A Team Effort and You Are the Captain
During your time as an undergraduate at SCU, you must take the lead to ensure you are aware of the specific core and major degree requirements necessary for graduation. You also must become knowledgeable about various academic regulations that can directly impact your program of study. Inability to understand university regulations and requirements does not relieve students of their responsibility. Don’t worry--you have many resources readily available to support you during your academic career. All you need to do is advocate for yourself by planning carefully and asking questions.
Your Advising Team
You have many people at SCU whose roles are to assist you with understanding academic requirements and your decision-making so you can plan an effective curriculum that allows you to achieve your goals while on your path towards graduation.
First Steps
If you are a first year-student or are new to the Communication major, you should thoroughly explore our Communication website. The Advising and Resources page is where you can locate our course planning materials, including our requirements checklist, course planning worksheet, and a listing of Communication courses that count for core requirements. You can learn about the different types of research our faculty are doing under the Faculty and Faculty Research and Creative Projects pages if you would like to contact them about getting involved. In our Beyond the Classroom pages, you will find good information about the many different opportunities you can take advantage of as a Communication major, including our internship program.
Your Communication Peer Advisor
A group of fellow Communication majors, trained and well-informed about SCU core and Communication major requirements, can meet with you to answer questions and show you how to use SCU’s many advising resources so that you can formulate a graduation plan. You can contact commpeeradvising@scu.edu to schedule an appointment or ask an advising question.
Your Faculty Advisor
You are assigned a faculty member in the Communication Department as an academic advisor. Faculty advisors are a great resource of information and can serve as mentors for you in the field of communication as it pertains to graduate school, research, and career development. They can also assist you with curricular planning. If you do not sign up for a departmental group meeting to satisfy your mandatory spring advising requirement, you will need to meet with your faculty advisor at that time. However, you are encouraged to establish a relationship with your advisor beforehand in order to answer your questions about the major or discuss potential paths you can take post-graduation. You can find the name of your faculty advisor on your main eCampus page.
University Advisors in the Drahmann Advising and Learning Resources Center
SCU has a wonderful group of university academic advisors in the Drahmann Center located in Kenna Hall 101. If you are considering adding a second major or a minor and want to see how that will impact your graduation plan, a university advisor would be a good person to meet with to discuss your options. These advisors are trained in the Core curriculum, university regulations, and are familiar with the requirements for the different majors and minors SCU offers. You can schedule an appointment to meet with a Drahmann advisor online.