Advising Center
Welcome!
The Advising Center for the School of Communications and Theater exists as a resource for all undergraduate students in the School of Communications and Theater, with the primary goal of providing on-going support for our new freshman and first semester transfer students. Our advisers, Kathy, Justin, Mary Beth, Patrick, Brian, & Jane, make sure that our students are on the right track, and are taking the appropriate courses for their majors. Erin gives guidance in Study Abroad programs for those who have an adventurous nature. In our office, Sheryl, Jackie & Esther keep everything flowing smoothly.
We encourage all first-year students to see one of us, not only when it is time to register for classes, but whenever they have a question concerning their program, or about the University. The advisers are more than willing to help students with all aspects of their life at Temple. In fact, except for their instructors, advisers are probably the Temple people new students see most during their first year.
Another important way that we support first-year students is through our Freshman Seminar. This optional one-credit course covers such topics as Time Management, Study Skills, Test-Taking Strategies and other academic success tips. It also discusses Temple's support services such as Financial Aid, Career Development, Counseling Services and Student Health Services. The seminar lets new students share experiences and concerns with other students who are also embarking on their college careers. It gives a detailed look at Temple and SCT resources that will help students meet their new challenges.
FRESHMEN | CURRENT STUDENTS | TRANSFER & RETURN STUDENTS
Freshmen
Declare Your Major
If you have not declared a major within SCT or wish to change your major to another major in our school, you can stop into the SCT Student Affairs Office, AH 9, and fill out a change/declaration of major form, or you can download one here, fill it out and drop it off. You must be in good academic standing to change majors.
If you need help in selecting a major, call 215-204-5273 to schedule an appointment with an advisor.
Register for Your Classes
If you are in good academic standing you can register for your classes through OWLNET at owlnet.temple.edu. If you are on Academic warning or probation, you must schedule an advising appointment for registration by calling 215-204-5273 or stop in Annenberg Hall 9.
Pay Tuition On Time
Once you are registered, a bill will be generated and be sent to your Temple e-mail account. It is important that you make the minimum payment by the due date because if you don’t, your classes can be cancelled, and there is no guarantee that they will be open when you try to re-register for them.
If you are on full financial aid, you still have to confirm that you are coming by logging on to OWLNET and confirming on line.
Know Your Deadlines
There are several deadlines that you need to know like the last day to drop a course, the last day to withdraw from classes and the deadline for filing your application to graduate. These and other important events can be found on our Important Dates page.
Current Students
Check your Academic Status
OWLNet can give you your entire academic history, by semester as well as your DARS (Degree Audit Report System) report which plugs your courses into your requirements. As long as your last semester and overall GPA are 2.0 or higher, you are in good academic standing. For graduation, you must also have a minimum of 2.0 in your major.
Add a non-SCT Major or Minor
Second majors and minors are registered through the colleges where they originate, and each school has their own way of doing it. For the College of Liberal Arts, you must have completed about one half the second major or at least three courses in the intended minor before you can sign up. Business, on the other hand, wants you to sign up for their minors before you complete the second course in it. Contact the intended school for their specific requirements.
It is also a good idea to meet with an advisor in the second major and then with a SCT advisor to see how long it will take you to finish so that you can make an informed decision.
Change Your Major Within SCT
If you have not declared a major within SCT or wish to change your major to another major in our school, you can stop into the SCT Student Affairs Office, AH 9, and fill out a change/declaration of major form, or you can download one here, fill it out and drop it off. You must be in good academic standing to change majors.
If you need help in selecting a major, call 215-204-5273 to schedule an appointment with an advisor.
Change Your Major Outside of SCT
If you are planning to leave the School of Communications for another College within Temple, like Business or Liberal Arts, you must complete an Intra-University Transfer (IUT) form and take it to the school of your choice. Each school or college in Temple has its own procedure for transferring in. You should contact the advising center of your intended new major to learn what you need to do, and what the criteria for transfer into their school are.
Returning & Transfer Students
Fill out Readmission Form
The first step in returning to Temple is to complete a readmission form and send it in to the SCT Office of Student Affairs. Click here for a PDF of that form.
Meet with Your Advisor
Once you have been readmitted, you will be directed to schedule an appointment to meet with a SCT advisor. That advisor can go over what you have already completed and discuss with you a plan of action for completing your degree.
If you have been out 3 or more years, you must follow the requirements that are currently in place in the university and your college. If any of your major credits are ten or more years old, you will be required to formally petition that they be allowable towards graduation. In the communications field, things change so rapidly, this re-evaluation of older courses is necessary to insure that the skills that were learned then are current with the technology of today.
Transfer Credits
When you are accepted to Temple form another institution, you will receive a Transfer Credit Statement outlining the equivalencies of the courses you took at your former school(s). Sometimes, the initial evaluators will bring in a course as an elective in a given department rather than as a specific course. This happens for a variety of reasons like we may not have a direct equivalent or it might be an upper-level course in your major which they are not permitted to evaluate in some cases. If you feel that a course that you took in your previous school is equivalent to one at Temple, you can take a syllabus from that course and have the department where it originates re-evaluate it.
Bring the written evaluation to the Student Affairs Center in AH 9 and the change can be submitted.
Declare a New Major
When you return to Temple after an absence, you must reapply to the college you were in when you left. Once you have been readmitted, you can apply to change majors either by filling out a change of major form and submitting it to the Student Affairs office in AH 9, or completing an Intra-University Transfer (IUT) form if you are changing colleges.
Each college has its own IUT procedures, so you must contact that college for instructions on how to proceed. Some colleges require a GPA higher than the 2.0 university minimum, so you must meet the standard of that school before you can be accepted.
Transfer to Temple University’s School of Communications and Theater
If you are considering to transfer to SCT, please visit Temple’s Admissions Office website at http://www.temple.edu/undergrad/. Everything you need to know about applying to Temple is there. You can also book a tour to the campus, check out majors, read student blogs and more.