GUIDELINES FOR ADVISING UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS
It is essential that we train and deploy- faculty members to share the advising load as the
number of Human Services majors grows. It is woefully inadequate to have the Head
Advisor, and sometimes the Chair same person, doing all of the academic advising. It is
to everyone's advantage to share the advising load among several faculty members.
Basics:
 All students have individual files in the Human Services Main office. All paperwork
(or copies) must be saved in these files. This helps us create a better idea of the
student.
 Be sure to have the student fill in the top portion of the “Program of Study Petition”
form since we use that as a tool to gather student data and create a learning
community (ListServe, etc.).
 Greet each student in a pleasant manner, make eye contact, and ask why he/ she has
come to see an advisor.
 Ask what year the student is in at NU; if he or she is not a first semester freshman,
pull up the transcript (Banner) or audit (DARS) on your computer screen. Look first
at the grade point average and at the number of credits completed because those
factors will affect how you advise the student.
 Give an overview of the degrees offered and if you can possible co-op and career
paths of each. Current degrees offered are: Bachelor of Arts in Human Services,
Bachelor of Science in Human Services; Dual Majors: Bachelor of Science in Human
Services and American Sign Language, Bachelor of Arts in Human Services and
International Affairs and a Dual Degree in Bachelor of Science in Human Services
and Criminal Justice.
 Explain the Northeastern advising structure; be sure that students understand that the
designated person in the Dean’s Office (always Dave Merry except for CJ duals??) is
their academic advisor responsible for core and overall requirements and that HS
advisors are their faculty advisors responsible just for courses for the HS major. If
students wish to pursue a dual major, a second major, or a minor they must speak to
an advisor in the other department about that.
 Give an overview of the specializations offered and if you can the possible co-op,
internship, and career paths of each. Current specializations offered are:
Administration and Policy, Applied Behavior Analysis, Counseling Psychology, Deaf
Studies, Family and Children Services, and Social Justice, Identity and Religion and
Independent Specialization.
 If you see a very low grade point average (under 2.2) or “Fs,” “Ws,” (Withdrawn) or
“Is” (Incomplete) on the student's record, express your concern and ask about these
negative academic indications. Discuss how the student can deal with the issues and
improve his or her academic standing. I don’t really know the implications of W’s.
 Late in the advising session, ask the student about plans regarding relevant issues like
co-op, studying abroad, career directions, and possible graduate study in the future.
Refer the student to the appropriate offices on campus for help in each of these areas.
It would be helpful to have a list of each of these with the best contact person for HS
majors.
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
When possible direct students to the appropriate advisor.
A.
Lori’s Pool of Advisees
1.
IAF/HS Dual Majors
2.
Independent Specialization
a)
A 1 page proposal will be asked of all students interested in
creating an Independent Specialization Should these students be
directed to meet with Lori prior to creating such a proposal?
3.
Course Approvals
B.
Emily’s Pool of Advisees
1.
ASL/HS Dual Majors
2.
ASL Services Specialization
3.
Family and Children Services Specialization
4.
Administration and Policy Specialization
C.
Susan’s Pool of Advisees
1.
CJ/HS Dual Majors
2.
Psychology/Counseling Psychology Specialization
3.
Social Justice, Identity and Religion Specialization I don’t think
this is mine.
4. Applied Behavior Analysis Specialization (I haven’t yet advised
anyone in this specialization and little about it – but have heard there is a
certificate attached to it. Who can fill me in about this?
Common Scenarios:
1) I think I want to declare a major in Human Services. These students will often
bring the appropriate form (Program of Study Petition) and say that he/she just needs a
signature. Reply that it is not that simple because you need to check the student's
transcript or audit and to determine what requirements have already been completed for
the Human Services major.
It’s up to you the Advisor whether you use the BANNER system or DARS to pull
up transcripts. Some might this using banner when advising is the best while another
might think that using DARS gives the students a better understanding of requirements.
Or
.
Explain the difference between Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science
(BS).
BA- less specialization courses (3) and more core curriculum classes including
Language e.g. an additional Arts course;
BS- more specialization courses (5) and core curriculum classes excluding
Language
Take care to match a student with the best specialization and overall class fit. The most
appropriate time to discuss a specialization with students is after they have taken HUSV
1101 and have a good overview of the profession. Double check DARS to make sure
courses are falling in the appropriate slots. Many times a specialization course falls into
HS XXX (HS Elective required for both BA and BS) etc.
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Make sure that the student has a good idea of what the Human Services major is like,
including the more difficult courses. If the student's grade point average is under 2.0, say
that he/ she will have to wait to enter the major until after a semester of taking Human
Services requirements does this mean students will be able to take HUSV 1101 even if
they are not signed into the major? with an average of 2.0 or higher, unless there is a
special circumstance- if there is- please note on students file. Make clear to the student
where he/she stands on requirements for the Human Services major. Then spell out what
courses remain and which of them should be taken first.
What is the latest point at which a student can declare a Human Services major? (what is
the minimum number of semesters a student must be in the major? – and is this the same
for dual majors?)
What do we tell students have a grade lower than C- in a course to be applied to the
major? Will these courses “count” (this is a VERY common question)
Make sure to check the “Experiential Education” requirement status for each student- this
will be fulfilled by HUSV 4994: Human Services Internship. The Experiential Education
requirement can also be filled by studying abroad in an NU sponsored program.
Now it is time to sign and date the petition form (copies of the form are available in the
main office or some of you have person files). If the student is coming from another
college at NU (not College of Arts and Sciences), check the space for doing that. Write in
“Human Services” in the proper space if the student has not already done so. Make sure
that the student has filled in the top part of the form and signed it. Sign and date on the
appropriate line and check off that a signature is needed from Co-op (Lisa Worsh in 579
HO). Make a copy of the completed form with signatures to the Main Office so that a
new file can be started and send the student to One Meserve (basement of Meserve) to
submit the original of the petition to the Dean's Office.
2) I think I want to declare a minor in Human Services. Run a DARS report for a
minor. Ask what major the student is in. If the student does not have the form (Program
of Study Petition) for declaring a minor, get one from the main office or from your files.
The student fills out and signs the top section of the form and you check off in the line to
declare a minor and write in “Human Services” if the student has not already done that.
After copying the form the student can take the form to One Meserve (basement of
Meserve) to submit the original of the petition to the Dean's Office.
