Advising

Responsibilities:    Registrar   |   Advisor   |   Students
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The registrar is the only one able to decide if a transfer course will be accepted by the college and determine its value (1 or .5 credits typically).

The registrar maintains updated copies of student transcripts and provides these each semester to advisors.

The registrar monitors students' completion of General Education requirements.

The registrar provides copies of course offerings and arranges the time period during which students are to meet with advisors before their registration dates.  Students will receive notices in the mail of their registration dates midway into each semester.

The registrar maintains all forms pertaining to transfer credits, add/drops, and changes of majors, minors & concentrations.  

The registrar performs final credit hour evaluations for graduation. Letters indicating credits toward graduation are mailed to seniors.

Your advisor will review your course progress with you, including the completion of General Education and major requirements  and the fulfillment of other graduation requirements (e.g., electives, field studies, internships, labs).

Your advisor will recommend courses and sequences of courses to best meet your graduation requirements. However, your advisor cannot guarantee your ability to enroll in the courses suggested.

You will receive your pin number from your advisor during your advising meeting which will allow you to register for courses online.  Your advisor is the only person with this number.  Don't lose it!  It is also the number needed to change your schedule during the Add/Drop period!

Two to three semesters before you complete the 32 credits required for graduation, your advisor will review any specific course deficits indicated on your senior audit.

As needed, your advisor will consult with the department chair when course waivers or substitutes seem appropriate.

All faculty members are required to hold a minimum of 3 office hours per week These hours are posted on faculty doors. Additionally, appointments may be made to meet with your advisor or instructors.

Upon notification of your registration date, drop by your advisor's door and sign up for an advising appointment. Do not ask your advisor to leave a presigned registration sheet on his/her door. It is your responsibility to make time to meet with your advisor at least once per semester. Do not expect to drop in during advising weeks. Make an appointment!

Review the course offerings, your course needs, and fit of the course times/dates with your other responsibilities.

Be aware of your specific year of enrollment course requirements. Your advisor deals with 30+ advisees every semester and an assortment of entry years. It is very unlikely that your advisor has memorized every college catalog.

Be aware of course prerequisites. When class lists are checked, students will be removed from courses for which prerequisites have not been completed with a passing grade.

As appropriate, be aware of requirements for fulfilling minors. Your advisor is unlikely to know all the specifics for completing all minors offered at FSC. It is the students' responsibility to check with the chairs of appropriate departments if unsure of their progress toward completing a minor.

Don't lose your pin number!

Who determines which advisor I must see?

The department chair assigns newly accepted majors to advisors. The process is largely based on availability as students graduate or otherwise leave the psychology department.

Is it possible to request a specific advisor?

Maybe. If a specific advisor is wanted, the student should meet with the chair and discuss why. Should the desired advisor have an opening, it may be possible for a change of advisor. However, given the number of psychology majors, most advisors have very full loads. Advisors may not make switches themselves.

As an evening student, do I have an advisor?

Yes. You may get general information about the programs and course offerings of Graduate and Continuing Education by calling (508) 626 - 4550. To speak to a general advisor or to schedule an appointment during advising periods with an academic advisor, ask for Bill Irwin. If you need specific advising about the psychology major, the assigned advisor is Dr. Ludemann. Contact her at (508) 626 - 4868 or pludema@ frc.mass.edu

There are many routes to completing your degree requirements. Some suggestions are:

100- & 200-level courses should be taken before 300- & 400-level courses. Many upper-level courses have prerequisites, are reserved for juniors/seniors, and have few seats (25 rather than 35). These features make upper-level courses difficult to get into until the end of your college years.

During the first 2 years, students should complete General Psychology, the non-psychology requirements, and a few 200-level psychology courses in preparation for the Core Psychology courses.

No later than the first semester junior year, students should complete the statistics requirement.

No later than the second semester junior year, students should enroll in the first of the 3 required research courses (Research Methods I).

During the senior year, majors should plan to enroll in the Senior Thesis course.

Social psychology is particularly valuable in helping students think of research ideas appropriate for their thesis projects.

Save some "easy" General Education courses for semesters in which Research Methods I & II will be taken. These are very demanding psychology courses.

May I take several of the Core Psychology courses in the same semester?

No. Most of the Core courses have prerequisites. General Psychology must be completed before any of the other Core courses may be taken. Research Methods I is the prerequisite for Research Methods II. Research Methods II is the prerequisite for Senior Thesis. Thus, the 3 research courses must be taken sequentially and it will take all students 3 semesters to do so. 

Can I take extra courses through the evening school while I am a full-time day school student?

Under certain circumstances it is possible to take a course overload. Only students with GPA's of 3.0 and who obtain approval from their advisors and the department chair are permitted to enroll in a 5th course during any semester. This includes courses taken from the day school, evening school, or on other college or university campuses.

If I meet those requirements, it is recommended?