General Information (FAQs)

Stay on Track: Meet with your Academic Adviser at least once a year.

Prepare for your meeting ahead of time to make the most out of your appointment

• Write down your questions ahead of time for any advising appointment
• Educate yourself about OU’s policies, procedures and resources
• Make a list of possible classes for the upcoming year
• Become familiar with your degree requirements in degree works and the course catalog

After your appointment, be sure to follow up on any referrals your adviser made

Explore Your Field: Meet with your Faculty Adviser regularly. Learn more about the field, graduate school and ways to get involved in your department.

Explore Options and Gain Experience: Meet with the Career and Life Design Center to begin mapping out future pathways after graduation and how you can use your time now to best prepare for whatever comes next. Assess and adjust as you go, gaining experience and discovering what you love to do.

In order to add, remove, or change a major or minor in the College of Arts and Sciences, you’ll first need to meet with a CAS Adviser to talk through the intended change. This will ensure you are on the right track. After talking with your adviser, if you decide you would like to move forward with the change, they will be able to assist you with the necessary form to do so.

Appointments with your academic adviser can be made through the online scheduling system or by calling (248) 370-4567.

In the meantime, take some time to learn more about your intended area of study to be best prepared for your upcoming appointment.

• Course Catalog — place you can look up courses, majors, minors, and concentrations using the search box in the upper left hand corner of the website
• Career Tool — use this page to explore your area of study (each major listed includes the catalog page, department website link, and an example sample schedule)

The College of Arts and Sciences wants you to gain multidisciplinary experience as a part of your college experience. One way we encourage you to do so is through the Exploratory requirement. This requirement is typically completed in one of the following ways:

1. You can choose to take 12 credits of coursework (usually three classes) in one single area of study within the College of Arts and Sciences that is not your major. For example, twelve credits in History or twelve credits in Art could be options available to you (as long as those subjects are not your major)
2. You can choose to take 12 credits of coursework (usually three classes) from one of the predetermined sets on the CAS Exploratory website. In this instance, we also want you to choose subjects outside of your major.
3. You can add a minor to your plan of study, replacing the CAS Exploratory requirement within your Progress to Degree.
4. Successful completion of the Honors College curriculum - specifically the HC 3900: Thesis - will fulfill CAS Exploratory

Please note, if you have completed the Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA), you will be unable to use coursework transferred from a community college towards your Exploratory requirement. Be sure to check in with your adviser if you have completed MTA.

Please be aware that the CAS Exploratory requirement needs to be manually entered in by your academic adviser. Therefore, you will want to talk with your adviser as soon as possible about your plan to complete this requirement.

Appointments with your academic adviser can be made through the online scheduling system or by calling (248) 370-4567.

What is the difference between “dropping” a class and, “withdrawing” from a class?

• “Dropping” a class means that no grade will be assigned for the course and it will not show up on your transcript. “Withdrawing” from a class means that a grade of “W” will be assigned and it will show up on your transcript.
• The date you decide to exit the course determines if you are dropping or withdrawing from the class. Refer to these important dates to ensure you do not miss the ”Drop” or “Withdraw” deadline.

How will it affect my GPA?

• As long as a class is dropped or withdrawn from before the deadline, it will not count towards your GPA. Simply not attending class and not officially dropping or withdrawing from the class will result in the professor assigning the appropriate grade, which will count towards your GPA.

How will it affect my Financial Aid?

• Withdrawn credits count towards credit hours attempted, while dropping a class does not. 67% of your cumulative credits must be attempted at the end of each semester before warning status is assigned. Also, no refund is given for Withdrawn credits. Check out more information about Financial Aid.

Next Steps

• Additional information to consider when deciding to drop or withdraw from a course can be found on the OU Registrar’s Office’s Drop or Not website.
• Here are instructions for dropping/withdrawing from courses in the registration system.

Still need help deciding if you should drop a class? Appointments with your academic adviser can be made through the online scheduling system or by calling (248) 370-4567.

The best way to learn about research opportunities in any field is to explore your department’s website and speak with your faculty adviser. Most departments have options to pursue research for course credit.

Don’t wait to get involved! Many departments suggest getting started early in your college career.

We’ve compiled some OU field-specific research resources here for you to get started:

Natural Sciences

• Chemistry Research
• Biological Sciences Research
• Center for Biomedical Research
• Campus Student Organic Farm
• Biological Preserve

Volunteering

Volunteering throughout your college career can be incredibly beneficial. Here are some of the wonderful ways volunteering can help you attain a successful career:

• Networking: You’ll meet a ton of new people, some who might be important contacts down the road.
• Develop New Skills: Communication, leadership, and teamwork skills are built that look great on a resume.
• Find a Passion: A sense of achievement will improve your overall happiness and employers will be impressed with your dedication.
• Scholarships: Many scholarships are impressed by community involvement.