3) I want to register for courses in a future semester. We recommend doing the
registration on your computer, although advisers do not have access to the system until a
week after registration starts, rather than just telling the student to register for the courses
that you recommend; a student may not follow directions and may register for
inappropriate courses after finding that one or more courses are already full. We should
discuss this – I think it’s generally better for students (with the exception of new
freshmen and transfers) to register themselves, expect in special circumstances.
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We need to address the need to perform exceptions.
Start by reviewing the student's Banner/DARS to see what courses the student should
take next. Make sure to keep in mind the Human Services requirements, including
specializations and the college core curriculum requirements. Explain why the student
should take a particular selection of four courses and use the Banner system register for
the courses. I prefer to give students a “menu” of 5 or 6 possible courses and to make it
clear which ones should be their priorities.
Use BANNER of the courses available for the appropriate and have the students choose
their preferred time slots when there are choices for a course. The student can read the
key numbers for you to punch in. Sometimes you and the student will have to select
options when the best courses are not available. Many courses fill quickly when
registration begins for an upcoming semester. The Department offering the course can
“overload” students into full (at Department capacity) Human Services courses if there
are still seats in the classroom- with instructor’s permission. If there are not seats
available in the classroom student will have to pick another course and can request to be
put on a waitlist by the Department offering the course. *Note: Some courses have
restrictions; year of graduation, major, etc. please be sure to check these and if you
continue to have problems contact the Main Office. If they are Human Services courses
you will be able to lift the restriction through Banner. If there is more than one
restriction; the advisor will have to lift each one. Again – we need to discuss whether we
should do the actual registration. As I said earlier, I think it’s better to have (all but new)
students learn to register themselves.
4) I want to change my schedule. This scenario often comes in the first week of a
semester when a student wants to get classes at “better times” or when a student decides
that one of his/her courses is not a fit. Understand what the student wants to do and
decide whether the change is reasonable; make sure that the requirements will be met
adequately. If the change makes some sense, try to make it by dropping the course in
question and add another that meets the need of the student. Often, depending on when
(what time) the student comes in for help the desired new course is full. You can check
whether a course is full by going to the “roster” page or by going to the “sections”. See
the note above about getting students into full Human Services courses. Again , why
should the advisor be doing this for the student?
5) I am on academic hold/probation and need to be cleared to register for courses.
This also usually surfaces in the first week of a semester. You need to review the
student's record very carefully. Start by emphasizing the importance of bringing up the
grade point average if it is very low, even if it means taking courses over with “F” or “D”
grades. Look for “I” grades on the record and explore whether those incompletes can be
completed; after one calendar year, a professor has to justify the late clearing of an
incomplete.
6) I need advice on graduate school or jobs after graduation. Discuss the student's
thoughts and interests, keeping in mind his/her grade point average and other factors. Tell
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the student what you think would be the best ways to explore graduate programs and
careers. Suggest other faculty members who are more knowledgeable than you are about
the student's areas of interest. It would be helpful to have a list of faculty who are
knowledgeable about programs other than social work. Mention the importance of getting
recommendations from faculty members who know the student well and can give specific
examples of his/her work and character. HUSV 4700: Senior Seminar is a great resource
for a student still deciding- each Fall and Spring Semester the Instructor brings a panel of
Graduate Admission professionals, past graduates and others to present materials about
graduate school options. Also there are fairs that are open to the public- these also
happen Fall and Spring and will be advertised through the Main Office whenever
possible.
7) I want to take Summer Classes at NU; but not change my division.
All the student needs to do is go to the Advising office for College of Arts and Sciences
(basement Meserve) and ask for a “Petition to Take Classes While on Vacation”.
8) I want to change my year of Graduation.
Student needs to contact Academic Advisor so that he/she can make the request, but it
takes about a week to process.
9) I am planning on studying abroad in the Fall, I am still required to register for
Fall classes?
You do not have to register for classes at NU if you are going abroad, unless you have
not already been accepted to a study abroad program as a safety. Ask the student if they
have thought about what classes they want to take during their study abroad experience.
Go over the classes they wish to take and see if it is a fit in the major requirements.
10) Senior Clearance.
Senior Clearance can be done by Dean’s Office Advisors only.
11) Where does Dialogue of Civilizations fit in terms of major requirements?
As of Fall 2009 there are three Human Services DOCs offered which are Benin, India,
and Mexico. This sentence is confusing. These programs would count toward Diversity
Core, Diversity Human Services, Human Services Elective and possibly specialization.
Depending on the term it might also count towards the HS Research requirement. Really
– I didn’t know this – and need more information.
Also – do all Dialogues count for the NU diversity core?
12) How do I go about declaring a Specialization?
There is no formal procedure to declare a specialization. Once a student declares
however they will be matched with specific advisors who will be better suited to answer
questions and guide them through the major and field they have chosen to specialize.
How is this going to work; do we ask (all but new-to-the-major) students before we set up
advising appointments about their possible specialization and refer them appropriately?
13) How would I create an Independent specialization?
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A one page proposal will be asked of all students interested in creating an Independent
Specialization. See above. Do they meet with Lori before doing the proposal.
14) When should I do my Internship?
HS Internship (HUSV 4994) is a required course for all HS majors. It consists of 170
hours of fieldwork and a weekly seminar done concurrently. The best time to take
Internship is as a first semester senior or second semester junior. Waiting until the final
semester is not recommended. Planning for the internship placement is done in the prior
semester in conjunction with the HS Internship Coordinator.
15) What is Senior Seminar; what is the HS capstone; and when should I take it.
Senior Seminar is the HS capstone course and students may take it in either semester of
their senior year. Be sure that students are aware that it requires a great deal of out-ofclass room time and advise students to keep that in mind when considering whether to
take it in the same semester as Internship.
16) Pre-Requisites
17) How approval of courses for study abroad programs?
Approval typically happens before the student goes abroad.
The Following is taken from the CAS website
(http://www.northeastern.edu/cas/undergraduate/faq.html#appointments)

