verify that the recipient will accept delivery of an electronic PDF transcript.

A: There are two ways that you can check the status of your request.

1. Emails will be sent to your email address (as provided to us) each time the status of your order changes.
2. Go to Parchment (via Web4 or Parchment) and click "Order Status" at the top of the screen. Here you can view the status of every transcript you have ordered from Fitchburg State University.

A: Please request an electronic transcript to be sent to your personal email address. This PDF can then be directly uploaded to your ELAR profile. Any questions regarding the uploading of transcripts to the ELAR profile should be directed to the Center for Excellence in Education at cee@fitchburgstate.edu.

A. FERPA is a federal law that prohibits the disclosure of your personal information related to your academic and/or financial records to third parties unless permission is granted by you (the student) or if your parent or guardian currently claims you on their taxes. See below for additional information.

"The Family Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 guarantees that the academic records for students over 18 years old cannot be discussed with anyone except the student or authorized University personnel. However, certain information classified as "Directory Information" is available for public consumption unless the student specifically directs that it be withheld. 
For information please go to:  FERPA Privacy Policy

A. For the FERPA Disclosure Form please go to the Registrar’s page. Under Registrar Forms choose Student Record Forms and then the FERPA Disclosure Forms. From there choose the appropriate form to fill out and submit.

A. No, a FERPA Release is not required unless you would like your information shared with a third party. Permission to disclose academic information, student account information, or both is an option.  
 

A. You can remove permissions on the FERPA Disclosure form. To find the form please go to the Registrar’s page. Under Registrar Forms, choose Student Record Forms and then FERPA Disclosure Forms. From there choose FERPA Disclosure form for Students. Please note that if your guardian still claims you on their annual taxes, they still have a legal right to request information.

A. Have you applied to graduate in web4? If not, you will need to do so. If you have applied, and it was a while ago, feel free to email the Registrar’s Office to ask. IF you are unsure if you applied to graduate, you may check the status of your application in Web4: Student>Student Records>View Application to Graduate.

A. While we ask students to apply a year in advance, we can accept applications up until the graduation date. Please note there are reasons we ask students to apply early that may be impacted by a late application. That includes such things as resolution of outstanding degree requirements and clearance for Commencement participation.

A.

Certificate: Please fill out the web form here. 
Bachelors: Undergraduate students need a minimum of 84 completed credits to apply. 
Masters or CAGS: Graduate students need a minimum of 12 completed credits to apply.
For Bachelors, Masters, or CAGS: Log into Web4

1. Click on Student
2. Click on Student Records
3. Click on apply to graduate
4. Submit (whatever term shows here does not matter – just click submit)
5. Click on your program and click Continue
6. Choose graduation date and fill out the required information
7. Indicate whether you will attend the commencement ceremony
8. Confirm Diploma Name
9. Confirm Diploma Mailing Address
10. Submit Request

A. Now! Undergraduate students need 84 Earned/Graded credits to be eligible to apply and Graduate students need 12 Earned/Graded credits. 

A. Applications are reviewed in the order in which they were received. Review begins after registration for your last semester and may take a few months during peak times.

A. Respond to the graduation review email you had received with the new information. 

A. The department or program chair must submit the appropriate substitution form to the Registrar’s Office so the exception can be processed in Degree Works. Undergraduate students submit the Undergraduate Major/Minor Substitution form.

A. Allow for 3-4 weeks after the semester has ended for your degree to be posted to your record. You will receive an email to your Fitchburg State student email once your degree has been awarded.

A. You may be all set - the only way to know would be to check your Degree Works once the substitutions have been input (typically 3-5 business days after they are submitted to the Registrar’s Office.) 

A. Only your primary Degree Program will print on a diploma. For example, a student graduating with a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and a Minor in Economics would have a diploma that reads that they are being awarded a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. The Concentration and Minor would only appear on your transcript. 
 

A. Please email registrar@fitchburgstate.edu with your name and Student ID# so that we can look into this for you!

A. If you have two majors at graduation, you can either be a Double Major or a Double Degree. 

A Double Major has two majors, but less than 150 university-level credits. In that case, only one degree/diploma is awarded… for the primary program. The second major will still be noted on your transcript. 

A Double Degree student has two majors and 150 or more earned university-level credits. In that case two degrees/diplomas are awarded. 
 

A. All diplomas are mailed regardless of attendance at Commencement. The reason for this is because Commencement is held before final review of graduation requirements can be completed by the Registrar’s Office.

A. Please take a look at the section in our Veteran Services.

A. Request Joint Service Transcript

A. Please take a look at the section in our Veteran Services.