Student Affairs/Advising Center
Annenberg Hall Room 9
Phone: (215) 204-5273
Fax: (215) 204-6641 advise@temple.edu
Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Undergraduate Program

Academic Advising

The SCT Advising Center is a part of Student Affairs. We exist as a resource for all undergraduate students in the School of Communications and Theater, with the primary goal of providing ongoing support for our new freshmen and first semester transfer students. Our academic advisors, Kathy, Justin, Mary Beth, Patrick, Brian, and Jane, make sure 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 the office, Sheryl, Jackie, and Esther keep everything running smoothly.

We encourage all first-year students to see an academic advisor, not only when it is time to register for classes, but whenever you have a question concerning your program or about the University. The academic advisors are more than willing to help students with all aspects of life at Temple. In fact, except for your instructors, academic advisors are probably the Temple people new students see most during their first year.

Another way that we support first-year students is through Freshman Seminar. This 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.

For Freshmen

Freshman To-Do List

Register for Your Classes
If you are in good academic standing you can register for your classes through OWLnet. 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.
Declare Your Major
If you have not declared a major within SCT, you can stop into Student Affairs/Advising Center, 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 academic advisor.

When do I need to make an appointment?

Students need to make appointments with an academic advisor for the following reasons:

When they reach 90 credits for a grad-check appointment
**Registration, especially those students who are on academic warning or probation because they are unable to register themselves
Readmission (after more than a semester of non-enrollment)
Progress Checks (to examine current academic progress)
Intra-University Transfers (IUT), which is for a change of major from another School/College at Temple to a major within SCT, such as from psychology within the College of Liberal Arts to advertising within SCT
Change of major, which is a change of major from one within SCT to another within SCT, such as BTMM to FMA
Financial Aid Petitions (please note appropriate deadlines)

*During continuing registration periods, students who have more than 30 semester hours who are in good academic standing are required to make an advising appointment with their faculty advisor in the department of their major.

Express (walk-in) advising is available throughout the semester for quick, 15-minute sessions, excluding those reasons listed above where an appointment is required. Weekly express advising hours are posted on the express (walk-in) advising schedule section on the right column.

For Continuing 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 academic advisor in the second major and then with a SCT academic advisor to see how long it will take you to finish so that you can make an informed decision.

Change of Major

Change of major, which is a change of major from one within SCT to another within SCT, such as BTMM to FMA.

If you wish to change your major to another major in SCT, you can download a change/declaration of major form or you can stop into Student Affairs/Advising Center, AH 9, and fill it out. Once you complete the form please drop it off at Student Affairs/Advising Center. 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 academic advisor.
Change of major from another School/College at Temple to a major within SCT is called Intra-University Transfers (IUT).
Example: from psychology within the College of Liberal Arts to advertising within SCT

You must complete an Intra-University Transfer (IUT) form and take it to Student Affairs/Advising Center. 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.
Change of major from SCT to another School/College at Temple is also called Intra-University Transfers (IUT).
Example: from advertising within SCT to psychology within the College of 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.

Continued Registration Information:

If you are in good academic standing, you are able to register on your own through OWLnet.

Students in the following categories should make an advising appointment in the Student Affairs/Advising Center:

Freshmen with fewer than 30 credits
Transfer Students in their First Semester
Non-Declared SCT Students
Communications (Interdepartmental) Students
Students on Academic Probation or Warning from Spring 2009

Permission to take courses at another school or university

If you are returning home for the summer and would like to catch up or get a little ahead of your credit total, you must get pre-evaluation & approval of any courses you wish to take. We suggest that you get 1 – 2 more courses than you actually want to take approved in case your first choice gets canceled or is closed. Any school you attend must be at least 50 miles from any Temple Campus. Click here to download this form.

For Students Interested in Transferring to Temple’s SCT

Transfer Students from outside of Temple University

For students who want to transfer to Temple University’s School of Communications and Theater, please visit Temple’s Undergraduate Admissions web site at: 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.

Transfer Students within Temple University

If you are planning to transfer to the School of Communications from another College within Temple, like Business or Liberal Arts, you must complete an Intra-University Transfer (IUT) form and take it to Student Affairs/Advising Center. 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.

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/Advising Center in AH 9 and the change can be submitted.

For Students Seeking Readmission to SCT

Students who have not been enrolled at Temple for more than one semester need to apply for readmission.

How do I Return to SCT?

Fill out Readmission Form

The first step in returning to School of Communications and Theater (SCT) is to complete a readmission form and send it in to SCT Student Affairs/Advising Center. Click here to download the readmission form.

The Process:

Apply to the School/College in which you were last enrolled.
Receive a letter indicating acceptance or denial.
If accepted, student must make an hour appointment with an SCT Academic Advisor, as outlined in the acceptance letter.
If the student attended any other university during their time away from Temple, he or she needs to provide an official transcript to the contact listed on the readmission application.
If the student was out more than one semester due to a medical leave, medical clearance must be submitted to the SCT Student Affairs/Advising Center from your health provider.
If the student would like to choose different major from his/her previous one, please download the Intra-University Transfer (IUT) form, complete it, and schedule an appointment with an academic advisor.

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 to the department of your major that they be allowable toward your degree.

I am a...

Express (walk-in)
Advising schedule

Monday, November 9, 2009
No Express Advising

Tuesday, November 10, 2009
9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Kathy Peters

Wednesday, November 11, 2009
1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Mary Beth Flynn

Thursday, November 12, 2009
1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Jane Slotterback

Friday, November 13, 2009
9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Patrick Gordon

Don't know whether you need an appointment or express advising? Click here to find out!

Contact

Student Affairs/Advising Center
9 Annenberg Hall
2020 North 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122-6080
Phone: 215-204-5273
Fax: 215-204-6641
advise@temple.edu