Registration

We will notify you when the schedule of classes for the following semester is finalized and inform you of the pre-registration advisement schedule.

Review the course information on the IMA website ( https://ima-mfa.hunter.cuny.edu/ima-courses-current-semester/ ) You can also speak with IMA faculty during office hours and contact the course instructor if you have questions about potential classes.

Also, review your IMA course history on CUNYfirst. Note your total earned credits and any missing grades that could jeopardize or delay your graduation.

Next, you will meet with the Program Director and/or IMA staff for advisement. IMA staff will notify you of the meeting dates.

We want to help you make informed decisions at the pre-registration stage so that subsequent adjustments are minimal. We can arrange for you to speak with course instructors or provide other materials or information that will help you make the best registration decisions.

After the advisement period ends, the Program provides you with our record of your class requests. Please respond by confirming or updating your registration preferences. This enables the Program to make accurate pre-registration decisions based on up to date information.

We will contact you if a course is full and you are on the waiting list or if a course had to be canceled because of low enrollment. You will then have the opportunity to request alternate course(s).

We try to accommodate all student course requests, but sometimes that is not possible. The Program does not allocate space in classes on a first-come, first-serve basis – so advisement order does not determine who will get to register for a particular course. After the advisement period ends, we determine registration priority for oversubscribed courses as follows:

Priority will be given to students who submitted their course requests during the advising period over students with late course requests.

Priority will be given to more advanced students based on:

– Credits completed, and then – Year of matriculation in the IMA

Priority among first-year students will be given based on

– Required courses taken in the first year, then by – Production experience, and – By equitably balancing elective course spaces among first-year students.

We will let you know once we have entered permissions for each student in the appropriate classes in CUNYfirst.

CUNYfirst is the registration software that all the CUNY schools use. This is where you register for classes and keep track of your classes, grades and credits earned. This is also the place to make sure your contact info is updated and correct, your email address, phone number and mailing address.

Here is the link to log into CUNYfirst.  If you have any issues logging in, contact the Student Help Desk. Helpful tips and their contact info is listed here: https://hunter.cuny.edu/information-technology/support/help-desk/

Hunter College has a link on their site with directions on how to register for classes on CUNYfirst here: https://hunter.cuny.edu/students/registration/register-for-classes/

• Why is there a pre-registration process?
  Pre-registration helps the students.
  • Pre-registration ensures that all students receive advisement prior to choosing their courses.
  • It enables us to give registration priority to advanced students who might not have another chance to take a particular course.
  • With pre-registration, we can also create waiting lists for oversubscribed courses.
    Students who must register after their financial aid becomes available will not risk being closed out of classes.

• Pre-registration also helps the program.
  • The pre-registration process provides the program with advanced and accurate enrollment information.
  • We learn about probable registration levels sooner (rather than waiting until the first week of the semester). This is particularly important given CUNY’s 7-day registration rules.
  • We now have an opportunity to publicize under enrolled courses to the IMA community.
  • We can also offer available spaces to graduate students in other programs like the Art MFA, and to select non-matriculated students interested in the IMA Program.
  • And, if the College cancels a class due to low enrollment, we’ll have more time to help the impacted students find other courses.

• Can I change my mind after pre-registration?
  • Our advisement and registration process provides you flexibility, but, in order for the system to work, your pre-registration approvals should be as close to your final schedule as possible. We understand that occasionally circumstances change. For instance, sometimes students don’t learn about their 150/160 lab instructor assignments until after pre-registration. If you need to adjust your schedule, let us know immediately so we can make necessary adjustments.

• Why aren’t there more classes offered?
  • The IMA Program’s modest size and its support for part time students limits how many courses we can offer. Whenever possible, we partner with other Hunter graduate programs to co-sponsor courses, which expands the number of courses we can offer in a given semester.

• How do you decide what classes to offer and when they run?
  • We strive to create a balanced schedule that meets student, faculty, and Program needs, like running our requirements regularly; alternating day and night offerings; providing a balanced mix of documentary, emerging media, and analytical courses; rotating our courses systematically so all students have an opportunity to take them; working with faculty availability and preference; and, trying to inject innovative course offerings into the mix, like the 1-credit workshops.

• What happens when too many students want to take a class?
  • We try to accommodate all student course requests, but sometimes that is not possible (we can’t add additional course sections and we can’t run courses with too many students). The Program determines registration priority for oversubscribed courses according to a student’s total credits completed, required courses completed, and equitable distribution of elective course seats among all students. Students who complete pre-registration on schedule will also be given preference over students who submit course requests after the formal advising period has ended.

