Beginning Your Studies

Making Choices as a Student. You have many academic decisions to make. You will choose a major and possibly a minor, and enroll for courses that lead toward a desired degree. Students enrolled on the Mt. Pleasant campus will be required to declare a major or sign a statement of intent to major by the time they earn 56 hours of credit. Some students have already made these choices when they begin their university studies, but most appreciate the opportunity that CMU offers to sample many areas of study through the University Program portion of the General Education Requirements. The University Program is required of all students and is explained later in this Bulletin. While taking University Program classes, you prepare yourself to make career and life choices from a broadened perspective, while fulfilling needed General Education requirements for graduation.

Your Advisors. As a main campus freshman or a transfer student, you will receive individualized advisement on course selection during academic orientation. The registration process is computer assisted to help you obtain preferred courses. The Academic Advising and Assistance Office (Ronan Hall 250, 989-774-7506) offers general advising in the areas of the University Program, Competencies, and Degree Requirements. When you are ready to consider a major, arrange an appointment with a faculty advisor in the department teaching courses of interest to you. You may want to visit with faculty in several departments, but once you have selected a major, you will be assigned a faculty advisor in that department.

There are additional offices to help you:

The Career Development Center (Ronan Hall 240, 989-774-3068) offers professional assistance in career decision making.

The Registrar’s Office (Warriner 212, 989-774-3261) provides a number of services regarding academic credits earned at other schools.