FAQs Academic Advising (Undergraduate Day Students)
If you don’t know the name of your advisor, check the ”My Profile” screen on PENpal. If an advisor is not listed, contact the Office of Academic Advising, Exeter Hall 101, 645.9630.
Advisors guide students in formulating their educational goals, and help them to translate their goals, interests, and career aspirations into an effective and realistic academic plan. Your advisor will also help you understand the academic requirements that give structure to your course of study.
You will want to meet with your advisor regularly. Many students find it helpful to meet with their advisor at least three (3) times each academic term. It is important to call or e-mail your advisor to schedule an appointment. DO NOT wait until busy registration times to arrange a meeting.
It is always useful to get to know your professors. Professors keep office hours, and the times and locations will be listed on your syllabus (usually distributed on the first day of class). Office hours are a good time to discuss ideas generated in class, to clarify assignments, and to share common interests with your professors. Remember, eventually, you may be asking professors for letters of recommendation when applying for Study Abroad programs, internship opportunities, graduate school, and employment opportunities.
You must fill out a Change of Advisor form and make an appointment to meet with an advisor in the Academic Advising Office.
Freshman status requires 0-29 credits
Sophomore status requires 30-59 credits
Junior status requires 60-89 credits
Senior status requires 90+ credits
You will need to establish that you are eligible to receive the appropriate services and accommodations by opening a file with the Office of Disability Services . You may contact the office at 603.645.9630 to set up an appointment.
There are many issues to be aware of when considering whether to drop a class. If you drop a course and it brings you below 12 credits (which is considered full-time), you should be aware of the following:
• It may jeopardize your financial aid eligibility and you should check with the Financial Aid Office for clarification of policy.
• It you live in campus housing, it may affect your eligibility to remain a resident student. Please check with the Residence Life .
• If you are an athlete, it may affect your athletic status and make you ineligible to play on the team. You should check with your coach.
• It may make you ineligible for medical insurance benefits, if you are being carried under your parent’s insurance plan as a dependent child. You should check with your parent or insurance company.
Notify the Academic Advising Office. The Academic Advising Office will contact your instructors and your academic advisor. You will also be asked to supply appropriate documentation of your illness and/or emergency upon your return to classes. Please remember that an excused absence from class does NOT excuse you from the work that you missed. It is your responsibility to contact your professors and complete all make-up work in a timely manner.
Any class that the University offers for credit that is not already required for your degree program (and that you meet the pre-requisites for) can be used to fulfill a “free elective.” Free elective credits can also be fulfilled through internship experiences. Please contact the Career Development Office for more information on internship opportunities.
Undergraduate Day students can file a petition with the Academic Advising Office to take Continuing Education (CE)/Online courses during the academic year. Petitions will be held until shortly before the start of each CE/Online term, and students will be enrolled on a space-available basis. There is no guarantee that if you submit a petition you will be enrolled in the course. Please remember that your undergraduate day student tuition covers up to 18 credits/semester. If the CE/Online class will give you more than 18 credit hours in a semester (Fall or Spring), you will need to Petition to Take an Overload and pay additional tuition fees.
To receive credit for AP courses that you successfully completed in high school, you must have official copies of your scores sent to the Registrar's Office for approval. Once your scores are received by the Registrar's Office, they will be evaluated and credit will be awarded as appropriate.
Yes, but it is recommended that you obtain PRIOR approval from SNHU. Complete a Petition to Take Courses at Another Institution form and return it to the Registrar's Office for approval before taking a class elsewhere. This will assure that (assuming you receive a C or better) credit will be accepted for transfer by SNHU. The form is available in the Academic Advising Office and Registrar's Office.
The Academic Advising Office can usually give you course by course info. regarding your classes, however, it is the transfer institution which accepts or denies the credits. Thus, it is recommended that you receive verification from a transfer counselor at the college/university you are intending to transfer to.
A change of major requires a meeting with an advisor in the Academic Advising Office. Please call 645.9630 and schedule an appointment to meet with either Carey Bradbury or Richard Colfer. Prior to your scheduled appointment, please complete a Change of Major form. Change of Major forms are available online or in the Academic Advising Office (Exeter 101).
A double major consists of earning a Bachelor of Art or Bachelor of Science in two subject areas. Students need to complete the requirements of each major in addition to the BA/BS core requirements. Students interested in a double major should meet with an advisor in the Academic Advising Office and will need to have the Change of Major form signed by the Dean.
Minors normally require 15-18 credit hours. To pursue a minor, please see your advisor or an advisor in the Academic Advising Office. To declare a minor, you must submit an Application for Minor form to the Academic Advising Office.
Yes. In each instance, the highest grade received when repeating a course will be used to determine the GPA. Note: You will not receive credit more than once for the same course. The notation “R” appears on the transcript for any repeated course. You may want to discuss course repetition with the Financial Aid Office if you are receiving financial aid.
If you received a grade of incomplete in a class, you need to contact your professor and determine what you need to do to make up the incomplete work. You must complete all the required work as outlined in the Incomplete Grade Contract agreed upon by you and your instructor. Grades of Incomplete (I) are changed to a grade of “IF” if the work is not completed according to the conditions outlined in the Incomplete Grade Contract.
Depending upon the class, there are various resources which provide help. The first step would be to meet with your professor during his/her office hours and discuss your concerns. The Learning Center also offers walk-in help services, as well as one-on-one tutors and peer mentors. Contact the Learning Center for more information.
Full-time undergraduate day students can take up to 18 credits. If you want to enroll in more than 18 credits/term, you should discuss this with your academic advisor or an advisor in the Academic Advising Office. Enrolling in more than 18 credits requires you to Petition to Take an Overload and pay additional tuition fees
To obtain permission for a credit overload you must file a Petition to Take an Overload with the Dean of your school. If your petition is approved, you will be required to pay additional tuition fees.
To learn about study abroad programs contact, Jorge Garcia, Associate Vice President for International Programs, at 603.645.3371 or visit his office located in Belknap Hall, Center for International Education.
“Holds” on your record can be but are not limited to academic or financial holds, disciplinary sanctions, library fines, parking fines, etc. When you have a "hold" on your record you are not able to adjust your schedule, receive transcripts, etc. In order to have the hold removed, you will need to contact the appropriate office or department. Contact the Academic Advising Office if you need more information.
Once you have successfully completed a minimum of 90 credits, you are eligible to Petition to Graduate . You must fill out the Petition to Graduate form) and return it by the stated deadline. Once your Petition to Graduate, has been submitted the Registrar's Office will complete a degree audit and send you a letter detailing the results of their audit.