Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Click on a question to go to the response.

1. I am interested in attending Bergen. Where do I start?
2. Why should I attend an Information Program for New Students?
3. What do I need to take to get into the Nursing Program?
4. How do I transfer credits into Bergen?
5. Where can I pick up my Basic Skills Test results?
6. How many credits do I need to take to be a full-time student?
7. How many credits can I take in one semester?
8. Where do I go to pay my bill?
9. Where can I get a copy of my schedule?
10. How do I change my curriculum?
11. What is an online course?
12. What is a TeleWeb course?
13. Where is East Hall?
14. Where is the Ciarco Learning Center? (CLC)
15. When is the last day I can drop my class/classes?
16. What do I need to take to graduate?
17. How many credits do I need for graduation?
18. How do I withdraw from class?
19. How do I order a transcript from Bergen?
20. What do I need to do to transfer?

Academic Advising Center

1.I am interested in attending Bergen. Where do I start?
A: Stop by the Admissions Office, room A-129 or fill out an online application at http://admissions.bergen.edu/admissions.
Contact your high school and/or college for official transcripts to be sent to: Office of Admissions, Bergen Community College, 400 Paramus Road, Paramus, NJ 07652. Transcripts that are hand carried are not considered official.

• Applicants holding an associates or bachelors degree and not applying for an allied health program need only send their college transcript.
• Transcripts from institutions outside of the United States should be evaluated by an official translator. See http://www.naces.org/members.htm for a list of translators/evaluators accepted by BCC.
• Applicants for all allied health programs must submit all high school and college transcripts, even if they have graduated from Bergen Community College. Bergen transcripts need not be submitted and 2nd degree should be written in the application.

 Admissions Counselors are available to help you choose an area of concentration. Information Sessions are conducted regularly.http://admissions.bergen.edu/admissions. Call the Admissions Office at (201) 447-7195 or stop by room A-129.

If you are a former student of Bergen Community College, you may need to Reapply for Admissions. If it has been a number of years since you attended Bergen, please contact the Admissions Office at (201) 447-7196 in order to determine your status.

If you are a High School Junior or Senior with an overall "B" average, you may attend Bergen Community College through the College Experience Program. Students will be responsible for all basic skills testing and should contact the office of Admissions (201) 447-7196 to obtain a College Experience Program application. There is no charge for this application.

2.Why should I attend a Registration Workshop for New Students?
All new students are strongly encouraged to attend a New Student Academic Advising Registration Workshop. During the workshop, an advisor will review your Basic Skills Test results, introduce you to important academic information, and show you how to properly use the College's WebAdvisor computer system. You will also be taught how to select your courses, build a schedule of classes, and have the opportunity to register for classes.

3.What do I need to take to get into the Nursing Program?
All applicants to the Day and Evening Nursing Programs must have high school or college equivalent Chemistry with lab, Biology with lab and Algebra. If any of these Program requirements are missing, the applicant should enroll in Introduction to Chemistry (CHM 100), Anatomy and Physiology I (BIO 109), and Algebra (MAT 031 & 032 or MAT 035). However, all applicants to the Nursing Evening Program must have completed, or be in-progress in 8 courses - BIO 109, BIO 209, PSY 101, WRT 101, WRT 201, SOC 101, WEX 101, and PSY 106.

Nursing Day & Evening applications are reviewed and either accepted or denied. No letter of acceptance is sent until the applicant submits a criminal background check and takes the HESI exam which will be given by the college after the committee accepts the potential Nursing application.

4.How do I transfer credits into Bergen?
All degree seeking transfer students should submit an official college transcript to the Admissions Office. The Transfer Evaluator will contact you by mail regarding which credits will be accepted.

5.Where can I pick up my Basic Skills Test results?
Basic Skills Test results can be picked up at the Office of Testing and Assessment located in Room S-127.

6.How many credits do I need to take to be a full-time student?
If you need to be a full-time student, you must enroll in 12 credits or more in one semester. Anything less than 12 credits is considered part-time.

7.How many credits can I take in one semester?
The maximum number of credits that a student is allowed to take during the Fall or Spring semester is 18. During Summer Session 1 & 2 the maximum number of credits a student is allowed to take is 8 per session (9 credits by permission).
If you are required to take EBS 014/015 as a result of your Basic Skills Test, you will be limited to 12 credits while enrolled in that class. If you are required to take EBS 023/024 you will be limited to 15 credits while enrolled in that class.

If you are on Academic Probation, Suspension, or Dismissal, the number of credits you are allowed to take is also limited and will be determined by either an Academic Counselor or the Academic Standing Committee.

