Jump ahead to these sections:
How do I find my academic advisor?
You can find your assigned academic advisor(s) in the Self-Service Portal which can be accessed through my.carrollu.edu.
How often should I meet with my academic advisor?
It is recommended that you meet with your academic advisor 2-3 times per semester to monitor your educational and career plans and make adjustments as needed, due to changing interests and situations. You are required to meet with your assigned academic advisor at least once per semester, during advising season, to be cleared for registration for the upcoming semester.
How should I prepare for my academic advising appointment?
Students should review academic program requirements in the Carroll University Undergraduate Catalog and arrive to their appointments with questions. Students should also be prepared to take notes during their advising meetings.
How do I make an academic advising appointment?
To schedule an appointment with an advisor in the Center for Academic Advising, log into my.carrollu.edu and navigate to Departments > Academic Advising. Scroll down on the landing page to find the Bookings links.
To schedule an appointment with a faculty advisor, identify your assigned faculty advisor in your Self-Service Portal and contact them directly. Note that faculty have varied expectations and preferences about scheduling appointments.
Can an academic advisor tell my parents or supporters about my grades?
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) governs the disclosure of certain personally identifiable information from records maintained by various departments of the University. FERPA applies to all students attending the institution and defines the responsibilities of the University in protecting the privacy of its students. While certain information, called "directory information," may be released without a student's consent, other information cannot be shared without written consent.
Students are required to indicate their preferences in the Self-Service Student Portal through my.carrollu.edu and can find instructions on how to do so in my.carrollu.edu > Guides and Resources > Self-Service (ERP) > Student Academics and Registration > How to fill out FERPA.
Do I need to finish all of my general education requirements right away?
No, you do not. Your Pioneer Core general education courses will most likely be spread out over your four years here at Carroll. The Pioneer Core general education curriculum includes distribution courses which are four General Education 1 (GE1) courses that you take from the four categories in which your major does not fall under, as well as one General Education 2 (GE2) course in any discipline you took a GE1 in (e.g., ART, HIS). The distribution courses are what most students think of when they say “gen ed”, but they are actually only one piece of Carroll University's Pioneer Core general education curriculum. There is also the cross-cultural thread. This includes your Cultural Seminar (CCS100), Cross-Cultural Development (CCD) course, Cross-Cultural Experience (CCE), and Global Perspectives Colloquium (CCS400). While there is an order to the cross-cultural sequence, students space out the distribution courses differently depending on academic programs requirements, travel plans, and personal preferences.
What classes do I need to graduate?
Every Carroll student is required to complete a total of 128 credits or more to graduate from Carroll University with either a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree. Students are required to choose a major and complete all the required coursework for the major before graduation along with the Pioneer Core general education curriculum. There are also specific degree requirements to earn a Bachelor of Science degree or a Bachelor of Arts degree. All degree requirements are spelled out in the Carroll University Undergraduate Catalog.
I took classes for college credit somewhere else. How do the credits transfer?
See Alternative Methods of Obtaining Credit information from the Office of the Registrar.
What's the difference between a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts? Which degree am I earning?
A Bachelor of Science has more of a mathematical or computational component whereas a Bachelor of Arts has more of an intercultural component. For differences in degree requirements, refer to the student's Carroll University Undergraduate Catalog.
When can I register for my next semester's coursework?
To find out when you are able to register for the following semester, login to the Self-Service Portal through my.carrollu.edu. From the home page, select Student Planning > Go to Plan & Schedule > arrow over to next semester.
How do I know if I have a hold on my account that would prevent me from registering for next semester's classes? Who do I contact to clear the hold?
To find out if you have any holds on your account that would prevent you from registering for the following semester, log into the Self-Service Portal through my.carrollu.edu. You can find any hold notifications under Student Planning > Go to Plan & Schedule in addition to contact information and instructions for each.
Can I still add/drop a course once the semester starts?
Students can add and/or drop courses to/from their semester schedule for one week after the start of any given semester. Students will not receive any change notations on their transcript during the first week of the semester. Students can drop courses and receive a "W" (Withdrawal) notation on their transcript after the add/drop deadline and up until right after mid-terms. Specific add/drop deadlines are listed on the Academic Calendar.
What happens if I fail a class?
If a student fails a course at Carroll, they have the option to retake the course at Carroll. For University policy on repeating or retaking courses, see the student's Carroll University Undergraduate Catalog.
Students in certain programs may have limitations on repeating or retaking courses. Find more information about progression standards in the student's Carroll University Undergraduate Catalog.
I finished my first year and I didn't like any of my major courses. What do I do?
- If you did not like any of your courses required for your major, you may need to consider why you didn't like any of the courses or what specifically you didn't like about the courses.
- Was it that you didn't like the topic of a particular course you took? When you look at the other courses required for your major and they look interesting to you, then staying with your current major might be a good option.
- If you have discovered that you just don't like a certain subject, then changing your major might be the best option. For example, if your current plan is to pursue an advanced degree in medicine, but you took a biology or chemistry course your first year and did not enjoy it, then perhaps a career in the medical field requiring numerous science courses is not for you, thus you may need to change your academic path, OR if you are still interested in pursuing an advanced medical degree, pairing the science courses you need as pre-requisites for medical school with a major that you are passionate about learning, may provide the motivation and the space you need to do well in those science courses.
- No matter the reason for not liking the courses, you should plan to set up a meeting with your faculty advisor or an academic advisor in the Center for Academic Advising to discuss your experiences in these courses so that you can develop an appropriate academic plan that aligns with your strengths, interests, values, and abilities going forward.
I need to change my major. How do I do it?
To change your major or academic program, you should meet with an academic advisor in the Center for Academic Advising. We will meet with you to discuss your options based on your interests, skills, values, and goals to help you find a major you are enthusiastic about studying. Once a new path has been identified, we will guide you through the process, helping you to understand the requirements of your new major and how this will impact your academic plan and time to degree completion. We can also assist you with filling out the necessary Major/Minor/Advisor/Degree (MMA) Declaration Form to declare your new academic program(s) so that you can be assigned an academic advisor within your new area(s) of study.
How do I know what catalog year I am?
Your catalog year corresponds to the year you matriculated or first enrolled in classes at Carroll University. So, if you were a first-year student in September 2022, your academic catalog year would be 2022-2023 (AY22-23). However, if there are program changes in your major that would benefit you from a newer catalog, or you change majors to a major that is available in a newer catalog, your catalog year may change. Remember, you can always change to a newer catalog year, but you can never change to an older catalog year. Students can update their academic catalog years with the Major/Minor/Advisor/Degree (MMA) Declaration Form. If you are not sure of which catalog year you are in or if you would like to switch your catalog year, contact your academic advisor or visit the Center for Academic Advising.