How do I make an appointment with my Advisor?
As a student in the College of Arts and Sciences, you have multiple advisors. The
nature of your question will determine which advisor you should see.
Students in the General Studies Program have a separate set of advisors, for more
information about the General Studies advisors, check out the GSP website.
o Who Do I see?
 Registration questions should start with your Faculty Advisor
(a.k.a. Major Advisor or Department Advisor).
 Questions regarding major/department specific requirements and
registration should be directed to your Faculty Advisor.
 Questions regarding Co-op placement and division changes need to
be directed to your Co-op Advisor.
 Questions regarding core requirements, general academic planning,
study abroad, outstanding transfer credit issues, registration, or
leaves of absence should be directed to your Academic Advisor.
(a.k.a. Dean’s Office Advisor)
o Making appointments
 Faculty Advisor - Call them or stop by their department office.
Click here for a list of advisors
 Co-op Advisor - Do this through your myNEU under the Co-op &
Career Services tab.
 Academic Advisor - Call 617-373-3980 or stop by One Meserve
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
If you're on co-op and can't come during regular business
hours, you still have the option to make a phone
appointment with your Academic Advisor during our
regular office hours of 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. In your phone
appointment you will have a dedicated half hour to discuss
your needs with your Academic Advisor.
Note: If possible, please make arrangements so that you
can be at a computer view your degree audit or have a
print out of your degree audit for your meeting.

