Advising FAQs

1. Start by doing your own research about a program that you are considering in addition to your major. Tools include resources on lmu.edu/academics/degrees, the Undergraduate Bulletin, and the "What-If Analysis" feature included within your Degree Works report, accessed through PROWL.
2. Determine whether the additional major or minor that you are considering aligns with your academic goals and expectations.
3. Schedule an appointment with your faculty advisor.
4. Visit the Academic Advisement Center for Student Success located in St. Robert's Hall 102.
5. Schedule an appointment with the Academic Resource Center (ARC) located in Daum Hall; 310-338-2847; arc@lmu.edu.
6. Schedule an appointment with the department chair of the additional program that you are considering.
7. If you've met the respective admittance criteria, you can access and submit the Change of Program form via the Office of the Registrar online portal.

Speak first to your Orientation advisor until you are assigned a permanent advisor. If you have been assigned a permanent Academic Advisor, contact that advisor. When in doubt, you can always contact the Academic Advisement Center for Student Success (St. Robert's 102; 310-338-5272; CFAadvise@lmu.edu).

Although you alone have the power to change your schedule, it is very important to first check with your academic advisor before changing previously discussed class choices. Be certain that your Orientation advisor has already reviewed your schedule with you and ensured that you are in the right classes.

Contact the professor. Visit during office hours. They should have some tips on what material to concentrate on, what can be improved in your assignments, and perhaps refer you to a peer mentor. You can also visit the Academic Resource Center (Daum Hall; 310-338-2847; arc@lmu.edu) for information on peer tutoring and study groups.

Be aware that individual schedules, even among students of the same class and major, are more likely to differ than to be the same. This variety is indeed a healthy sign of a diverse learning community! In consultation with your advisor(s), you can rely upon your Degree Works Report, and eventually your graduation plan, to guide you on your path to a degree.

As a student at a Liberal Arts university, you take classes outside your field of study to broaden and deepen your education. There is space "built in" to each major degree program offered in CFA to allow for electives, a second major, and/or a minor. If you took only core and major classes, you would not accumulate the minimum 120/124 units required for the B.A. degree. However, if you add a second major or a minor, you may not have the freedom to take as many electives as a student without these additional components to their degree.

If you have a documentable health issue that might prevent you from attending class at the time or place assigned, be certain to bring it to the attention of your advisor before the semester begins, or as soon as you notice a concern. Your advisor may help adjust your class schedule and/or connect you with the appropriate office to request accommodations.

When you took your AP exams, if you indicated that LMU should receive your test scores, we will receive the score reports and add the credits into your LMU transcript automatically, where applicable. If you did not include LMU as a recipient of your scores you can order a duplicate score report directly from the College Board.

If you completed college credits, you will need to have an official transcript sent to the LMU Registrar. "Official" means that it is in a sealed envelope and sent directly from the institution to the Registrar at LMU. The LMU Registrar cannot accept open transcripts that are not received in a sealed envelope from the institution from which it originates. Also excluded from consideration are unofficial grade reports, report cards, or high school transcripts for course transfer purposes.

The Disability Support Services website describes a procedure by which students with special needs can be accommodated: "Registration with the DSS Office is on a voluntary, self-identifying basis. Students must provide documentation for their disability from an appropriate licensed professional. Services are offered to students who have established disabilities under state and federal laws. The DSS Office will make every effort to respond to students' request for accommodation within 15 business days once the student has provided all of the necessary documentation." LMU professors will require students to provide evidence that they are registered with DSS if they ask for special accommodations in completing their course work.