Welcome! Academic Advisors work with Schieffer students throughout the entire TCU experience. Here you’ll find answers to some frequently asked Schieffer College advising questions.
Our goal is to help you succeed academically so that you can fulfill your dreams and meet your potential. Because advising is a shared responsibility between an advisor and the student, professional advisors help students integrate information so they can make well-informed academic decisions.
In addition to the FAQs below, Schieffer students can find program information, resources and degree planning tools on the Schieffer College Advising Modules on TCU Online/D2L. Please contact your advisor if you do not have access. We have also designed a new Schieffer Advising Toolkit 23-24 as a resource to answer questions, help students plan for their program and navigate enrollment in the Schieffer College.
Jump to a topic: Enrollment | Degree programs and course planning | Study abroad | Transfer credits | Graduation
The Basics
What can my academic advisor help with?
- Understanding how to fulfill the requirements for degree programs
- Reviewing the Academic Advising Report
- Assisting with planning for each semester
- Informing of other available campus resources
How do I find the name of my academic advisor?
Log in to my.tcu.edu. Select Student Homepage from the drop-down menu, then click or tap on the Academic Progress tile. Click or tap “Advisors” on the left-hand menu to see your advisor’s name and contact information.
How do I schedule with my academic advisor?
Once you know the name of your advisor, click their name to schedule through Stellic or OnceHub. Please note that in order to provide quality service to all our students, meetings with an academic advisor must be scheduled.
George Nunez Jennifer O’Keefe Bethany WhiteHow do I get career advice?
Through partnership with the college’s Career Consultant, students can receive career advising, personalized resume critiques and participation in mock interviews. Students can attend workshops, conferences and career fairs to develop job-search and career decision-making skills they will use in college and beyond.
Enrollment
Three factors to consider when preparing to enroll:
- Enrollment caps at 17 hours. You will have to wait until the first day of classes to enroll in 18 hours.
- Advisors do not have access to permission numbers. If you need a permission number or have questions about getting into classes, contact the department.
- If you receive an error enrolling in a class, READ the error message to determine the reason for the error, i.e., prerequisite not met. If necessary, contact the department or the Registrar for assistance.
You should be able to add/drop on my.tcu.edu the first week of classes. (For specific dates, click here for the Registrar’s Office, then click “Calendars” to choose the correct semester.)
After the first week of classes, add/drops require multiple permissions. Students in the Schieffer College can use this form to request an add/drop after the first week; however, they may be denied due to missing too many class days, etc.
Go to Student Center on my.tcu.edu. Click Academic Records then Request Change of Major.
Degree programs and course planning
This document is the official record of your academic career that is used by the Registrar’s Office to confirm academic requirements for graduation have been met. It lists the courses that are satisfying your degree requirements, and it shows the degree requirements that you still need to complete. It is electronically updated by TCU’s database system so it is always current.
Access the report at my.tcu.edu. Click Academic Progress, then My Academic Requirements and click the “View Report As PDF” button.
Students must earn a cumulative GPA of:
- a 2.0 in all work attempted at TCU;
- at least 2.0 in all courses attempted in the major department; and
- a 2.0 in all minor courses. (Some minor programs may require a GPA greater than a 2.0 for graduation.)
Check the TCU undergraduate academic catalog. The section for the Schieffer College starts here on the current catalog. Previous catalogs can be found in the drop down menu in the upper-right corner of the page.
- Communication Studies BA and BS requirements
- Film, Television and Digital Media Program BS and BA requirements
- Film, Television and Digital Media course subcategories
- Sports Broadcasting Program BS and BA requirements
- Journalism BA requirements
- Journalism BS requirements
- Strategic Communication BS requirements
Check your Academic Advising Report (ADVIP) on my.tcu.edu.
- Click Academic Progress
- then My Academic Requirements
- then click the “View Report As PDF” button
Check your Academic Advising Report (ADVIP) on my.tcu.edu.
- Click Academic Progress
- then My Academic Requirements
- then click the “View Report As PDF” button
A list of approved Core Curriculum Courses is available by viewing or downloading this PDF.
Check your Academic Advising Report (ADVIP) on my.tcu.edu.
- Click Academic Progress
- then My Academic Requirements
- then click the “View Report As PDF” button
At least 120 semester hours of credit.
Students must successfully complete at least 42 hours at the advanced level numbered 30000 or above.
A free elective course is a course that doesn’t meet your major, minor or core requirements and is needed to fulfill the hour requirement for your degree. There is no list of free electives. Use Class Search to find courses that interest you. The course can be from any subject area, as long as you meet the prerequisites.
Study Abroad
Absolutely! All four departments in the college encourage their students to take advantage of study abroad programs. Be sure to check your eligibility. Applicants must be:
- currently enrolled
- degree-seeking students
- in good standing at TCU.
All semester programs require a minimum 2.8 GPA and two prior semesters at TCU. Some programs have additional prerequisites, so check the program page to confirm your eligibility.
The Center for International Studies’s website is the source of all accurate and up-to-date information regarding Study Abroad.
We recommend that you do, after you’ve attended a study Abroad Information Session and reviewed the available program offerings. Your academic advisor can assist you with planning to ensure you’ll stay on track with degree progress.
- Print a copy of the Credit Approval Form.
- Go to the Center for International Studies page and set up an account with Global TCU.
- Search for your program and find your course(s).
- Fill out top of page 1, sign and date page 2, then complete Course Information and sign and date page 3.
- You MUST get your form signed by the department chair of your major or minor.
- Once you have the necessary signatures, bring the signed, completed form to the Dean’s Office (MOUS 207).
The Study Abroad website has much more detailed information, including application deadlines.
Transfer credits
Please refer to each of the resources in this following list:
Graduation
The Intent to Graduate is filed to inform Schieffer College and the Registrar’s office which semester you expect to graduate and with what degree. The Registrar’s office requires that the form be on file before a student can officially graduate.
Students who are ready to graduate should submit an Intent to Graduate form after completing 84 hours of credit.
The graduation hold is a positive hold that prevents you from dropping any classes or making any schedule changes that would impact you graduating on time; it’s a good thing.