The College of Arts and Sciences provides a comprehensive advising system that is designed not only to help students reach their academic goals but also to assist them in achieving the greatest benefit from their academic programs. Appropriate academic advice can make a major contribution to students’ academic success. Students should actively seek out and use the advising resources available.

Student Success
The Undergraduate Catalog is the authoritative advising document for academic programs at Kent State University. In addition to being familiar with this chapter that focuses on arts and sciences programs, students in the College of Arts and Sciences are expected to familiarize themselves with the general university regulations and procedures described in the chapter titled General Information. Further general information about all programs offered through the College of Arts and Sciences is available in the college office (105 Bowman Hall). Students who do not complete their requirements in a timely fashion may find their graduation delayed. For these reasons, students are urged to check their progress regularly with their major faculty advisors and with the college office. The initiative for checking requirements and the responsibility for meeting them rests with the students.

Advising for Transfer Students
Students transferring into the college from another university should consult with the college office for information on the applicability of their transfer coursework to the general requirements of the college and the program requirements of their major and minor programs of study.

Advising for General Requirements
Each of the undergraduate degree programs in the College of Arts and Sciences requires the completion of both general and program-specific requirements. Students with questions regarding the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences should visit the college office in 105 Bowman Hall to meet with an advisor.

Advising for Majors
General information about programs and college degree requirements is available to all students in the college office, along with help in planning class schedules, advising for students on probation and help in developing appropriate study skills and habits. Students may also seek advice from the advising coordinators in the various departments and from the coordinators in the interdisciplinary programs. These coordinators can provide information about requirements, programs and other matters pertaining to the academic departments.

Students who have chosen a major in the College of Arts and Sciences must visit the college office to formally declare that major. All students in the College of Arts and Sciences are expected to formally declare a major no later than the beginning of their junior year (60 semester hours). Students are encouraged to declare a major as early as possible. After this formal declaration, students are assigned faculty advisors by their major departments. In addition to their assigned faculty advisors, students may also seek academic advice from departmental chairpersons, departmental advising coordinators and the coordinators of the various interdisciplinary programs.

Students who select the individualized major within the B.A. or the B.G.S. are advised exclusively in the college office. Both of these programs require that students design their own courses of study; students who wish to pursue these programs must work closely with the college office in preparing to apply for admission to the programs.

Major advisors are members of the faculty. They can provide a wide range of information and help for undergraduate students. Students are urged to see their faculty advisors regularly, not only for schedule planning but also for advice about the discipline in general and for help in preparing for graduate study and eventual career advice. Students should contact their faculty advisors at least once each semester to ensure that they are making adequate progress, to learn about changes in programs and to discuss their ongoing education with an interested and knowledgeable person in the field.

Advising for Minors
Although minors are not required in the College of Arts and Sciences, undergraduate students may include one or more minors in their academic program. All of the minor programs available to Arts and Sciences students are listed in this catalog. Some of these programs also award certificates of completion. Information about these programs is available from the college office. Minors as well as majors must be formally declared in the college office.

Students who elect an interdisciplinary minor should seek advice from the coordinator of that interdisciplinary program. Students who choose a departmental minor should seek advice from the advising coordinator of that department. Students pursuing a degree in Arts and Sciences who choose a minor in another college of the university (see the section Minors in Other Colleges) should first visit the office of the College of Arts and Sciences for information; they then will be referred to the appropriate college for further advice. In any case, students who elect minors should consult with their major advisors to select courses that will best complement their major programs.