FAQs

I can't register!
There are many reasons why you might be prevented from registering for a course. To tell what the problem is, you need to read the note that appears when you get the red X. Possibilities: financial hold, advising hold, prerequisites not met, registration not open, instructor permission needed, etc. Be sure to tell your advisor which of these issues applies to you, as the solutions differ.

It says I need instructor permission. How do I get that?
For courses other than PSYC 490, 491, 492, 495, or 496, submit an undergraduate request form. For 400-level independent study courses, contact your mentor directly.

There is a prerequisite I don't have, but I need/want the course.
Prerequisites exist to increase student success, not to present obstacles. If there is a reason why you believe you can do well in the class without the prerequisite, you can ask the undergraduate committee for permission to enroll. Those reasons might include: having had the prerequisite equivalent elsewhere, having completed many hours in a related discipline, needing the course for immediate graduation, etc. Submit your request including a detailed justification using the undergraduate request form.

The course is full. Can I still get in?
Maybe, maybe not. Some courses have prescribed caps (WRs, CUEs, lab courses). All rooms have capacity limits. Instructors may feel the class instruction content or style requires a limited number of students. To add a closed course, you may join the wait list or submit your request using the undergraduate request form. If the course has an active waiting list, you'll have to wait until the others waiting ahead of you are admitted, to be fair. 

How do I know what set of requirements to follow?
This is determined by your Catalog year, which is the academic year you entered the University for the first time. If you entered in June 2017, you follow the 2017-2018 Catalog, for example. Some requirements do change from year to year and you can change the Catalog year you follow by petition to the Dean's Committee on Admissions and Appeals. Speak to your advisor first about whether this is a good idea for you and how to proceed. The exception to this is the Cardinal Core general education requirements which must be followed by ALL students, regardless of the date they entered.

How do I protest a grade?
All grade protests must begin by discussing it with the instructor. The instructor and student are bound by the syllabus policies which are considered contractual. If there is a grading error, the instructor will correct it, but the instructor has final say about grading standards and performance expectations. If you feel there is error, bias or syllabus violation that you can't fix in talking with the instructor, you can request an meeting with the department chair. If you feel after that that there are grounds for a formal grievance, you can file a complaint with the Student Grievance Officer (since this person changes from time to time, use the Search box.)

I just got an internship at a community organization. Can I get course credit for it?

No, the department does not grant credit for internships unless they are completed as part of PSYC 407. See this link for more information.

When should I start thinking about graduate school?
Think about it in your sophomore year and get active about it no later than your junior year. You absolutely CANNOT wait until your senior year! See the Graduate School link for more information.

How do I establish a relationship with faculty for letters of reference? 
Good letters follow from naturally occurring relationships. Those relationships will happen when you are interested in the subject matter, pursue those interests outside class, make linkages across classes and engage in service learning and research. If at the time of application, you don't have these relationships, you've missed an important part of your curriculum. Graduate schools want students who go beyond the minimum in pursuing actual interests. This means doing extra reading, going to office hours for content discussion (not just questions about the course), and generally demonstrating that you have genuine academic motivation.

What is the Student Learning Outcomes Assessment (Exit exam)? 
This is a requirement for graduation. The University is required to submit scores to our accrediting body that show what students have learned at the time they graduate. Our SLOA is an online exit exam with 80-90 multiple-choice questions that you complete during your final 2-3 weeks prior to graduation. You will be sent the link to the exam when it opens.