• Why do classes occasionally get cancelled?
  • The College sets enrollment levels for all courses. While the IMA Program and the Film and Media Studies Department advocate that courses with lower enrollment should run, the Dean’s Office makes the final decision.

• What happens when a class is cancelled?
  • If that class was taught by an adjunct (a non-full time faculty member), that adjunct’s contract will be cancelled, in some cases jeopardizing health insurance.
    If that class was taught by a full time faculty member, that full time faculty member must take over a different class being taught by an adjunct, and that adjunct’s contract is then cancelled.
    So either way, an adjunct loses a class. Something we want to avoid. The IMA Program has no control over this process. These rules are set by CUNY and are part of the collective bargaining agreement.

• What can I do to help?
  • Participate actively in the pre-registration process. Although pre-registration is not binding, we do use it for metrics that impact students, faculty, and the Program. The closer registration conforms to pre-registration, the better it is for all involved.
    Students do periodically change their mind about classes, and circumstances sometimes necessitate a change in a student’s plans for the following semester.
    When this happens, it is your responsibility to inform the IMA Program at the earliest possible opportunity. You must let program know if you decide not to register for a class that was approved during pre-registration. Likewise, If you register and then drop the class through CUNYfirst, you must also inform us.
    Please share suggestions for the course schedule, advisement, and registration process. We want a system that supports the students and enhances the IMA, and your input is vital to that process.

• How many credits are required?
  • You have to achieve 48 credits in the IMA Program. 42 credits of coursework and 6 credits of Thesis. You can go over credit if you choose, the maximum amount of credits you can take is 60. So the program allows you to take, by your choice, as many as 12 additional credits beyond the minimum required.

• How do I register?
  • Once the Program has received all approved course requests during advising, a final decision will be made about course enrollment. You will be contacted if any change in your request must be made because of over-enrollment, course cancelation, or other factors. We will notify you when we have entered all registration permissions in CUNYfirst and then you can register. You should register within two weeks after you receive the email notifying you that you can now register officially. After that, the program will open courses to registration from other graduate programs and for approved non-matriculated students.

• The Program approved my courses, so why can’t I register?
  • You will not be able to register until the Program enters approvals in CUNYfirst. See above.

• I’m worried that if I don’t register soon, I won’t get into the classes that I want.
  • Our pre-registration system insures a fair registration process since all IMA students receive registration approved at the same time.

• I was told that course permissions had been entered in CUNYfirst, but the course doesn’t show up on my schedule.
  • The Program can only give you permission to register. You must then complete the registration process. Approvals to register DO NOT mean that you have been registered. Only you can actually register for a class.

• I can’t register because there is a hold on my account.
  • CUNYFirst usually can indicate what type of hold it is that is on your account. Sometimes it's from the Bursar's office (if you have a balance remaining) or the Heath Office (if you haven't submitted or completed the required Health forms) or Graduate Admissions (if you haven't submitted your official transcript) You must follow up with the department that has implemented the hold to get this hold removed before you can register. The IMA Program has no power to remove holds, to waive fees, or to make any other adjustments to a student’s account, though you can reach out to IMA if you're not sure about the hold or need help contacting the other departments.

• What if I change my mind after I register for a course?
  • You can change your registration within the first 7 days of the semester, but you must inform us if you plan to drop a class. That class might have a waiting list. Or, lower registration might put that class in jeopardy, and in the case of our collaborative courses, also impact other programs.

• Can I take courses outside the program?
  • With approval from the Program non-IMA graduate level courses can count towards your degree. Students can take up to 6 graduate credits outside of IMA towards their degree. Students have taken courses in other Hunter graduate programs, at the CUNY Graduate Center, and in MFA and MA Programs at other CUNY schools.

• How many credits can I take outside the Program?
  • A maximum of 9 credits, including transfer credits for classes taken prior to matriculation and courses taken outside the Program after you matriculate, can count towards your degree. However, in most cases, the Program only approves 6 non-IMA credits to meet degree requirements.

• How do I register for non-IMA courses?
  • To take a class outside of Hunter at another CUNY school you must first notify the IMA Program and then you'll be directed to file an E-permit which is something you'd do in CUNYfirst. You need permission to take the course from the professor and department of the other program as well. Deadlines for E-permits are different from registration deadlines. Here is the link to more info about filing an E-permit.

• How many 1-credit courses can I take?
  • Nine 1-credit courses can count towards your 48 required credits.

• How many classes a semester do I have to take in order to stay matriculated?
  • You must take at least one course to remain matriculated in the Program. We recommend that students try to take between 6 and 9 credits a semester but we understand when there is alot going on outside of school and students can take as little as a 1-credit course a semester if necessary. Students have also gone up to 15 credits in one semester but we also don't recommend that as it can be overwhelming.