How do I calculate my GPA?
o Here are the Registrar's instructions to calculate your GPA
http://www.northeastern.edu/registrar/gradecalc.html
o You can also use our GPA Calculator.xls

How do I register for my courses?/I don't know what courses to select.
o Check out the Registration Tip Sheet.

How do I change my Major or declare a Second Major?
o First download and print the Program of Study Petition.
 Students in the General Studies Program have a different process.
Please review the GSP website and contact your advisor to find out
how to apply for sophomore standing and declare your major.
o Fill out your information in Part 1 and indicate your new major in Part 2.
 If you are declaring or changing your primary major, select the 2nd
check box: "Change program to"
 If there is a concentration associated with the new major,
you can declare the concentration by selecting the 6th
check box: "Pursue a concentration in"
 If you are declaring a dual major, you will select the 2nd check
box: "Change program to". Note: Dual majors are not two
different majors, but a special "Hybrid" major between two
other existing programs.
 If your current major is outside of the College of Arts and
Sciences, select the third check box: "Transfer to another college at
NU, majoring in" and indicate your new major that is in the
College of Arts and Sciences.
 If you are declaring a second major, choose the 4th check box:
"Pursue a second major in"
o Go to the department that offers the major you are declaring. (The
location and contact information is listed on the second page of the
Program of Study Petition.) Meet with a Faculty Advisor, and when they
approve you for the major, have them sign on the second line in Part 3.
o Return your Program of Study Petition to 1 Meserve Hall. We will
complete the processing of petition. Once you have the signature from the
Faculty Advisor, the major change is official. This last step is only
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clerical, so the major can be added to your record. You will know that this
last process is complete when your MyPaws (DARS) Degree Audit
defaults to the new major.

How do I declare a Minor?
o First download and print the Program of Study Petition.
o Fill out your information in Part 1 and indicate your new minor in Part 2,
by selecting the 5th check box: "Pursue a minor in"
o Go to the department that offers the minor you are declaring. (The
location and contact information is listed on the second page of the
Program of Study Petition.) Meet with a Faculty Advisor, and when they
approve you for the minor, have them sign on the second line in Part 3.
o Return your Program of Study Petition to 1 Meserve Hall. We will
complete the processing of petition. Once you have the signature from the
Faculty Advisor, the minor declaration is official. This last step is only
clerical, so the minor can be added to your record.
o You can however, always track your progress in your minor by looking at
a degree audit of the minor. See "What is the MyPaws/DARS Degree
Audit?"

How do I change my Pattern of Attendance (POA)?
o Pattern of Attendance changes almost always involve changes to when a
student is going out on Co-op. That is, POA changes are either setting a
student's record to go out on a future Co-op or are setting a student's
record so that they won't be going out on any further Co-op's. Since
roughly 95% of POA changes involve Co-op, please contact your Co-op
advisor to initiate this change. You can find your Co-op advisor here. You
can also call our front desk at 617-373-3980 to speak with someone who
can help you determine the right advisor to help you with your POA
change.

How do I change my Grad Year?
o Please contact your Academic (Dean's Office) advisor to make changes to
your graduation year. Find your Academic advisor here. Please note:
Your advisor cannot change your graduation year in your Freshman year,
and cannot change your graduation year in your Junior or Senior year until
you complete your Graduation Clearance. Please call 617-373-3980 to set
up an appointment or to learn about your Academic Advisor's Walk-In
hours.

