Student Academic Advising Manual

Owned by Suzanne Wenger
Last updated: Aug 27, 2024
17 min read

Table of Contents

Academic Advising is an area of strength and great importance within the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, as well as the University. All Falk College students are assigned an academic advisor and must be advised before they are permitted to register.

Advisors can be faculty involved in students’ major and area of interest. Other advisors are professional advisors who also help students learn about their academic and personal fit on campus and in the world. The advising role encompasses discussions of goals, career, study abroad, internships, personal issues, and overall student satisfaction in the College and University.

HOLDS that may prevent students from registering:

  1. Advising Hold – All students in the Falk College have an advising hold that prohibits registration on MySlice. Students MUST meet with their advisor to have their hold released. Advisors can release advising holds by submitting an advising form. An advising hold can take up to 24 hours to release.

  2. Student Support Hold – If a student is on academic probation, they may have a student support hold. It is applied to students who have not met the requirements for probation; in particular they have not met regularly with their Student Support Counselors during probationary semesters. Students, department chairs, and academic advisors receive information about these standards (and outcomes) each semester through emails and, this website.

  3. Students may have other types of holds preventing them from registering for classes; for example, a Bursar hold, Library hold, Health Center hold, Bookstore hold, or Parking hold.

Note: Occasionally a student’s schedule is cancelled because the Bursar bill was not paid by the end of the grace period. Students whose schedules are canceled may not register until after classes begin. They may be closed out of classes they were originally registered for, and they will be charged a late registration fee.

Typically, graduate students, seniors, honors students, and athletes register first, and are then followed by juniors. Sophomores and first year students then have a randomized lottery for registration dates. Students should refer to their Degree Works to plan their courses.

For more information, contact the Office of Student Services, 330 Barclay Hall, (315) 443-3144, falkss@syr.edu

Students can identify their advisor by going into MySlice.

Declaring a Major

Students Within Falk

For students who are already within Falk College, the procedures to declare a major are listed under each department below.

Signature process for Major Declaration Form:

  1. Student

  2. Department approval

  3. Student or department submits signed form to falkrecords@syr.edu

Procedures by Department:

3.2 cumulative GPA required; Interested undergraduate students must meet the following criteria- Completed a minimum of 15 credit hours at SU, completed EXE 195 with a B or better, provide a resume, and meet with HES Undergraduate Program Director, Dr. Tiago Barreira, by emailing him at tvbarrei@syr.edu.

Students who meet the criteria listed above will only be accepted into the Health and Exercise Science BS program on a space available basis, based on current program enrollment.

If approved after their appointment, students should complete the Declaration of Major form , obtain HES department signature, and email it to falkrecords@syr.edu.

Students who meet the following criteria will be considered for Intra-University Transfer and/or Declaration of Major in Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) on a rolling basis. Students currently enrolled in Falk College interested in declaring HDFS as a major or those currently enrolled in other programs who are interested in declaring HDFS as a second major must meet the following requirements:

  1. cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above;

  2. completed a minimum of 12 credit hours of academic coursework at Syracuse University;

  3. satisfactory academic progress; and

  4. expressed academic and career interests related to human development and family science.

Interested undergraduate students should contact the HDFS Department to schedule an appointment with the Department Chair or the Director of Undergraduate Studies by emailing Kathy Rainone, kbrainon@syr.edu. The HDFS Director of Undergraduate Program will approve or deny the student’s request.

Upon approval, students should complete the Declaration of Major form , obtain HDFS department signature, and email it to falkrecords@syr.edu.

Students who are not accepted into the major may appeal the decision to the HDFS Undergraduate Committee. The decision of the HDFS Undergraduate Committee is final.

3.0 cumulative GPA required; Interested undergraduate students must schedule an appointment by emailing NUT/NSD Undergraduate Program Director, Dr. Margaret Voss at mavoss@syr.edu. If approved after their appointment, students should complete the Declaration of Major form, obtain NUT/NSD department signature, and email it to falkrecords@syr.edu.

Consideration will be given to all students who meet the following criteria. However, acceptance into the Public Health major can only be granted on a space-available basis.

  • Students with a CUM GPA 2.7 or higher, in good academic standing at the university and with interest in public health are considered for transfer to the major.

  • Students with CUM GPAs of 2.5 – 2.69 will be considered based on factors influencing the GPA and grades of B or better earned in public health courses previously completed.

  • A minimum of 12 completed credit hours at Syracuse University.

  • To complete the public health degree requirements within a 4-year plan of study, students must have a minimum of 4 remaining semesters of study.

  • An appointment must be made with the Undergraduate Program Director to discuss the major and to outline a plan for degree completion. To make an appointment, contact Dr. Thompson, the undergraduate program director via email: mlthomps@syr.edu.

Interested undergraduate students should schedule an appointment by emailing PH Undergraduate Program Director, Dr. Maureen Thompson at mlthomps@syr.edu. If approved after their appointment, students should complete the Declaration of Major form, obtain PH department signature, and email it to falkrecords@syr.edu.

The Declaration of Major for Undeclared Falk College Students and Intra-University Transfer Students has the same criteria. The deadlines for applying are November 15 (Spring Entry) and April 15 (Fall Entry). Students who meet the following criteria will be considered (on a space available basis) for intra-university transfer and/or declaration of major in social work: 

  1. Students with a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher, who are in good standing at the university and who have expressed an interest in pursuing the social work profession will be considered for transfer to the major.

    Students with cumulative GPAs of 2.5 – 2.79 will be considered based on factors influencing the GPA and grades of B or better in social work courses previously completed.

  2. A minimum of 12 completed credit hours at Syracuse University.

  3. A minimum of four (4) semesters of study remaining at the university to complete the social work degree within a four-year time frame.

