Policies & Procedures

Students must complete the published registration procedures each semester, including payment of all tuition and fees, to gain admission to classes. No student can be registered until all registration procedures have been completed.

Registration Policies

Class sizes are limited; early registration is advised. Registration priority in all sections is given to matriculated students. Students receive academic advising services from the Director of Continuing Education. A continuing education student may request an advising appointment by calling 617-994-4233.

Students wishing to cancel their registration or withdraw from a course must notify the Continuing Education division of the Art & Design Department in writing either by certified mail, fax, email, or in person. To cancel registration, this must be done prior to the start of the class(es) for which they have registered. Cancellation or withdrawal will be dated from the day such notice is postmarked, faxed, emailed, or submitted in person. Students who cancel their registration at any time prior to the start of classes will receive a full refund of tuition paid, less the $25 registration fee and any other applicable fees.

Eligibility

Students enrolling in Continuing Education division courses must be 18 years or older and be high school graduates or possess the equivalent of a high school education (i.e. GED). The school reserves the right to ensure international students have demonstrated proficiency in the English language in order to enroll in Continuing Education courses. Exceptions to these rules may be made at the discretion of the Director of Continuing Education and Preparatory Programs for applicants of unusual motivation or ability. Students intending to apply continuing education division courses toward BFA or certificate requirements must consult the general catalog and complete an application and change of status procedure.

Visa Policy & English Proficiency Requirement

United States immigration policy no longer permits students on B-1 (business) or B-2 (tourist) visas to enroll in courses at any college or university. If you are in the United States on a B-type visa, you will not be allowed to enroll in courses at the Art & Design Department at Suffolk University.

All non-native English speakers must demonstrate proficiency in the English language. Upon registering for courses, students may be required to have their English language skills evaluated.

Health Insurance

Massachusetts state law requires that all students taking nine or more credits in a term have adequate health coverage. Suffolk University will provide any student registered for nine or more credits per term with health insurance for a fee. If you already have health insurance and are registering for nine or more credits as a continuing education student, you will need to formally waive the University’s health insurance to avoid being charged. International students, regardless of their credit load, will be automatically enrolled in Suffolk University's student health insurance plan. Waivers are granted at the discretion of the Office of Health & Wellness Services

Disability Services

Disability Services functions as the ADA compliance office and coordinates services for students with disabilities at Suffolk. In all cases, appropriate diagnostic documentation is required to receive disability services at Suffolk.

Location: 73 Tremont St, 9th Floor
Website
Phone: 617-573-8034

Academic Credit Policies

In the case of studio courses, a credit is defined as a total of 30 hours of class time. Most Art & Design Department courses are studio courses (indicated by the letter S preceding the course number). In the case of academic courses, the University defines a credit as a total of 15 hours of class time. For more information on credit hours, please refer to Suffolk University's credit hour definition.

Courses taken by Continuing Education students may later be applied toward BFA or Graphic Design certificate requirements, provided the student has applied to and been accepted into the designated program. A maximum of 30 credits can be applied toward the BFA programs and a maximum of nine credits for the Graphic Design certificate. In both cases, a tuition differential will be applied. Only credit-bearing courses in which a grade of C or better has been earned may be applied; credits awarded will be considered transfer credits.

Please note: While individuals may elect to take additional courses as Continuing Education students, credits earned beyond the above stated transfer maximums cannot be applied toward certificate or degree requirements.

Courses taken as a Continuing Education student earn undergraduate credit only and are therefore not directly applicable to graduate programs. However, undergraduate credits earned as a Continuing Education student can later be used to waive the undergraduate-equivalent preparatory coursework required in the MA programs.

Please note: Under no circumstances may credits taken by Continuing Education students be applied toward the course requirements (30 credits at the 700-level or above) of our master's programs.

Administrative Policies

This website does not constitute a contractual agreement. The school reserves the right to change programs, courses, policies, fees, or faculty described on this site at its discretion.

Plagiarism, cheating, and stealing will be considered grounds for dismissal. In addition, the school reserves the right to withdraw the privileges of enrollment from any student whose activities or behavior are disruptive to the ongoing educational and professional life of the school, or from any student who fails to meet his or her financial obligations to the school in a timely manner.

The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, or Vietnam-era or disabled veteran status in its employment or admissions policies, or in the administration of, operation of, or access to its academic or non-academic programs and policies. It does not discriminate on the basis of disability in violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. College of Arts & Sciences student and applicant inquiries regarding disabilities and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 may be directed to the Dean of Students, 73 Tremont Street, 12th floor, tel: 617-573-8239.

In keeping with the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-380) as amended (P.L. 93-568), also known as the Buckley Amendment, the university will provide eligible students or their parents the opportunity to review the student's educational records, to seek corrections of information contained in those records, and to limit disclosure of information contained in those records. The university is required to give students or their parents annual written notice of these rights and the right to file complaints with the Department of HEW concerning alleged failures by the institution to comply with the requirements of the act. A written policy governing institutional record-keeping is on file at the registrar's office.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities. This law assures that persons with disabilities have access to employment, public accommodation, public service, transportation and telecommunications programs, and services.

According to university policy, no official transcripts or diplomas will be made available until all financial obligations to the University have been met. In addition, those with outstanding balances will not be allowed to register with the Continuing Education Office until their accounts are clear. Reasonable collection costs, including attorney fees, will be added to delinquent accounts.