Internships and Directed Studies
Internships most often receive credit in the form of a directed study. In order to
sign up for a directed study, you'll need to do the following:
o Find a faculty member that you will work with to oversee your internship
experience and coordinate with your internship supervisor.
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o
o
o
You'll need to work out the details of expected outcomes, communications
and any deliverables that are due at the end of the internship. This is most
often a reflection paper on the experience that is due to the faculty
member, but each directed study is unique.
When all of these details are worked out, then the faculty member will
assist you in filling out a directed study form, which is available in the
registrar's office or on their website:
http://www.northeastern.edu/registrar/form-dir-study-reg.pdf
This will need to be submitted to the Registrar's office in 120 Hayden.
Directed studies can be taken for between 1 and 4 credits, so depending on
your academic needs, you can receive a varying amount of credits.

How do I take a Personal Leave of Absence?
To initiate a leave of absence, you must get in touch with your Academic Advisor
in the Center for Academic Student Services. The process is quite simple, and can
usually be handled by email or a phone call.
The following are some common things to keep in mind about taking a leave of
absence. For the complete policy, please refer to the "Academic Policies and
Procedures" section of the Undergraduate Catalog:
http://www.northeastern.edu/registrar/courses/welcome0910.html#univ
o Personal leaves must be requested before the start of a semester.
o Personal leaves are only allowed for a maximum of 6 months. If a student
is on a leave for more than 6 months, the student will automatically be
withdrawn from the University.
o If you receive loans as part of your financial aid package and you take a
personal leave, repayment grace periods often start while you are on the
leave. Please consult with your financial aid advisor if you receive
financial aid and are considering taking a leave of absence.
o If you are taking a leave of absence and were planning on living in the
residence halls for the upcoming semester, you will need to contact
Residence Life at 617.373.2814 to notify them of your intent.
o If you have questions about your health insurance coverage while on a
leave of absence, please contact the Registrar's office at 617.373.2307
o It is a common request for students to take classes at other institutions
while on a leave of absence from Northeastern. Please read the FAQ
section on Northeastern's Transfer Credit policy for more information.

How do I withdraw from the University?
It is necessary for students who need to take a leave of absence from Northeastern
University that will extend beyond 6 months or are planning to transfer to another
institution to formally withdraw from the University. This action is not
destructive to your record in any way. It is simply a formal request to place your
academic record in an inactive status.
o First, print and fill out the University Withdrawal form from the
Registrar's Office website:
http://www.northeastern.edu/registrar/form-univ-withdraw.pdf
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o
o
o
o
Contact the Dean's Office sign your withdrawal form. Either stop into
One Meserve Hall or fax it to us at 617-373-7768. If you fax it, please
give us a follow up call at 617-373-3980 to verify that we received it.
Submit the form to the Registrar's Office in 120 Hayden Hall. If you
faxed it to us, we will forward it along to the Registrar's office on your
behalf.
Contact the Student Financial Services/Financial Aid Office at 617-3733190 to inform them of your departure so they can make the appropriate
notations on your record as well as discuss how the withdrawal will affect
your loans and other aspects of your financial aid package.
If you made arrangements to stay in the residence halls in an upcoming
semester, you will also need to contact them to cancel your housing
commitments by calling 617-373-4016
What/Where is...?

What is the MyPaws/DARS Degree Audit?
The MyPaws (or DARS) Degree Audit is a very useful tool to help you determine
your progress in your major. You can find your audit when you log into your
MyNeu and click on the “Self-Service” tab. Here are some main points to the
audit.
o Unless you want to run an audit for a minor or a different major, you will
not need to alter any of the default settings, just click on “Submit.”
o If you want to run an audit for a major other than your primary major or
for a minor, click on the "Explore Options" button and then choose the
desired major or minor from the list on the resulting page.
Important! - Unless you have reason to do so and have consulted with an
advisor, do not change the catalog year from its default setting.
o Each Major and Core requirement is split into its own section. If there is a
“Yes” next to a section, you have completed all of those requirements. If
there is a “No” next to a section, there are still requirements that you need
to complete.
o If you have requirements still to complete, you will be presented with a list
of potential courses that you could take to fulfill that requirement. If you
click on a Course Number, you will see the course description for the
course.
o Please refer to the Registration Tip Sheet for more information on
registration.

