Academic Advising Center - FAQ

Pre-registration for spring classes begins in October. Pre-registration for fall classes begins in March. Watch for email announcements from the Advising Center.
Click here for more details.

During Pre-Registration Advising, follow the instructions in the Pre-Registration Advising Bulletin. Before and after Pre-Registration Advising, you may schedule an appointment with a specific advisor by contacting that advisor by email (contact information). You may also drop by our office without an appointment and see any available advisor.

The Degree Progress Report is an electronic record of your degree requirements that shows what courses you have taken and still need to take in order to graduate with a degree in your major.

Change of Major cards are available from the Academic Advising Center or the Enrolled Student Services Office in 104 Sikes Hall. Complete all sections, obtain signatures from the Department Chair or Academic Advisor in both the new department and the former department, and return the card to 104 Sikes Hall. Click here for Change of Major Criteria for the College of Business and Behavioral Science. Information for Current Pre-Business Students Only.

As a general guide, you will need 16 hours of chemistry, 8 hours of biology, 8 hours of physics, and 3 hours of calculus to be prepared for the MCATS and to meet entrance requirements for most medical schools. However, school requirements may vary, and you will need to verify course requirements with the specific schools to which you plan to apply. For additional information, contact Dr. Ken Revis-Wagner (rc@clemson.edu), who serves as the academic advisor for pre-professional students.

The short answer is ‘yes.’ It is great that you’re actively thinking about your college career! At this point in your development you no longer need an advisor to direct your course selection. BUT there are still tons of information that your advisor can provide that will benefit you. Consider us your “inside connection.” Our job is to stay on top of the latest academic changes and regulations so you won’t have to—if we do our job, being successful at Clemson will be easier for you! Always check- in at least once a semester with your advisor even if you don’t think that you need to; more times than not you’ll be glad you did.

Until your major is officially changed through the records office you will need to meet with your current advisor. Your academic records are kept by your current advisor until s/he receives notification that your change of major has been processed, at which time s/he will forward your materials to your new major. We do this so you won’t get lost in “The System.”

No. All students must make an advising appointment. A link to your advisor’s calendar is posted on the Advising Center’s webpage. If you have follow-up questions after you meet with your advisor, send an email. During the peak advising period, please be patient while waiting for a response. Our advisors are in advising appointments most of the day; they will respond to your questions as soon as they can.

While you should try to schedule your appointment as soon as the advising schedule opens in order to be ready for registration when your time comes, if your appointment is after your schedule registration log-in date, don’t worry. You will be able to register for the classes you absolutely need…perhaps not at the times you most want, but YOU WILL GET THE CLASSES YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED FOR YOUR MAJOR. The courses that tend to create a demand squeeze are those that satisfy the general education requirements…its an issue with demand and supply. It is much easier for departments to predict how many students in their majors will need a certain course than to predict how many students, from everyone on campus, might want to take a course for a general education requirement in a specific semester.

Check to make sure that you do not owe the University any money. If you have outstanding Redfern, library, parking fees, etc., your registration can be blocked.

YES! Departments want to accommodate student requests for classes, but doing so takes time and managerial acumen. Think of it as a demand and supply relationship. Students want courses; faculty want to teach them. However, it is rather challenging to accurately predict how many students need to take a particular class in a particular semester. Departments must balance student demand with availability of teachers and classrooms. Depending on how many students want a particular course, departments may open additional seats in existing sections or create a new section. Each department manages their request log differently, so one size management strategy doesn’t necessarily fit all. If you absolutely need a certain class but haven’t been added to the course by the last week of the semester, contact the department to discuss their policy and your options.

“Major Req.” is a good start; whatever you write, be brief and honest. Each department has its own designed Registration Coordinator, who reviews and manages the departmental request logs. This person can see your declared major, GPR, semester in school, major requirements and just about any other academic information that they need. ‘Just the facts, Ma’am.’