Fall 2016 New Student Getting Started Guide
Greetings from the SIS Graduate Advising office! We would like to congratulate you on your admission and welcome you to SIS!
Our office will be reaching out soon with registration instructions, but in the meantime, we hope you find the following
information useful.
REGISTRATION
Registration for fall 2016 for new graduate students begins Monday, April 18. New students will receive detailed registration
instructions, including updated 2016-2017 advising worksheets and program-specific first semester course suggestions, by late
March. In the meantime, students may refer to the 2015-2016 advising worksheets (available at:
http://www.american.edu/sis/gradadvising/worksheets.cfm), but please be aware, that there may be changes to requirements in
some programs for 2016-2017.
Full-time graduate students usually take 9 credit hours per semester; typically, three, 3-credit courses. First semester students
are not recommended to register for more than 9 credit hours. Please note that international students holding F or J visas must
be registered for the full-time 9 credit hours. All students with university merit awards (scholarships and assistantships) should
refer to their admissions/award letter for specific registration requirements of their individual award. In order to be eligible for
U.S. federal loan aid, students must be registered at least half-time (5 credit hours in the fall/spring semesters; 2 credit hours in
the summer).
While program-specific first semester course suggestions will be available soon, you can begin exploring the courses at SIS by
visiting the Schedule of Classes (available at: http://www.american.edu/provost/registrar/schedule/index.cfm) for a list of
courses currently planned for the upcoming semester. Graduate classes in SIS are listed under the Subject “SIS - International
Service” (not SISG). Students should make note of any course restrictions and/or pre-requisites, and discuss any applicable prerequisite waivers with their advisor prior to registering.
Students who wish to get a jump start on their program are encouraged to consider taking courses this summer. SIS and AU offer
a variety of required courses over multiple summer sessions, including online options for those who haven’t yet relocated to the
DC area. Registration for summer courses will begin at the same time as fall courses.
MYAU PORTAL
If you have not done so already, we recommend that you create an account at myAU.american.edu. The myAU portal gives you
access to many university services, including course registration. You will use your myAU portal to configure your AU email
account, view and accept financial aid, change student health insurance, update contact information, view grades, access course
materials, etc. Students are expected to regularly check their AU email. All communication from the SIS Graduate Advising office
will be sent to your AU email address.
To create an account, please go to http://myAU.american.edu. Choose CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT and follow the instructions
provided. If you have any difficulties setting up your myAU.american.edu account, please contact the Office of Information
Technology Help Desk (OIT). OIT contact information, including live chat, can be found at:
http://www.american.edu/oit/HelpDesk-Chat.cfm
ADVISING APPOINTMENTS
Once they have accepted SIS’ admissions offer, new students are welcome to schedule an initial advising appointment with their
academic advisor starting Tuesday, April 5. Appointments are available in-person or via Phone or Skype, and can be scheduled as
of March 21 at: https://sisgraduateadvising.youcanbook.me/. Please note: new students are not required to meet with an
advisor before registering.
If you have any questions in the meantime, students are welcome to contact SIS Graduate Admissions at sisgrad@american.edu
or 202-885-1646 or your MA program coordinator. You are also encouraged to review the self-serve resources, including
information about the non-credit Language and Professional Experience requirements, available on the SIS Graduate Advising
website at: http://www.american.edu/sis/gradadvising/. We look forward to working with you!