Advising
A page within Political Science and Public Administration
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Murphy Learning Center (MLC)
Tutoring, Writing Center, Public Speaking. All UW-La-Crosse students can receive free tutoring services in a variety of courses, as well as utilize the Writing Center and the Center for Public Speaking at the MLC. In addition to on-site tutoring they can also direct you to tutoring offered by other campus departments.
Office of Multicultural Student Services (OMSS)
The OMSS peer tutoring program provides free course specific tutoring to multicultural UWL undergraduate students upon request.
Student Support Services (SSS)
SSS provides academic, personal, career, and financial advising and support services to low income and first generation college students, as well as students with disabilities.
Faculty Advisors
- Assist with course selections and schedule planning for one or more semesters.
- Advice on progression toward graduation (Gen Ed requirements, major, minor, college requirements).
- Discuss opportunities such as undergraduate research and creativity, job shadowing, internships, study abroad programs
- Need the name of your faculty advisor? Check your Student Center in WINGS or Navigate.
College Academic Services
Your major determines which of the following colleges you are in:
- College of Business Administration (CBA)
- College of Arts, Social Sciences, & Humanities (CASSH)
- College of Science and Health (CSH)
- School of Education (SOE)
Each college office provides extensive academic services:
- Process change of major requests.
- Perform credit checks and degree verifications.
- Ensure accuracy of the Advising Report (AR) report.
- Interpret academic policies and procedures
- Advise incoming transfer students and assist with transfer credits.
- Approve off-campus courses for transfer credit.
- Notify and advise students who are ineligible or on probation
Academic Advising Center
- The Academic Advising Center provides academic advisors, career advising specialists, and pre-health advising.
- Assists students with academic advising, exploring majors, transferring to UWL, researching graduate schools, and careers.
Are you ...
- Choosing a major?
- Changing your major?
- Getting the most out of advising?
- Looking for ways to be more academically successful?
- Having trouble with WINGS?
- Planning for Commencement?
- Wondering about the Navigate app?
- Making post-graduation plans?
- A student with other questions about advising, registration, grades or transcripts?
Catalog quicklinks
How do I declare a major?
Paperwork required to declare your major is available in the College of Liberal Studies Dean's office, 235 Morris Hall.
How do I find who my advisor is?
Your academic advisor is listed on the right hand side of your WINGS student center.
If you would like to change advisors, you should contact the Department Chair in the Political Science and Public Administration office.
How often will I meet with my advisor?
Meet with your advisor each semester before your register for next semester's classes.
See your advisor if you are experiencing any academic difficulties.
What do we do when we meet?
In most cases, you will meet with your advisor in order to discuss your plan for courses to take the following semester. Your advisor will also discuss your plan for upcoming semesters, and how your plan will meet graduation requirements.
Academic advisors can also provide guidance and ideas regarding different careers within the Political Science/Public Administration discipline, extracurricular activities, and internship or job opportunities.
How can I prepare for our meeting?
To prepare for meeting with your advisor, you should review your Advisement Report in WINGS, familiarize yourself with the requirements for graduation, review which requirements you have completed, and plan the courses you should be taking the following semester. Your advisor will be able to tell you if your suggested courses will keep you on track for graduation and will make any recommendations he or she thinks will be helpful for you in selecting your courses and preparing for your future after college, including career and/or graduate school.
If you are planning to study abroad, please visit with the Office of International Education before meeting with your advisor. In order to evaluate how a study abroad will influence course selection, it is helpful to know where you plan to study.
You should also be considering the minor and/or other majors that might be relevant given your interests and long-range career plans.
What if I’m struggling academically?
Contact your advisor and the specific course instructor.
You should meet with your advisor if you think you are going to fail a course, you are on probation currently, or think your GPA may fall below 2.0. Likewise, if you are having difficulty handling day-to-day activities and responsibilities for any reason, please let your advisor know so he or she can direct you to UWL staff qualified to help you with your particular situation.
What if I’d like more of a challenge or a new experience?
There are a number of opportunities you can consider. Opportunities often recommended include participation and leadership in extracurricular activities; involvement in undergraduate research; completing an internship; adding another minor or second major; or completing a study abroad experience.
How do I apply to graduate?
The semester prior to graduating you should apply to graduate in your WINGS student center. It is located in the same drop down menu as your Academic Requirements (AR) report.
You should also contact the Dean's office (260 Morris, 785-5454) and ask them to perform a credit check. They will let you know if you are on track.
Before classes begin every semester, advisors in the Dean's office complete a credit check of all students who have applied to graduate. If they find that you have not registered for the right courses or lack sufficient credits to graduate, they will contact you via email. Hopefully you will be able to alter your schedule in time for when classes begin.
If you have any questions regarding your progress to completing your degree at any time in your career at UWL, you should contact the Dean's Office (260 Morris Hall, 785-5454). While your regular advisor can check your status, the advisors in the Dean's office are the people who can check your official degree verification.
How should I prepare for a career after graduation?
There are many professional options for our graduates. It is highly recommended that you discuss these options and how to prepare for them with your advisor.
We also recommend making contact with the advisors in Career Services who can help connect you to employment opportunities, explore internship possibilities, and put together a proper resume and cover letter.
Employers like to see organizational and community involvement, so consider becoming more active in an organization in which you have an interest. We also recommend internships and other professional experiences before you graduate. You can find out more information about volunteering here: https://www.uwlax.edu/volunteer