If you are a non-degree seeking student, you are allowed to complete up to 11 credits before you will be required to take the New Jersey Basic Skills Test.

8.Where do I go to pay my bill?
Tuition bills are paid at the Bursar's Office located in Room A-229 on the second floor of the Main Building.

9.Where can I get a copy of my schedule?
If you have a User Name and Password for Web Advisor, you must log onto Web Advisor for a copy of your schedule. If you don't have a User Name and Password and are eligible for one, you may go to the Registration service window to obtain a Password. If you are not eligible for a Password, Registration can print out a copy of your schedule.

10.How do I change my curriculum?
You can make an appointment with a Counselor in the Counseling Center, Room A-118 or call (201) 447-7211 by the date listed in the Academic Calendar for the succeeding semester. The Academic Calendar can be found on page 2 of the Registration Booklet and on the BCC Web Site, www.Bergen.edu. Click on calendar then click on dates to remember.

11.What is an online course?
Online courses are indicated by a suffix of WB in the Registration Booklet and on WebAdvisor. All course information and materials are online. Students participate in course discussions and interact with the instructor and other students online. You will receive complete instructions for accessing your course via e-mail.

12.What is a TeleWeb course?
TeleWeb courses allow you to earn college credits at home by viewing videotapes, by completing reading and writing assignments and by engaging in various online class activities. TeleWeb courses have on-campus meetings and access to instructors during on-campus office hours and e-mail. Instructors will contact you with required campus seminars. After registering for a TeleWeb course, you will bring blank videotapes to campus where you will receive the entire semesters videos. You should do this before the semester starts. All tests will be administered in the College Testing Center, Room S-127.

13.Where is Ender Hall?
Ender Hall is not part of the Main/Pitkin Education building. It is located at the end of Campus Road past the Buehler Challenger Center on the right side. The Ender Hall parking lot is directly across from it. It is approximately a 15 minute walk from the Main building.

14.Where is the Ciarco Learning Center? (CLC)
The CLC is located at 355 Main Street in Hackensack at the corner of Main Street and Passaic Street.

15.When is the last day I can drop my class/classes?
The last day to officially withdraw from classes is listed in the Academic Calendar found in the Registration Booklet. The tuition refund deadlines are also listed. The last day to withdraw from a class and receive 100% of your tuition back is always the day before the first day of classes.
Please note: Fees are not refunded.

16.What do I need to take to graduate?
All students have access to their degree requirements through the College online catalog and WebAdvisor program. To locate your degree requirements in the catalog, go to www.bergen.edu/catalog0708, look for your curriculum, and advance to the coinciding page. To locate your degree requirements using Web Advisor, log onto the BCC website www.bergen.edu. Click on Web Advisor at the bottom of your screen. Click on menu in the upper right hand corner. Then click on Access Student Menu.
If you do not have a User Name and Password, click on Sign up for Web Advisor. If you already have a User Name and Password, click on Program Evaluation.You may also obtain a Program Evaluation at the Academic Advising Center, Room A-101.

17.How many credits do I need for graduation?
A student is required to complete a minimum of 64 degree credits for graduation if enrolled in an AA, AS or AAS degree program. However, some students may be required to complete additional non-degree credits in English, Math and/or Elementary Algebra as indicated by their Basic Skills Test results.

18.How do I withdraw from class?
All full-time and part-time degree seeking students wishing to drop all their classes can do so by going to the Counseling Center, Room A-118 or by using Web Advisor. Degree-seeking students wishing to drop their class/classes but not their entire schedule, may do so on WebAdvisor or by going to the Registration service window.

All International students must go to the International Counseling Center, Room A-126 to withdraw from any and all classes.

Non-degree seeking students can drop classes at the Registration service window or by using Web Advisor.

Please note: Refer to the Academic Calendar in the Registration Booklet for tuition refund dates and the last date to officially withdraw from classes.

19.How do I order a transcript from Bergen Community College?
You can go to the Bursar's Office, room A-229, to fill out the transcript request form. This will take approximately 5 working days to process.

20.What do I need to do to transfer?
There are a number of ways you can prepare yourself to transfer to a 4 year college:
You may meet with an Academic Advisor in the Advising Center, Room A-101 to discuss whether you are enrolled in an appropriate curriculum for transfer.

You may attend a Transfer Advising Group session. Transfer Advising Groups provide basic transfer information such as how to choose courses, how long to remain at BCC, and what you have to complete to be eligible to transfer. You can sign up for a Transfer Advising Group in the Counseling Center, Room A-118.

Transfer Day allows you the opportunity to speak with Admission Representatives from many local and out-of-state colleges. It takes place once in the Fall semester and once in the Spring semester.