Advising and Course Selection

Academic advising is one of the most important services available at a college or university. The process helps students plan an educational program that satisfies their individual needs.

First-year and transfer students at Susquehanna usually meet their advisors during the second week of classes in the fall semester. Their initial discussions focus on course choices and the university in general. After that, students meet with their advisors as often as necessary—at least once each semester. These are opportunities to talk about academic goals and decide upon a major. Advisors can also help students gain approval for independent study and find out more about off-campus study programs. While academic advisors may provide guidance and support as described here, students are ultimately responsible for their academic choices and the consequences of those choices.

In March and November, students register for the upcoming semester after selecting their courses with the guidance of their advisors. In addition, during the first two days of each semester, all students go through a mandatory electronic registration check-in process.

Susquehanna reserves the right to limit the size of any course. Every effort is made to accommodate individual needs, but the university cannot guarantee placement in a specific course in a particular semester. The registration calendar enables priority for course enrollment first to seniors, followed by juniors, sophomores and first-year students.

Course Loads

The normal course load for a full-time student is 16 semester hours (typically four courses) per semester. Students may take a minimum of 12 semester hours each semester without losing their full-time status. Students may take more than 18 semester hours and up to a total of 24 semester hours if they do not have any outstanding grades of EC, I or N and meet the specified minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 for seniors or 3.0 for all other students. The following course types do not count toward a student’s overload: GO preparatory or GO reflection courses, music lessons, music ensembles, internships, or practica.

Students who do not meet the specified GPA criteria or have outstanding grades of EC, I or N need approval from their advisor and the dean of their school to exceed 18 semester hours. Students who have a cumulative GPA below 2.00 are not eligible to take an overload under any circumstances. First-time, first-year students also may not enroll in more than 18 credits in their first semester at SU. New transfer students may take an overload with advisor, department head and dean’s permission.