FAQ - College of Humanities - The University of Utah

Acdemic Advisors help you to:

Learn about University graduation requirements, including general education and bachelor's degree requirements
Connect with University opportunities and resources, including other majors and minors that might interest you
Navigate University policies and procedures
Learn about the course requirements for your major
Connect with departmental opportunities and resources
Navigate departmental polices and procedures

Answer these critical questions:

How do I declare my major?
What classes do I need to take?
Where can I go for help?
How can I get involved on campus?
What resources are available for me on campus?
How do my transfer courses apply to my degree?
How do I apply for graduation?

Academic Advising FAQ's:

Academic advisors are educators and problem solvers who advocate for students as they navigate their personal journeys through higher education and attain their academic goals. Through inclusion and connection, academic advisors open doors to new opportunities for self-awareness and growth, empowering students to define their roles as citizens within local and global communities.

Listen attentively to your questions and concerns.
Respect your unique interests, abilities and circumstances.
Help you to explore academic and extra-curricular options that support your personal and career interests.
Explain degree requirements.
Clarify information about university regulations, policies and procedures as appropriate.
Assist you in developing an appropriate class schedule.
Refer you to appropriate campus resources.Help you learn how to search out answers for yourself.
Assist you in gaining decision-making skills and assuming responsibility for your education.

Be prepared for advising sessions by bringing appropriate documents (DARS, test scores, transcripts, etc.), making a list of questions and concerns and planning a tentative class schedule.
Take responsibility for learning and complying with university requirements, policies and procedures.
Honestly communicate your unique interests, values, abilities and circumstances with your academic advisor.
Take responsibility for achieving your success and accept the consequences of your academic and personal choices.
Keep up with your academic progress and maintain your own advising file.
Bring your file to each advising session, and keep all documents until you graduate.
Meet with your advisor regularly, and whenever you have a question or concern.

College of Humanities students are always encouraged to meet with an advisors with any questions or concerns about academics or progress toward their degree. At certain points in every student’s academic career, they are required to meet with an advisor to continue attending classes. Students who do not meet with an advisor at these times will have an academic hold placed on their records, preventing them from registering for classes or applying for graduation. Learn more about the University’s Mandatory Advising Program here.

Find instructions for the Degree Audit Reporting System.

A catalog year is the year you declared your major. When running a DARS report for your major, you should always use the appropriate catalog year. You can do this by clicking the "Generate DARS Report for My Major(s)" link in your CIS.

Degree requirements can change from year to year. This happens most commonly with major course requirements. You don't want any surprises, do you? To be sure you are fulfilling the requirements for your particular catalog year, generate DARS for the correct year – YOUR catalog year.

The Graduation Planning System (GPS) helps students plan courses for the next semester or their whole degree. Building a plan early and meeting with an academic advisor often helps you to make informed choices and finish on your own timeline. More information can be found here.

Registration holds can prevent you from being able to register for classes in a timely manner. To find out if you have a registration hold, you need to log into CIS

Look for the "Student Records" section on the Student tab
Click on "View Holds."
Look for the name in red on left side.
Click on the hyperlink on the left side.
Look for the reason that the hold was placed and follow the instructions for contacting the office to release the hold.

Depending on the type of hold, you may need to contact different offices. Read the registration hold policy in the Student Handbook.

If you still do not know what to do, contact your academic advisor to help you figure out your next steps so you can register.

There are many ways to answer this question as there are students at the University. Please make an appointment with a College of Humanities academic advisor so we can help you explore opportunities that interest you.

Academic advisors understand that sometimes students need to take a break from their education. Before you leave the University, please make an appointment with your departmental academic advisor to learn what you need to do now to make your return to the University of Utah easier.

Student Academic Advising resources:

Many questions may be answered by visiting other online University Resources:

Frequently Asked Questions