Advisement
What You Need To Know
The Basics
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The basic task of advisement is to compare your personal transcript to
your program’s curriculum and make a plan for how to complete your
degree.
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SO:
1. Look at your curriculum.
2. Look at your transcript.
3. Make a list of courses that are on your curriculum but not yet on
your transcript. These are the courses you need to take to
graduate.
4. Make an additional list of courses you want to take if there is time.
What is my curriculum?
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Your curriculum depends on:
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The year you started
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Program area (ARTS, MART, ARTH, or
ARTE)
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Degree type (BA or BFA)
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Concentration (ARTS BFA’s only)
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Download a provisional curriculum worksheet
from the SVAD website and use it to map out
when you can complete your required courses.
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The SVAD Main Office maintains an official
curriculum worksheet for every student.
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These are distributed to advisors during
the official advisement period.
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At your advising appointment, make sure
your official worksheet is up to date.
What is my transcript?
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Your transcript is the record of everything
you have taken so far.
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Before your advisement appointment, look at
your unofficial transcript on Self Service
Carolina.
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Go to: STUDENT, then
STUDENT RECORDS, then
ACADEMIC TRANSCRIPT
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Use your unofficial transcript o
update your curriculum worksheet
with the courses you’ve taken so far
and the grades you received in them.
The Registrar maintains your official
transcript, which is what you will use when
applying to grad school and certain jobs.
DegreeWorks
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DegreeWorks is scheduled to go
live for students this summer.
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It has the potential to be hugely
helpful, but it has been glitchy
with the SVAD majors so far.
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For now, rely on your transcript
and curriculum worksheets
instead.
Your Responsibilities
“The ultimate responsibility for making decisions about career goals and educational
plans rests with the student.” ~ Guidelines for Advisement, page 1!
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You should:
1. Know the courses you have taken.
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If there is anything that should be on your transcript that isn’t showing up
(AP credit, courses taken at other institutions, etc.), now is the time to fix it.
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If you are a transfer student, your AP scores very likely did not
follow you from your previous institution. You will need to have
them sent to USC by the College Board.
2. Know what you need to take to graduate. Look at your curriculum, and figure
out what’s left.
3. Familiarize yourself with the days and times that the courses you need are being
offered. Use a schedule worksheet (like this one) to make sure that you aren’t
planning to sign up for overlapping classes.
4. Explain your academic goals to and ask questions of your advisor.
Your Advisor’s Responsibilities
“The advisor serves as a resource for the student and should endeavor to
assist the student to build a program of studies consistent with the
student's interests and educational goals, within the framework of
applicable academic regulations.” ~ Guidelines for Advisement, page 1!
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Your advisor should:
1. Monitor and document your progress towards your degree.
2. Provide you with information about campus resources and services.
3. Assist you with choices about which courses to take in the upcoming
semester.
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This does not mean that it’s your advisor’s job to design your
schedule for you. You should come to your advising appointment
with a list of potential classes that fit into your curriculum and
your schedule to discuss with your advisor.
Advisement Process
1. Make an appointment with your advisor.
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Your advisor will email you with instructions about how to schedule a meeting.
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It is your responsibility to check your USC email regularly for important information. If
you do not hear from your advisor, it is your responsibility to make contact.
2. Prepare for your appointment.
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Fill in a provisional curriculum worksheet.
3. Attend your appointment.
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Explain your goals to your advisor. Go over your plan for the next semester. Ask questions.
4. At your assigned registration day and time, register for classes using Self Service Carolina.
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IMPORTANT: Your registration time is NOT the same as your advising appointment time.
You should schedule your advising appointment days or weeks before your registration time.
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To find your registration time on Self Service Carolina, select the appropriate term (STUDENT —> REGISTRATION —> SELECT TERM) and then go to STUDENT —> REGISTRATION —> STATUS.
What should I bring to my
advisement appointment?
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The following Advisement Documents, which are available for
download from the SVAD website:
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provisional curriculum worksheet
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four year plan
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class schedule worksheet
List of questions for your advisor
Attention, Juniors!
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When you have completed 90 hours towards your degree, you need to
schedule a Major Program Card meeting with either Rebecca Boyd
([email protected]) or Mana Hewitt ([email protected]).
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This is the time to make sure that you are making the right course
choices for your final year of study.
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This is not the same thing as Registration Advisement. You should see
your regular advisor for your regular Registration Advisement.
After you’ve completed your Major Program Card meeting, you will need to
go to Flinn Hall and schedule a Senior Check meeting with a Dean’s Advisor.
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Lauren Chapman and Jodi Salter typically handle Senior Checks for
SVAD students, but any Dean’s Advisor can help you.
Seniors
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You received a Graduation Check List at your Senior Check
meeting with the Dean’s Advisor at Flinn Hall.
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This document outlines everything you need to take to finish
your degree, and it’s what the College goes by when
approving degree applications.
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DO NOT LOSE IT.
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MAKE SURE YOU DO EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS.
Apply for graduation at the beginning of your final semester.
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commencement.sc.edu has everything you need to know.
Carolina Core
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Make sure you understand the rules for Carolina Core. Your curriculum
worksheet will help with this.
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Specific course requirements and prohibitions are listed in the Guidelines for
Advisement handbook, which can be found here. Choose the handbook that
corresponds to the year you first enrolled at USC.
