Department of Biology
Advising Contract
Professor X
Office: JBWN ; Phone: xxx-xxxx; e-mail: x@stedwards.edu
Expectations:
St. Edward's University and I expect you to:
 create a 4-year plan that can be used to guide your time at St. Edward’s; this should be created
BEFORE your first advising appointment with me
 schedule regular advising appointments each semester
 come to appointments prepared with questions and a tentative schedule for the next semester
 accept responsibility for your decisions and actions
 research programs and opportunities where applicable
 keep track of your progress and records
 be courteous, keep appointments (plan ahead or cancel and reschedule)
You can expect me to:
 understand the degree requirements and communicate them to you
 provide a safe place for you to discuss your concerns
 refer you to someone who can help if I don’t have the answers
 maintain confidentiality
 assist you in making course or area of concentration decisions
Student signature
Date
Faculty signature
Date
Frequently Asked Questions
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What kinds of careers can be acquired with a biology degree?
o Research scientist (in academia, government or industry), teacher, professor, physician, dentist,
nurse, physician assistant, medical laboratory scientist, patent lawyer, science writer/journalist,
epidemiologist, veterinarian, field biologist, forensic scientist, genetic counselor, environmental
scientist/consultant, pharmaceutical, scientific equipment, or medical device sales. *Note some
careers may require additional, graduate level degrees.
When should I take the MCAT/DAT/GRE etc?
o Admissions tests for professional schools – medical, dental, veterinary etc – should be taken in
the spring of your junior year (if you want to enter professional school in the fall after graduation
from SEU). For more information about health professions visit:
http://think.stedwards.edu/naturalsciences/academics/undergraduate/biology/healthprofessions
o The GRE should be taken no later than August/Sept the year before you plan to begin a graduate
program.
Are there test prep courses offered on campus?
o Usually, there are GRE prep courses offered both fall and spring semester on campus. Contact
Career Services for dates and times - 134 Moody Hall or seu.careerplan@stedwards.edu . There
is usually a Kaplan MCAT prep course offered on campus in the spring semester – see the Health
Professions Advisory Committee for details
o Princeton Review, Kaplan, ExamKrackers and other MCAT and GRE courses are available at
various times and locations around Austin.
o There is often a section of CPAM 1110 that is specific for GRE preparation (see the semester
course listings to confirm)
Should I participate in undergraduate research? When should I start? How do I learn about research
opportunities?
o Participating in undergraduate research under the direction of a faculty advisor is an excellent
way to make yourself a better scientist, and this will be an important part of your training,
whatever career you pursue.
o For students interested in a research career and planning to attend graduate school, it is important
to have a strong research background (multiple semesters) so you should begin thinking about
and researching options as soon as possible.
o All Biology faculty have research programs; you should speak with various faculty to learn about
their research interests and find out what faculty members have space for new students.
Can I take courses off campus?
o Yes, however in order to receive credit, all courses need to be approved in advance by filling out
the Request to take Courses off Campus form:
http://think.stedwards.edu/naturalsciences/sites/think.stedwards.edu.naturalsciences/files/RTCOC
.pdf
o Note that courses taken at a community college can only substitute (when approved) for 1000 or
2000 level courses at St. Edward’s.
o Except in very unusual circumstances, courses that count as Biology electives at SEU can NOT
be taken off campus.
What is a Clinical Laboratory Scientist?
o Also called a medical laboratory scientist, the CLS degree prepares students to be health care
detectives investigating the cause of infectious disease, cancer or other health status of the patient.
o Students earning a CLS degree will apply to the Austin State Hospital School of Clinical
Laboratory Science after completing 64-65 hours of course work (December junior year). It is
suggested that students have greater than a 3.0 GPA before applying. Upon acceptance the
student will complete an additional year of coursework and professional training.