Student Advising
In order to make sure you are on the right track to completing your program as efficiently as possible, it is extremely important to see your department advisor. Your advisor can make sure you are taking the right courses for your degree and interests.
It is a good idea to see your advisor before you register for courses. If you wait until you're supposed to graduate, you may find that there are requirements left to take that will lead to you having to postpone graduation!
Advising FAQ & Forms
- Who is my advisor?
- How to I schedule an appointment with my advisor?
- What are the advising forms for, and where can I find them?
- I need to take a course this semester, WESS won't allow me to!
- I do not have the necessary prerequisites for a course that I need. Can I get a permit into the course anyway?
- The section of a course I want to take is full. How do I get in?
- I've taken a course already that I think should cover one of my course requirements here at MSU. How do I get a credit adjustment?
Who is my advisor?
You can find out your advisor on WESS, or by checking the Computer Science Department bulletin boards outside RI 301 or next to RI 303.
If you have not yet been assigned an advisor and are a Computer Science, Information Technology, or Science Informatics major, see the Department Administrator.
How do I schedule an appointment with my advisor?
You can schedule an appointment with your assigned advisor by contacting them directly via email. You can find staff contact info in the Computer Science Department Faculty Directory.
It is always a good idea to contact your advisor to be sure that they are available. Depending on what reason you are seeking advising, bring the appropriate advising forms to expedite and ease the advising process.
What are the advising forms for, and where can I find them?
You can find all the forms necessary for advising, changing majors/minors, and credit adjustments at the Department Administrator's office in RI 303. Advising forms are outside the door in the steel folders.
You can also find the advising forms online, here:
- Course Evaluation Form - for transfer students who would like to meet to get credit for courses taken outside of MSU, or from other departments in MSU after a change of major, for example.
- Permit/Authorization Form - for students that need permission to get into a course for various reasons. The department will decide if it is possible to get you into the section you want.
- Course Substitution Agreement Form - for students who would like to substitute a course for another one that is required. This is normally used when a course is no longer offered by the course's department.
- General Advising Form - for students within the Computer Science department to complete before meeting with their advisors. This form will help ease the advising process for both the student and advisor.
- Prerequisite Waiver Form - an application to be able to take a course without having the necessary prerequisites. Completion of the form does not guarantee approval, and it should be completed when the semester registration period starts.
All completed forms must be returned to the Department Administrator, in the steel "Completed Inbox" folder outside the door. You will be contacted for a follow-up, if necessary.
I need to take a course this semester, WESS won't allow me to!
If WESS does not allow you to enroll in a course, it is probably because the course is closed or you do not have the necessary prerequisites. You should speak to your advisor about other options.
I do not have the necessary prerequisites for a course that I need. Can I get a permit into the course anyway?
Prerequisites are built into the program because the knowledge gained from those courses are required to succeed in the advanced courses.
If you feel that you have the knowledge necessary to succeed in the course, you should contact the instructor of the prerequisite course in order schedule a challenge exam.
If the department suggests you apply for prerequisite waiver approval, you can do so by completing the Prerequisite Waiver form and having it approved and signed by your advisor, course instructor, course prerequisite instructor, and the department chair.
The section of a course I want to take is full. How do I get in?
Due to room constraints and, in some courses, a specific number of software licenses available to be used in the lab, it is rare that we can allow students into full sections.
If you are certain you have completed the prerequisites for a full course, you can apply for a course permit/authorization to enroll by submitting a Course Permit/Authorization form to the Department Administrator.
CSIT 100 students: We do NOT give permits to enroll in full 100 sections. You should keep checking WESS to see if spots open up. Instructors are *not* able to permit you into a full section.
I've taken a course already that I think should cover one of my course requirements here at MSU. How do I get a credit adjustment?
In order to have your course evaluated, fill out the Course Evaluation form and have it signed by your advisor and return to the Department Administrator.
You must also submit a thorough description of the course (a syllabus is best) so that we can properly evaluate the course and make sure it meets the requirements to give you a credit adjustment.