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Note that ENGL 102 only counts for INF overlay if you took it at USC Columbia
or a 2 year branch campus from the 2012-2013 academic year forward.
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You can also use the online database of Carolina Core courses, but
note that the rules may be different for your College and Bulletin year
from what is displayed online.
If you took it somewhere else, have AP credit for it, or took it in Summer
2012 or earlier, you need an additional INF course: LIBR 101, SLIS 202,
or STAT 112.
Similarly, GEOG 105 can only be used for ARP if taken in Fall 2016 or later.
Pre- and Co-requisites
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ARTS: - Take the Foundations classes first!
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MART:
- Take MART 210 before MART 371 & 380. - Take MART 321 before MART 521. - Take MART 371 before MART 571. - Take MART 380 before MART 581.
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ARTE:
- If there is a P section (e.g. ARTE 525/525P), the two courses must be taken together.
- EDFI 300: must have sophomore standing.
- Take ARTE 565 and ARTE 571 at the same time.
- ARTE 571: Must have completed coursework in ARTE, been admitted to the
professional program, been admitted to the College of Education, and had an FBI
background check.
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ARTH: - ARTH 105 and 106 are pre-requisites to the ARTH major and can be used to meet AIU
requirements.
ARTS Majors
Additional Information
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ARTS 112: Basic Drawing II is now ARTS 230: Introduction to Drawing
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If you are on the 2014 Bulletin or later, your required ARTH courses
may be used to fulfill AIU requirements.
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If you are an ARTS BFA on the 2013 Bulletin or earlier, you can use
your four required ARTH courses as the first four (of six) courses in
an ARTH minor. You may NOT, however, use them to fulfill AIU
requirements.
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ARTS 514, ARTS 519, ARTS 524, ARTS 529, ARTS 539, ARTS 559,
and ARTS 564 are topics courses and may be repeated for credit
as long as the topic is different each time.
ARTS BFA Students
Additional Information
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ARTS 100 and ARTS 400 are 0 credit hour courses and do not cost any tuition, but you
MUST enroll in them in order to get your BFA.
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Enroll in ARTS 100 after you have successfully completed your BFA Review.
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Once you have ARTS 100 on your transcript, go to Flinn Hall and officially
change your major to ARTS BFA and add your concentration area.
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Enroll in ARTS 400 when you register for your final BFA capstone course.
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You will need an override to get into both of these courses. Get an Override Form
from the SVAD main office, get it signed by a professor in your concentration
area, and then return the form to the SVAD main office.
The BFA degrees almost always require more than 120 hours of coursework. You may
have to take more than 15 credits per semester or attend summer sessions in order to
finish in 4 years. TALK TO YOUR ADVISOR ABOUT THIS.
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Typically, you need to take 2-3 ARTS courses every semester to stay on track.
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DO NOT plan to take 5 ARTS classes each semester of your Senior year.
It will not end well.
MART Majors
Additional Requirements
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Don’t forget about your mandatory MART 499 internship!
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MART 499 may be taken for 3-6 credits. Standard tuition and fees apply.
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Some students choose to do their internship in the summer. If you’re
planning to do a summer internship, the summer after your Junior year is
ideal.
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Summer financial aid is only available if you are registered for at
least 6 credits over the course of the summer. (Credits may be
split across multiple summer sessions.)
ARTS, ARTH, and FILM courses are often helpful in both supporting your Major
coursework and in completing your AIU or Minor/Cognate requirements.
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Just remember that a course can count for a Core requirement OR a
Major requirement OR a Minor/Cognate requirement, but no course can
count for more than one of these. So, do some critical thinking about
how best to use the courses you plan to take.
ARTE Majors
Additional Information
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In addition to your general education and ARTE major requirements, you must
also:
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Complete a list of teacher certification course requirements
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Pass the PRAXIS I and II tests
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Do a semester of student teaching
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You may qualify for an exemption from Praxis I if you have an SAT
score above a certain threshold. Talk to your advisor about this.
In your Junior year, there will be a big packet of paperwork for you
to fill out regarding student teaching. Don’t miss this!
The ARTE degree requires more than 120 hours of coursework. You may have
to take more than 15 credits per semester or attend summer sessions in order
to finish in 4 years. TALK TO YOUR ADVISOR ABOUT THIS.
ARTH Majors
Additional Information
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If you are studying European or American Art History, the most useful foreign
languages offered at USC are (in order): German, French, Italian, Spanish.
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If you’re studying non-European art, consider studying a language
appropriate to that area. For example: If you’re interested in Chinese art,
take Chinese as your language.
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Consider a double major, and don’t limit yourself to obvious pairings like Art
Studio or English. Business, Political Science, History, Women’s Studies,
Religion, African American Studies, and Mathematics are all good
possibilities that will prepare you well for both grad school and your eventual
career.
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Know that a degree in Art History does not limit you to only grad programs in
Art History. Art History’s methodologies are directly applicable to numerous
fields in the humanities and social sciences, as well as being great
preparation for studying law.
Questions?
1. Consult your Bulletin. Your Bulletin is the one from the academic
year you first enrolled at USC.
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2015-2016 Bulletin
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Older Bulletins
2. Ask your advisor.
3. Ask Undergraduate Coordinator Rebecca Boyd [email protected].