Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who is my adviser?
You have a complete staff of professional advisers for College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) majors who can assist you with your academic needs. You are not assigned a specific adviser within CAS, but are welcome to request a meeting with a specific adviser if you wish. We do have one adviser who specializes in the academic programs within the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance. If you have an interest in one of these majors, be sure to mention this when scheduling your advising appointment.
CAS also has a faculty adviser for every major. You are welcome to meet with these advisers, particularly if you have questions about your specific major or minor, or the individual major courses that make up your degree plan.
How can I be sure to graduate on-time? How do I apply for my degree?
The best way to ensure that you are making progress toward completing your degree is to familiarize yourself with all of your degree requirements. Students should carefully read the areas of their Undergraduate Catalog pertaining to university requirements, college requirements, and major requirements.
Students should meet as often as necessary with an Academic Adviser to be sure they understand all requirements for their degree and to obtain a completed degree program checklist.
When you are within two semesters of graduation, you should meet with an Academic Adviser or request a Senior/Graduation Check. This way, you can ensure that you have not missed any degree requirements. If a problem is uncovered, you can make the necessary scheduling plans to fulfill any requirements you may have overlooked.
Finally, you must complete the Undergraduate Application for Degree form before the deadline for the semester in which you intend to complete your remaining degree requirements. Deadlines for each semester are established by the Academic Records office.
How and when do I register for classes?
Consult the Important Web Links section of this site for information on the Class Schedule and registering for classes. Registration for classes each semester is done in reverse order of your class standing:
- Seniors (91 or more credits earned)
- Juniors (56-90 credits earned)
- Sophomores (28-55 credits earned)
- Freshmen (0-27 credits earned)
Details on registration and important dates for each semester can always be found on the Registrar's webpage.
How many credits are needed to be considered a full-time student?
Undergraduate students must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours in Fall and Winter semesters, and at least 7 credits in Spring and Summer semesters, to be considered a full-time student for that semester.
What is the maximum number of credits I can take?
You can enroll in a maximum of 18 credit hours in a Fall or Winter semester and 9 credit hours in a Spring or Summer semester.
In some cases, students may request an override to register for as many as 21 credits in a Fall or Winter semester, or for as many as 10 credits in a Spring or Summer semester. To seek permission to exceed the maximum credits allowed per semester, a student must have earned at least 12 credit hours at Oakland University and must have a GPA of at least a 2.60. You can stop by our office in 221 Varner Hall and request an override form if you meet these requirements. The override form is presented to the Registrar's Office in 101 O'Dowd Hall. They will process the override that will allow you to register for the additional credits via SAIL.
How many credits are needed to graduate?
All CAS majors require a minimum of 124 credits to complete a degree. Some degrees will require more than the minimum. In most cases, your major will require you to complete several "free" elective credits to reach the minimum number of credits required to finish your degree.
What are free elective credits?
Free elective credits are additional credits that are not a part of your university or College of Arts and Sciences requirements, or your major coursework. In other words, they are courses that can be completed in almost any subject of interest.
Many students will use these elective credits toward the completion of a minor or concentration. Others will simply take courses of personal interest to them. The number of elective credits will vary, depending on the major you select. Your adviser can help you determine how many free electives you will need.
How do I declare/change my major?
You must complete a Change of Major form and return it to the CAS Advising office in 221 Varner Hall. We strongly recommend that you first meet with an adviser to review the degree requirements for your chosen major and complete a degree program checklist.
How do I add or drop a class?
If a course is not full/closed and classes have not started for the semester, you can add or drop any course by logging onto your SAIL account and following the instructions to Add or Drop a course.
If a class is full/closed or the semester has already begun, you can only add a course by obtaining the signature of the instructor on a completed Oakland University Add/Drop Form and returning the form to the Registrar's Office in 101 O'Dowd Hall. This must be done before the last day to add a course. The Add/Drop Forms can be obtained at the Registrar's Office window (101 O'Dowd Hall).
To drop a course after the semester has begun, log onto your SAIL account and follow the instructions. This must be done no later than the last day to drop a course. You do not need an instructor's signature to drop a course.
What is General Education and why do I have to take it?
A General Education curriculum is required at all accredited U. S. universities. General Education programs are designed to introduce all university students to a broad base of knowledge as well as the analytical and evaluative tools needed to lead productive and fulfilling lives of leadership and service. The goal of any university's general education program is to create a well-educated person, not a narrowly trained specialist.
What are OU's specific General Education requirements? What are the 'old' and the 'new' General Education requirements and how do I know which requirements to follow?
