Incoming First-Year Students
Welcome to the University at Buffalo! We are thrilled that you chose a major within the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Student Advisement and Services is here to help you every step to graduation.
What we do
We help undergraduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences plan their academic path, develop goals, and provide support and recommendations to help students graduate college.
We will be reaching out to new incoming students by email and phone as you complete these steps below.
Work to remove all your holds
To remove your holds you'll need to have paid your tuition deposit, completed your Orientation Data Form, and submitted your medical / immunization records which may take up to 3-4 weeks to process.
Check out some commonly asked questions that might help you get started.
Every student is assigned to an academic advisor in the College of Arts and Sciences Student Advisement and Services.
Your academic advisor is listed in the HUB Student Center under the Academic Progress tile.
Meeting with your academic advisor before registering for classes is not required, but we highly recommend scheduling an appointment once a semester.
Your class schedule is available in HUB Student Center. You'll see it under the Manage Classes Tile and Weekly Schedule.
In most cases, students are required to complete specific courses in their first semester. You should consult with your academic advisor before making any schedule changes.
If you wish to change your major to another major within the College of Arts and Sciences, please call Student Advisement and Services at 716-645-6883 to schedule an appointment with an advisor in your new program.
You must contact that academic advising unit directly if you wish to change your major to a program outside the College of Arts and Sciences.
Ten minutes is enough for students without accessibility concerns to get from one class on the North Campus Academic Spine to another. Students are advised to allow approximately 20-30 minutes to travel between the Academic Spine and the Ellicott Complex on the North Campus and one hour between classes on the North and South Campus.
The specific instruction modes are in the Class Information section under Class Details.
It's important that you choose the credit load that is right for you, and your academic advisor can help! We recommend taking at least 15 credits per semester of General Education, major(s), and free electives courses to stay on track to graduate in four years (eight semesters). Typically, a first-year student will take between 14-17 credits per semester, but having prior college credits may impact your course load. Learn more about tranfer credits in the qestions below.
Maybe! To earn credit as outlined in the articulation chart on the registrar's webpage, you must have the College Board send an official score report to UB (SUNY Center Buffalo/School Code 2925). If you did not do this when you took the exam(s) or after you decided to attend UB, do so now! A high school transcript will not be accepted as proof of AP credit.
Maybe! You must request the official transcript from the college you took the course to be sent to UB. A high school transcript will not be accepted as proof of college credit.
You can review your transfer credit report to see if the transfer credit was received and processed by UB. Transfer credits reports are located in HUB Student Center under the Academic Progress Tile and choose Transfer Credit Report.