Academic Advising information for international students at WVU.

1. Academic Advising

2. Learning Objectives
• Identify your role and the role of the academic advisor in the advising
experience.
• Discuss the genera matriculation requirements into an academic major and
graduation.
• Demonstrate ability to calculate your GPA.

3. Academic Advising
• Academic success is heavily dependent on understanding your academic
matriculation to graduation requirements in your degree program. The
relationship between the student and the advisor is key in setting the tone of
your academic progress.

4. Academic Roles
• Advisor Role
• Academic advisors are here to provide guidance in course progression, clarify any University policies (specifically ones
that relate to the student throughout their time at WVU), explain the requirements to move into an academic major
(and navigate the courses to fulfill those requirements), refer students to other University resources (such as ISSS, the
Carruth Center for Counseling, etc.), develop strategies for working through academic issues (such as difficulty in a
course), and model professional behavior.
• Student Role
• The students role is a participatory role. Students are responsible for introducing themselves to their advisor, checking
(and reading) University emails, scheduling and keeping appointments with your advisor, preparing for and attending
meetings as scheduled, identifying issues and alerting your advisor of those issues, and asking questions when
confusion occurs.

5. Advising Appointments
• Prior to your appointment, you should be sure to schedule your appointment at a time
that works best for you and to be on time and prepared. If for any reason you need to
cancel, be courteous and let your advisor know ahead of time (if possible). Be aware of the
academic calendar and the dates you will need to register for the upcoming semester.
Review your plan of study and come prepared for your meeting. If you need paperwork
signed, be sure to bring it with you. Advising appointments can be limited in time, so being
prepared and bringing everything with you is the best way to get the most out of the time
spent together.
• After your appointment, be sure to keep a record of what was discussed. This is great for
the actual day of registration. Review the notes that your advisor gave you – they may also
contain reminders of action steps that need to be taken. Be sure to complete follow-up
appointments and referrals.

6. Well Rounded Students (General Education
Foundations)
• West Virginia University requires all students to experience an education that spans a wide
range of topics. The General Education Foundations (GEF) courses are used to address this
need. This is an opportunity for you to explore areas of interest outside of your major
requirements.
• For an undergraduate updated listing of GEF courses, please see:
http://registrar.wvu.edu/curriculum-catalog/general-education-foundations-gef

7. Major Required Curriculum
• Each major at WVU is comprised of major requirements and electives. These courses are
unique for each major. To review the major requirements for different majors across the
University, please see: http://catalog.wvu.edu/undergraduate/
• Graduate Students can find general guidance to degree requirements at:
http://catalog.wvu.edu/graduate/
• Illustration – Undergraduate Engineering Admission Requirements
• Students wishing to transfer into the engineering or pre-computer science program from other programs must
have a GPA of at least 2.25 in all college work attempted and have completed MATH 155 with a C or better.
• Students who meet the freshman admission requirements to the engineering program are eligible to transfer into
the college at any time.
• Students wishing to transfer into an engineering discipline major must have a GPA of at least 2.25 and have
completed ENGR 101, ENGR 199, ENGR 102, and MATH 155 with a grade of C or better, CHEM 115, and ENGL 101.
• Admission to a discipline major is competitive and dependent on enrollment availability.

8. DegreeWorks
• DegreeWorks is an online check sheet for students and their advisors to review and
monitor progress toward degree completion. It organizes academic coursework into blocks
of requirements to help you easily identify courses you have completed and what courses
you still need in order to complete your degree.
• DegreeWorks provides students and advisors a visual checklist of courses and objectives
required for graduation, including major requirements, major electives, capstone, as well
as each general education foundations (GEF) requirement. To access DegreeWorks:
http://registrar.wvu.edu/academic-records/degreeworks
• DegreeWorks allows you to:
• Receive real-time advice and counsel
• Speed time to graduation
• Streamline the graduation process
• Gain direct access to multiple related services and advice through hyperlinks to catalog information, class
schedules, and frequently asked questions (FAQ’s)

9. Calculating your GPA
• It is important for all students to be aware of their course GPA. This is a critical
determining factor for moving into a selected major, as well as a tool for determining how
well a student is learning information presented. Your GPA and total number of credit
hours attempted may also determine if you are in good academic standing or are subject
to academic probation or suspension.
• DegreeWorks has a GPA calculator which offers a convenient way to track and plan for your
GPA, especially if you department has a minimum GPA requirement.