Find out more information about volunteering opportunities.

Internships

An internship is an excellent way to get a taste of a specific career. They allow students to apply their skills in a work setting, pick up new skills, and learn the corporate culture of a business. Not to mention the fact that they look great on a resume.

What kinds of internships are there?

Internships can be paid or unpaid and may also count for credit toward your degree. There are internships in almost every field.

How do I get an internship?

You can apply for internships on-campus and off-campus, paid and unpaid, at Handshake. You can also talk to your Internship Coordinator, faculty adviser, or network with professors to find other opportunities. The Career and Life Design Center is great for finding opportunities, perfecting your resume, or practicing your interview skills!

Here’s more information on the benefits of internships.

What is good academic standing?

To stay in good academic standing, students must not have their cumulative GPA drop below a 2.00. Students should also check the Undergraduate Catalog to ensure they are meeting the requirements for their departments.

If students are not making satisfactory academic progress toward a degree, they will be put on probation at the end of a semester. They will be allowed to stay at OU on probationary status for at least one semester in order to return to good academic standing by raising their cumulative GPA to a 2.00. Students with 24 or more credit hours who do not meet minimum GPA requirements will be in jeopardy of being dismissed from OU.

What should I do next if I’m on academic probation?

To start, our Probation Tutorial is designed to help you understand the academic probation process, policies, and how to return to good academic standing.

Your next step will involve a bit of self-reflection. The College of Arts and Sciences Advising Success Planning Form can help you identify obstacles you may face, offer valuable resources, and assist you in creating a plan moving forward.

Next, the College of Arts and Sciences invites you to meet with your assigned academic adviser (use the online scheduling system) to discuss your academic success here at OU. Your adviser is here to support and assist you during this journey to success.

Why is it a good idea to meet with your adviser about academic probation?

• We have access to lots of resources that can help on your road to academic success!
• We can help you with creating a success plan that will lead to graduation.
• Our team is devoted to helping you navigate obstacles and reach your goals.

Here are some easy-to-follow steps to ensure your graduation process goes smoothly:

• Get a Graduation Audit from your CAS and Faculty Advisors, assuring you will meet all your degree requirements on time for graduation. (It is highly recommended that students make an appointment with their CAS adviser to get a grad audit at the end of their junior year.)
• Submit an Application for Degree by the applicable graduation application deadline.
• If you are planning on walking in commencement, attend the required Commencement Fair (note: you don’t need to walk in commencement to graduate!)

Check out the Commencement website for more information about the commencement ceremony itself, as well as to request tickets for those to join you the day of the event.

CAS Advising has pre-professional advising to help prepare you to be a competitive program for medical school, dental school, PA school, veterinary school, etc.

Pre-Professional Advising can help you with:

• Career options
• Pre-Health events
• Academic preparation
• Preparing to apply to competitive health-related programs!

Follow these steps to sign up for the Pre-Professional newsletter.

1. Search for GrizzOrgs on OU's home page
2. Click on Explore - GrizzOrgs
3. Click sign-in, then log in with your NetID and password
4. Search and click on OU Pre-Professional Advising
5. Click join

Check out Oakland University’s Pre-Professional website and learn more information about the following programs:

• Medical (MD & DO)
• Physician Assistant
• Dental
• Optometry
• Veterinary
• Pharmacy
• Physical Therapy

The OU Counseling Center offers several free counseling sessions for students, and additional appointments beyond that if needed at a discounted rate. They can also help connect you with more long-term support in the community if needed. They can be reached at (248) 370-3465.

OU students have free access to UWill 24/7 Mental Health Services. This program has a ton of wellness resources, including three free video, phone, or chat therapy sessions. It is confidential, as well. You can explore the app or call 24/7 at (833) 646-1526.

The Golden Grizzlies Pantry team has compiled a list of community resources available offering different avenues of support in a variety of areas.

OU’s Well-Being Resources have a list of on-campus services available to students.

The International Education (IE) office on campus houses OU’s study abroad programs. These include OU Faculty-led programs> and exchange programs. The best way to explore your options is through their Study Abroad Adventure Form. Filling out this form allows you to begin searching for possible programs you are interested in and setting up a meeting with a member of the IE team to talk through your top choices.

They have a bunch of resources surrounding paying for your study abroad experience as well to check out.