Refund Policies

Students wishing to cancel their registration or withdraw from a course must notify the Art & Design Department in writing either by certified mail, fax, email, or in person. To cancel registration, this must be done prior to the start of the class(es) for which they have registered. Cancellation or withdrawal will be dated from the day such notice is postmarked, faxed, emailed, or submitted in person. Students who cancel their registration at any time prior to the start of classes will receive a full refund of tuition paid, less the $25 registration fee and any other applicable fees. Students who withdraw from a course after the first class should refer to the following refund policy:

Continuing education students withdrawing from a course will receive refunds on tuition, less the $25 registration fee and any other applicable fees, according to the following schedule within 30 days of the receipt of the written notice of withdrawal. Refunds for withdrawing students are calculated from the start date of each course until the date written notice of withdrawal is post-marked, faxed, emailed, or submitted in person. The refund is based on the number of classes which have been held, not the number of classes the student attended. There is no refund for workshops.

Please note: Some programs and workshops have separate refund policies

The percentages indicated below are percentages of total term tuition due.

  • Withdrawal after the 1st class: 90% refund
  • Withdrawal after the 2nd class: 70% refund
  • Withdrawal after the 3rd class: 50% refund
  • Withdrawal after the 4th class: no refund

Tuition Differential Policy

Continuing Education students who took courses which are applicable to BFA or certificate program requirements must pay the tuition differential for those courses upon matriculating into a formal program of study. The student is responsible for paying the tuition differential for each course which he/she wishes to upgrade from continuing education to BFA or certificate credit. This differential calculation is based on the tuition rates for the semester(s) during which the student completed applicable courses.

For example, a student took 2-D/Color for continuing education credit in spring 2017 and paid $1,710. In the spring of 2017, BFA credit for this course was $3,306. Upon changing their status from continuing education to BFA, the student is responsible for paying the difference of $1,596 to apply the course toward their BFA requirements.

Grades

Grades are posted on MySuffolk at a date and time specified at the end of each semester.

Grades are as follows: A (Outstanding), B (Above Average), C (Average), D (Poor), F (Failure), I (Incomplete), W (Withdrew). Letter grades of A, B, C, D, and F carry numerical values of 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0, respectively. A (+) notation will add 0.3 to the numerical value of a letter grade (e.g. B+ equals 3.3) and a (-) notation will similarly subtract 0.3 (e.g. B- equals 2.7).

A grade of I (Incomplete) indicates a student has done passing work in a course but has not yet submitted all the work required for a formal evaluation. The I is awarded at the instructor's discretion only if the student has completed at least half of the course requirements satisfactorily at the end of the semester, and there is a reasonable expectation that all course requirements can be completed in one academic year. Unless an I is formally reevaluated by the instructor within one academic year, it automatically converts to an F.

A grade of W signifies official withdrawal from a course and is assigned administratively if a student drops a course between the end of the drop/add period and the semester's withdrawal deadline, or when a student drops or withdraws from the school after the semester's deadline with approval from the director of continuing education and preparatory programs. Permission is given only for valid cause, such as debilitating illness, relocation, serious family crisis, or other circumstances beyond a student's control.

Student Artwork Policies

Statement of Use

Suffolk University reserves the right to retain artwork produced by students for exhibition and reproduction as part of their program of study while enrolled at the University, and has a non- exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to photograph, tape, reproduce, or otherwise use or display student work for marketing, promotional, archival, reference, research, classroom, educational, and other purposes. Students will be credited for the use of such reproductions at the discretion of the University. Reproductions of student artwork may be edited at the University's discretion, but in doing so, the University will make a good faith effort to act respectfully and responsibly so as not to unduly compromise the integrity of the original artwork.

Abandoned Student Artwork

Student artwork left on Suffolk University's premises must be picked up within one week of the end of each academic semester because of limited space on campus. Any property remaining after that date shall be considered abandoned and it will become the property of Suffolk University, unless a formal arrangement has been made with a faculty member or administrator to retain the work beyond this deadline. The University will not be responsible for the location and/or condition of abandoned student artwork.

Cancellation Policies

Suffolk University reserves the right, in the case of insufficient enrollment, to cancel any course and can exercise that right at any time prior to the first scheduled class meeting. If this occurs, students will be notified and may select a substitute course or receive a full refund. Classes will not be held on national or state holidays, and these particular days are listed on the term calendar. In case of cancellations due to instructor illness, we will attempt to notify students as far in advance as possible.

In the event that weather or other emergency conditions warrant the closing, delayed start, or early closure of the University, announcements will be made via the University Emergency Messaging System, RAVE, and posted on the University website. Closing or delayed start announcements affecting day classes/activities will be made by 5:30 a.m. In the event we are closed for the day, we will alert the University community mid-day regarding the status of evening classes/activities that begin at 4 p.m. or later (unless already announced).

Announcements will be listed on the following outlets:

  • WBZ-TV
  • WCVB-TV
  • NBC Boston (WTBS)
  • NECN
  • 7 News
  • Fox25-TV Boston
  • Rhode Island Broadcasters Association participating members

Please call 617-573-8262 for updated messages. Do not call the University Police Department,

switchboard, administrative offices, or radio or television stations to verify if Suffolk's closed.

Please note:

When classes are delayed or canceled, the cancellation will apply to the entire University, including all three schools – Arts & Sciences, Business School, and Law School – as well as libraries and all University activities (Student Affairs, athletic events, performances, etc.).

Online classes are typically not canceled due to weather.

Weekend and holiday closings or delays will be handled in the same manner as weekdays.