In general, all students must complete at least one approved course in 8 to 10 Knowledge Areas (categories). The categories and list of approved courses for each area are listed in your OU Undergraduate Catalog. The most up-to-date list of approved courses for the new general education requirements can be found on the General Education webpage.
Starting with the Fall 2005 semester, Oakland University introduced new general education requirements. In general, you should follow the Undergraduate Catalog general education requirements from the semester in which you first enrolled. However, if you are a transfer student and enroll at OU before the Fall 2008 semester, you have the option to follow the old general education requirements if you wish.
If you have any questions, consult your academic adviser to determine which general education requirements you will be expected to follow.
What is the College Distribution requirement?
Every school or college at the university will have a core set of requirements for all majors contained within that school or college. In the College of Arts and Sciences, these are known as the College Distribution requirements. In general, students seeking the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree must complete 16 additional credits from at least 4 of the 6 areas approved for College Distribution. Students seeking Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees must complete 12 additional credits from at least 3 of the 6 areas approved for College Distribution. Details and restrictions will be explained in the Undergraduate Catalog under the College of Arts and Sciences section or in some cases, under the specific major requirements for your degree.
Are College Distribution courses/categories the same as the General Education courses/categories?
No. There is some overlap of courses approved for the university-wide General Education requirements and the College Distribution requirements. However, students should read the description of each College Distribution category in their Undergraduate Catalog before selecting a course to satisfy any distribution category. In some cases, the approved courses for College Distribution are quite different from general education. If you are still in doubt as to which course to select for a distribution category after consulting your Undergraduate catalog, talk with your Academic Adviser.
Can I count one course for an area of General Education and also use the same course to count toward a College Distribution requirement?
No. Students cannot use the same course to satisfy a category of general education and a category of College Distribution. There are only three exceptions.
First, if a student places into a second-semester or higher foreign language course (115 or higher) and then completes this higher-level foreign language course, then this foreign language course will be used to satisfy the general education requirement for Foreign Language and Culture, and can also be used to satisfy the College Distribution requirement for Foreign Language.
Second, a student can use a course to satisfy the new general education category of Knowledge Applications and also use it to satisfy an appropriate area of College Distribution, so long as it fits the category.
Finally, any approved course for either a student's major, general education, or College Distribution can also be used to satisfy U.S. (Ethnic) Diversity, so long as it fits the category.
Are there grade point average (G.P.A.) requirements that I should be aware of in order to complete a degree?
Yes. Here is a summary:
- Complete the requirements for a major offered by the College of Arts and Sciences with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00.
- Earn a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00 in courses taken at Oakland University and in the major(s) and any elective minor(s).
Overall G.P.A. requirements, or G.P.A. requirements for a particular major or minor can vary depending on the student's major or minor, but will never be lower than 2.00.
Students planning to apply for the Secondary Teaching Education Program (STEP) must have a minimum of a 3.0 average in their major and minor coursework, and a 2.8 overall. Meeting the minimum standards does not guarantee admission into STEP. Students interested in this program should discuss their specific program requirements with their adviser.
I am a transfer student and am wondering if there are a minimum number of credits I must complete at Oakland University?
Yes. Any OU student must complete at least 32 credits at Oakland University, of which at least 16 credits must be in the student's elected major, in order to receive a degree. Some majors may require more. Refer to your Undergraduate Catalog for details on your chosen major.
I want to take classes at another school and transfer them to Oakland University. How do I know if a course will transfer?
Consult the transfer equivalency guides available on the CAS Advising web site for transfer credit information on all Michigan community colleges. There are also links to transfer course equivalencies in Communications and Mathematics for most Michigan universities. If you do not see a school or a course listed, consult your Academic Adviser or the Faculty Adviser for your major.
Does OU have any restrictions on transfer credits?
Yes, there are restrictions on transfer credits for OU students. For example, students can only transfer 62 credits from any combination of community colleges to use for a College of Arts and Sciences degree. Additionally, all OU students must satisfy the university's residency requirement, which requires them to complete their last 8 credits at Oakland University.
It is always a good idea for an OU student to consult with his or her Academic Adviser before they plan to complete any courses at other schools.
I have heard that students cannot graduate until they complete a certain number of credits at the advanced level? Is this true?
Yes. Oakland University requires all students to complete at least 32 credits in courses at the 300 level or above. The level of a course is determined by the first number in the course. (For example: PHL 101 is 100 level, COM 201 is 200 level, ENV 308 is 300 level, etc.)
These courses do not all have to be in the students major. Many students will have some 300-400 level courses that they have used for General Education, College Distribution, or free electives, as well as in their chosen major or minor. The total number of credits in these classes must simply add up to at least 32. Your Academic Adviser will advise you on how to meet this university requirement, if you have any questions.