Where do I go to take a foreign language placement exam?
o If you need to take a placement exam for French, German or Spanish, you
can do that online by going to the FAQ page on the Modern Languages
Department website
http://www.modernlanguages.neu.edu/Layer2/faq.htm
Look for the instructions under the bold heading, "What course should a
student register for if the student has studied a language in high school?"
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o
If you need to take a placement exam for another language, you will need
to contact Boris Rasting-Sera in the World Languages Center. His phone
number is 617-373-3131 and his email is b.rastingsera@neu.edu.
Back to top

What is Graduation Clearance, and how do I complete it?
o Graduation Clearance is a process that must be completed by every
student that is in their Junior or Senior year. We prefer students to
complete their Senior Clearance around 3 academic semesters prior to
your expected graduation. If you fail to complete your Graduation
Clearance, you will not be allowed to graduate and will not receive your
degree.
o Fortunately, it's easy to complete! Call 617-373-3980 to set up an
appointment with your Academic (Dean's Office) Advisor.
Please Note: Senior clearance MUST be done in person. Your advisor
will not complete it over the phone or over email. Please plan ahead!
o Why is it important?
 First and foremost, it lets our office know when you anticipate
graduating. Then you're on our radar, and we'll keep track of your
progress towards your degree completion. We'll notify all the
appropriate offices when you've completed all requirements and
are cleared to graduate and receive your diploma.
 In your meeting, your advisor will map out each and every detail
you need to successfully complete so you can successfully
graduate.
 We'll let you know if there's anything else that you need to do and
expect so you don't experience any unpleasant surprises as
graduation approaches.

What is Academic Probation and how does it affect me?
Academic Probation is for when a student is not performing academically to the
standards set by Northeastern University. For further details, read our page on
Academic Probation.
Other Practical Matters

I don't check my MyNeu email, what should I do?
o Forward it!
 1)Log into your MyNeu, and then click on the email button at the
top.
 2) Click on the "Settings" tab
 3) Click on "Forwarding and POP/IMAP"
 4) Enter the email address that you want your @husky.neu.edu
email to be forwarded to
 5) Click "OK"
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o
o

Now you're all set to never miss an important announcement from your
professor, advisor, or any other NEU faculty or staff member.
This is very, VERY important!
Your @husky.neu.edu email address is considered an official form of
communication. If you don't check your @husky.neu.edu email and don't
have it forwarded, "I didn't know because I didn't check my MyNeu
email." isn’t' an excuse and won't undo missed deadlines.
I need to petition the Academic Standing Committee, what do I do?
o The first thing you should do is talk to your Academic Advisor about the
details pertaining to your petition.
o Write your petition letter. There is no form to fill out. This is a letter.
 Address it to: Academic Standing Committee
 Your explanation of your current situation comes first.
 Your explanation what you are petitioning for comes next.
 Your explanation of your justification and reasoning for why your
petition should be approved comes last.
o Give your petition a lot of thought and make sure it's well written. It's
obvious when a student has neglected to take their petition seriously, and
it will negatively affect the decision made by the committee.
o Submit it to your Academic Advisor in 1 Meserve. You can hand deliver
it or send it via email. Your advisor will serve as a liaison with the
committee and will contact you when a decision has been made.
Policy Issues

