Advising: A Team Effort and You Are the Captain
During your time as an undergraduate at SCU, you must take the lead to ensure you are aware of the specific core and major degree requirements necessary for graduation. You also must become knowledgeable about various academic regulations that can directly impact your program of study. A lack of understanding of university regulations and requirements will not exempt you from them. Don’t worry -- you have many resources readily available to help support you during your academic career. All you need to do is advocate for yourself by planning carefully and asking questions.
Your Advising Team
You have many people at SCU who can assist you with understanding academic requirements and decision-making, so you can plan an effective curriculum that allows you to achieve your goals on your path towards graduation.
First Steps
If you are a first year-student or are new to the Public Health Science major, you should thoroughly explore our web site. Located at the bottom of this page are several planning aids, including requirement checklists and course planning worksheets. In the Beyond the Classroom pages, you will find good information about the research our faculty are involved in. When you are ready, this is also where you will find information about the PHS internship requirement and studying abroad.
You are assigned a professor in the Public Health Program as an academic advisor. Faculty advisors are a great resource of information, and can serve as mentors for you in the field of public health as it pertains to graduate school, research, and career development. They can also offer advice concerning the PHS internship requirement and curricular planning. If you do not sign up for a group advising meeting to satisfy your mandatory spring advising requirement, you will need to meet with your faculty advisor at that time. However, you are encouraged to establish a relationship with your advisor beforehand in order to answer your questions about the major or discuss potential paths you can take post-graduation.
University Advisors in the Drahmann Advising and Learning Resources Center
SCU has a wonderful group of university academic advisors in the Drahmann Center, located in Kenna Hall 101. If you are considering adding a second major or a minor and want to see how that will impact your graduation plan, a university advisor would be a good person to meet with to discuss your options. These advisors are generalists and are trained in the Core curriculum, university regulations, and are familiar with the requirements for the different majors and minors SCU offers. You can schedule an appointment to meet with an advisor online here.