Academic Procedures
Advising
General Advising – All students are strongly encouraged to consult with an adviser early in their academic career. General advising is available at the College of Science Advising Center (MC 218B, 216-687-9321). The Advising Center staff provides a wide range of services including information on college and university graduation requirements, information on academic regulations, evaluation of transfer credit, assistance in planning a course schedule and help in preparing student petitions. Additional useful advising information may be found at the Advising Center Web site.
Major-Field Advising – Major programs differ in the number and nature of credit hours required. Students should consider their own interests, aptitudes, and professional aspirations in selecting a major. Also, students should pay close attention to university, college, and major-field requirements and plan a schedule to ensure that they do not unnecessarily extend the period of time it takes to complete a degree. Students are encouraged to consult with faculty advisers within academic departments to discuss the course requirements within a particular major. A list of advising contacts for each department may be found on the College of Science Web site.
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Declaring a Major
All students should declare a major as soon as possible after admission to the university and must declare a major by the end of their second year. By declaring a major early, students will also have more opportunities to work with faculty members and to participate in either the research or creative activities of their academic department. Students who declare a major are also able to take advantage of the university’s degree audit system, which provides a preliminary evaluation of a student’s progress toward a degree.
To declare a major (or minor) obtain a Declaration of Major/Minor Form from Campus411, or download the form from the Office of the University Registrar's Web site. The form will need to be signed by an advisor or other appropriate designee and returned completed to Campus411 for processing.
Students who had previously declared a major outside of the College of Science and are seeking to change their major to a major offered through the College of Science must obtain a College to College Transfer Form from Campus411, or download the form from the Office of the University Registrar's Web site. The form will need to be signed by the Dean (or designee) of the college housing the original major, and also by the dean (or designee) of the College of Science, then returned completed to Campus411 for processing.
Students may also use the “Ask a Question” feature in degree audit to request a declaration or change of major.
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Evening Majors
The College of Science offers all their programs in the daytime for students to obtain their degrees. Several departments also offer courses for evening students to complete a major, including: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Psychology. Additionally, most other departments also offer evening courses, although these departments do not offer all the courses required for a major. Requirements for these majors, which are the same as those of the day majors, can be found under the heading of each individual department. A student should consult with the major-field adviser to determine the pattern and frequency of offerings of evening courses. In addition, regular meetings with the adviser should be held to discuss course selections, prepare a timetable for completing degree requirements, and receive advising on educational and career goals.