Academic Advising and Program Declaration
Students may come to you asking how to be assigned an academic advisor or how to declare a major or minor. The following page is designed to assist you in directing students to the right office for this type of assistance.
Who is required to have advising?
- All undergraduate students with less than 75 completed credits.
- All undergraduate students with less than three fall or spring advisor releases.
- First-time transfer students
- Students on academic probation
- All graduate students
Of course, it is a good idea for all students to meet with an academic advisor on a regular basis even if doing so is not required.
How is this enforced?
These students must obtain an advisor release in order to be eligible to register for classes in the upcoming semester. This is granted by the advisor on the student’s Advising Notes and Releases page in My Missouri State.
Where should a student go to receive or change an advisor assignment?
Each department makes their own procedures about advisor assignment, so students should be referred to the applicable department of their major.
Where does an undergraduate student go to add a major/minor/certificate?
The student may contact the offices listed below for assistance. The student should be very exact on their request. For example, if adding a major that has options, the student should include the name of the option they wish to pursue. If the student has pre-existing majors/minors and wishes to add another, the student should be clear whether they are requesting an additional major/minor or are wishing to replace their existing major/minor.
Academic Advising and Transfer Center
University Hall 109
Uadvise@missouristate.edu
417-836-5258
Office of the Registrar
Carrington Hall 320
Registrar@missouristate.edu
417-836-5520
College of Business Advisement Center (for adding COB majors and minors)
Glass Hall 276
BusinessAdvisement@missouristate.edu
417-836-5386
Where does a graduate student go to add a program/certificate?
Graduate students must apply for admission to the additional program the student wishes to pursue.
Graduate College Admissions Office
Carrington Hall 419
GraduateAdmissions@MissouriState.edu
417-836-6200
What is the difference between declaring a major and being admitted to a major?
Declaring a major is when a student formally makes record with the University that the student wishes to pursue a particular major. For majors with no admission requirements, the student is “admitted” to the major at that point. However, some majors have admission requirements, in which case the student is initially put in a “pre-major.” When the admission requirements are met, the department of the major submits an Admission to Degree Program form to formally admit the student to their major.
Resources for Advisors and Students
- Academic Advising and Transfer Center
- Frequently Asked Questions about Advising Issues
- “How To” Videos on the Office of the Registrar YouTube Channel
- Registration Refund Information
- Academic Appeals Procedures
- Provost’s Academic Advising Council
This site includes an advising resources section for advisors, which includes information such as best practices, advising notes guidelines, and a variety of other information intended to assist advisors. There is also a resources section for students.
Information supplied by the Academic Advising and Transfer Center
Videos include instruction on registration, wait listing, searching the class schedule, using the degree audit, and applying to graduate. There are also videos for faculty and staff as well.
Do you have a student who is dropping your course due to an exceptional circumstance and therefore is asking you about refund possibilities? This site provides instruction on how a student may apply for a registration-related refund exception. Information includes access to the Refund Exception Appeal Request form along with a description of the circumstances in which a refund appeal will be considered.
Is a student asking you how to appeal one of the University’s academic policies? This site provides a quick reference guide to the various types of academic appeals and how they are handled.
Are you seeing a reoccurring advising issue that you want to bring to the University’s attention? Do you have a new advising practice that is working well for your department that you want to share? The purpose of the Provost’s Academic Advising Council (PAAC) is to evaluate the administration and delivery of advising services to all students at Missouri State University and make recommendations for improvement.