Academic Progression Standards
o The text of the progression standards are in the Undergraduate Catalog.
The 2008-2009 information is here:
http://www.northeastern.edu/registrar/courses/cat0809-030-030.pdf
o The basic points are:
 Students must keep their overall GPA above a 2.000 at all times
 Students must successfully complete 12 Semester Hours in the fall
or spring semesters when registered. For a class to qualify as
"successful" the student must receive a a non-failing letter grade.
Grades of I, IP, *, X, F, U, or W do not count as having completed
the course successfully.
o If a student fails to meet either or both of these criteria for three
consecutive semesters, they will be dismissed from the University.
 Appealing the dismissal may be possible for dismissed students,
and that information is available through your academic advisor
after a student has been dismissed.
 It is the Arts and Sciences policy that for students who have been
academically dismissed from the University, they are not allowed
to petition to return to classes for the semester immediately
following the dismissal. Students must take at least 1 semester off
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before returning to classes at Northeastern. This helps to ensure
that students are well prepared for their studies and in a situation
best aimed at future academic success.
Transfer Credit Guidelines
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Once students matriculate at Northeastern, they are expected to complete all of
their course work at Northeastern. Of course there is room for a few exceptions
through a petition process. These exceptions are as follows:
o If you have a deficiency from a prior semester, you may make up that
deficiency at another institution. A deficiency is most commonly defined
as having received a failing grade (U or F).
o If program or course at another institution presents an opportunity to
expose you to course material or opportunities that relate to your declared
program (major) and are not available to you at Northeastern, you may
petition to transfer those credits back to your Northeastern record.
o Other situations may be permissible, so check in with your Academic
Advisor if you think you may have a unique situation.
In order for a student to be allowed to transfer credit from another institution after
the student matriculates, the student must file a petition with their Academic
Advisor, which will be reviewed by the Office of the Provost. Click here to
download the Petition for Exception to Transfer Credit Policy
If permission is granted, students must follow the following guidelines for the
transfer credit to be allowed:
o Transfer credits must be granted from an accredited university
o Students must earn a C or higher in an academic credit course for it to be
transferable
o You will earn only the number of credits as the other institution attributes
to the course
o A maximum of 80 credits from a four year institution and 60 credits from
a two year (combined total of 80) may be accepted toward a Northeastern
degree
o Remedial/Developmental/ESL/Physical Education/Non academic
credit courses are not transferable
o Students have up to one year after matriculation to finalize transfer credit
o You can browse the Transfer Credit Database to see what other courses
have already been successfully transferred from a given institution:
http://tinyurl.com/nutceval
Transfer Credit Procedure
o After you have completed your course, you must submit an official
transcript to Northeastern and this should be done as soon as possible after
completion of the course at the outside institution.
Preferably, have your transcript mailed to you, and then bring it to 1
Meserve Hall in its original sealed envelope. Opened transcripts cannot
be accepted as valid for transfer credit.
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If necessary, you may also have it sent to the Dean’s Office
directly, but this should only be in the event that you absolutely
cannot hand deliver your transcript.
*Dean’s Office Advisor Name*
1 Meserve Hall
Northeastern University
360 Huntington Ave
Boston, MA 02115
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Taking a course Pass/Fail
During your undergraduate studies, it may be necessary for you to consider taking
a course on a pass/fail basis. While this can be beneficial depending on your
circumstance, there are some policies that you need to be aware of. The entire
text about Pass/Fail courses is in the Undergraduate Catalog in the following
section for any year:
The University > Academic Policies and Procedures > Grading System
o Policy Points
 Students may only elect to take ONE course per semester as
Pass/Fail. If one course is only offered as Pass/Fail (very rare),
then the student may still elect for another course to be taken as
Pass/Fail.
 Students on Academic Probation, may not take a course Pass/Fail.
 Pass/Fail courses CANNOT count for core requirements or major
requirements. Any course taken as Pass/Fail will become a general
elective and count only as Earned Hours toward graduation.
 If a student elects to take a course as Pass/Fail, they are ineligible
for the Dean's List for that semester.
o Benefits
 Pass/Fail grades are not calculated into a student's GPA.
o Procedure
 Print and fill out the Petition to Elect Pass/Fail Grade
http://www.northeastern.edu/registrar/form-passfail.pdf
 Meet with your advisor in the Center for Academic Services in
One Meserve, to make sure it's an appropriate option for you and
have them sign your petition. Our phone number is 617.373.3980
 Discuss the Pass/Fail request with your instructor within the first
two weeks of the term. If they approve your request, have them
sign your petition as well.
 Return the Petition to Elect Pass/Fail Grade to the Registrar's
Office in 120 Hayden.
Advisors & Advising Resources
The College of Arts and Sciences has a multi-tiered academic advising system with some
advisors located in a central location called the Center for Academic Student Services for
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the College of Arts and Sciences and others located in the College's departments and
programs.
All College of Arts & Sciences students have:
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a professional academic advisor located at the Center for Academic Student
Services
a faculty advisor in the student's major department or program
a faculty experiential education advisor also in the student's major department.
a co-op advisor associated with the student's major
Click here for a list of of all Faculty, Academic and Co-op Advisors
Freshmen students also have access to a new peer advising program, called PALs
Students interested in going on a study abroad program have access to a study abroad
advisor in the Office of International Study Programs in 10 Belvedere.
Students also have access to other advising resources through the MyNeu Academic
Guide.
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