Your Faculty Advisor

My What? Sounds Good. How do I get one?

To become a psychology major, just go to the psychology department and declare your intention to do so. At that point, you will be assigned to an advisor. If you have a particular interest, such as industrial-organizational psychology, it would be a good idea to request that your advisor be a professor who is interested in that topic. You may get an advisor or change your advisor at any time. Sometimes, because of the large number of students, or the popularity of the professor, a professor's list of advisees is full. Then, you must have the permission of that professor to be added to the list, or you can choose someone else. Once you have an advisor, make an appointment to see him or her at least once every semester.

What are they good for?

An advisor is good for several things, other than signing the many forms.

Your advisor can introduce you to the mysteries of that big transcript-like piece of paper called, "the DARS Report" (i.e., Degree Audit Report). Although this document was meant to be self-explanatory, experience shows that to be only partly true. Your advisor can decipher its mystical codes.

Your advisor can help you select courses. Many useful courses, both within and outside of psychology, are not technically "required" for graduation. However, they might be useful thereafter. As but one example, many graduate programs in psychology require that students have taken the History of Psychology course before they enroll in an M.A., Psy.D or Ph.D. program.

Your advisor can help you avoid mistakes. There are rules that you may not have noticed in the Bulletin. Your advisor can remind you of requirements, before it is too late.

Your advisor can defend you if you do make an error. If you find yourself in a bind, and you've seen your advisor regularly, exceptions may sometimes be made or alternative routes be taken. If you find yourself in a bind and you have never seen your advisor, then you may be out of luck.

Your advisor can remind you of those all-important requirements in psychology that are not written anywhere in the Bulletin. You can get a degree in psychology by following the rules set forth in the Bulletin. However, if you want to go further, to graduate school, you need a broad range of courses, research and volunteer experience, help in writing your resume the way people in psychology expect to see it, etc. Your advisor knows more than your peers about these matters because your advisor has been there, or at least the advisor can suggest a colleague who has relevant information.

What should I do before seeing my advisor?

Always bring your "DARS report" (Degree Audit Report) when you make an appointment and call ahead - during pre-registration, things can get pretty busy. The DARS provides the easiest way for your advisor to be brought up to speed on what you have already taken and what courses will fulfill your psychology, college and university requirements. This is particularly important for transfer students and dual-majors.

Many students now register for classes "electronically." Your faculty advisor will "flag" your registration records to show that you have been advised and that you are authorized to select courses, or a manila-colored course card may be filled out by the student signed by the advisor, and submitted to the registrar. If you are registering for classes in this manner, bring the manila-colored course card filled out in pencil with (non-conflicting) courses you would like to take next semester. Do your homework with the newsprint course schedule beforehand. It saves time, and leaves more time for important questions.

Bring paper and a pen to take notes. (Yes, many people don't, and then forget what the advisor said.)

Bring questions.