  4. Students must complete and submit an SWK Intra-University Transfer Interest Form

After submission of the interest form, students will be contacted to schedule a meeting with the Baccalaureate Social Work (BSSW) Program Director, Nadaya Brantley at nbrantle@syr.edu, to discuss their interest in the major and to develop a plan for degree completion prior to being formally accepted.

If approved after their appointment, Falk students should complete the Declaration of Major form , obtain SWK department signature, and email it to falkrecords@syr.edu.

Students Outside Falk

View a list of majors

Each college or school has different procedures and requirements for declaring a major, for detailed information please check the Intra-University Transfer Standards. For students who are outside of Falk College and would like to apply to declare their major within Falk, they must do an Intra-University Transfer (IUT).

Procedures by Department:

Declaring a Minor

Students in the College are strongly encouraged to complete a minor, and should seek assistance from their academic advisors in choosing a minor that will enhance their academic programs and add breadth and depth to their college experience. With careful and early planning, most minors can fit into the undergraduate curriculum without a need of extra coursework.

View a list of minors
Minor Declaration Form (PDF)

The general procedure to declare a minor:

  1. Student makes an appointment with the department responsible for their desired minor.

  2. Student meets with the designated person from the department to discuss the academic program plan and the student’s future academic and career goals.  The student’s transcript is also reviewed to determine if they meet the minimum grade point average and any other admissions requirements for the minor.

  3. If the student meets the department requirements a Declaration of Minor form will be filled out and signed by the department representative. The student may be required to provide other materials to complete the application.

  4. The Declaration of Minor form is delivered by the student  to falkrecords@syr.edu, the Falk College Office of Student Services, to be  reviewed by the Associate Dean.

  5. If the student meets the criteria, Student Services will send a letter to the student with copies to the department and college recorder. The academic advisor is assigned to the student through the department.

  6. If the student does not meet the criteria, Student Services sends a letter to the student with copies to the department.

Signature process for Minor Declaration Form:

  1. Student

  2. Academic Advisor

  3. Minor Coordinator

  4. Student or department submits to falkrecords@syr.edu

Declaring a Social Justice Minor

Students pursuing majors in other areas of study may choose a social justice minor. The minor program requires the completion of 18 credits. To declare a social justice minor:

  1. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 

  2. Submit Minor Declaration Form to the social justice minor program coordinator, their faculty advisors, and the dean’s office of their home colleges. 

  3. Submit a Social Justice Minor Interest form to the SWK department.

  4. A limit of 3 transfer credits may be applied with permission.

Declaring Sport Management Minors

The Department of Sport Management offers minors in Emerging Sport Enterprise, Sport Analytics, Sport Event Management, Sport Management, to declare one of these minors first check with your home school or college office to make sure you have:

  • the ability to take 18 credits of sport management courses;

  • the required cumulative GPA indicated in the course catalog page for each minor program linked above;

  • completed a minimum of 30 credits at Syracuse University in courses graded A-F.

  • Additionally, please check each minor course catalog page linked above for important information on program specific deadlines.

If you meet the above requirements:

  1. Complete the Sport Management Minor Application. (keep in mind the November 1 and April 1 deadlines).

  2. Upload the Declaration of Minor Form, signed by you and your advisor, with your application.

  3. If your application is approved, you will be notified via e-mail after semester grades are posted. Please note applications are accepted on a space-availability basis. Admission into the minor is not guaranteed, even if you meet the minimum GPA.

Dropping Majors or Minors

The Declaration of Major form and Declaration of Minor form are used to drop previously declared majors and minors.  Students should discuss these changes with their academic advisors.  The student then fills out the appropriate form and submits to falkrecords@syr.edu, in the Office of Student Services for Home College Approval.

Transfer Credit Information for Falk College Students

Students can petition to have pre-approved courses taken at another college or university to fulfill requirements for their SU degree.

  1. Students and/or their Academic Advisors should first check the TES (Transfer Equivalency System – please see description below) to determine if the course they wish to take at a particular college is listed (or to get ideas about where to take courses).

  2. Courses listed within the TES do not require approval paperwork for the course. However, an official transcript must be sent to the College Recorders, (330 Barclay Hall, Syracuse, NY, 13244) for the credits to transfer to SU once the course is completed.

  3. If the course is not listed students must complete a petition for transfer credits form (one petition per course).

    • Once the Transfer Credit form is completed, submit the form, and the form will be sent to your faculty/academic advisor for their approval and signature. Some courses will require submission of supplemental materials such as a course syllabus for review.  Some courses will require additional review and approval by departments outside of Falk College.  Students should consult with their Academic Advisor for more information.

    • This form requires additional signatures. After the faculty/academic advisor approves and submits, it will go to the next person for their approval. After all required signatures are obtained, the form will then be sent to the Student Services Office for final review.

    • Students will be sent a link if this transfer credit has been approved or denied. 

    • After the course is completed, the student must have an official transcript sent to Falk Records Department in 330 Barclay Hall or e-mail to falkrecords@syr.edu

The following conditions must exist for the credits to transfer:

  1. The institution must be an accredited institution.

  2. The student must receive a grade of C or better.

  3. Unopened, official transcripts must be mailed or hand delivered (or delivered electronically to falkrecords@syr.edu) to 330 Barclay Hall for processing.

  4. No more than 66 credits can be taken at a two-year institution.

  5. Any upper division courses must be completed at a four-year institution.

Note: Grades for transfer courses have no impact on a student’s grade point average. Only credits transfer.

View the Transfer Evaluation System (TES)

Internal Admissions Process for Graduate Students

Are you a current Syracuse University graduate student?

If you are already pursuing a graduate degree at Syracuse University or have received a graduate degree from Syracuse University within the past 12 months you can apply for a Falk College graduate degree using the Internal Admissions Process.

You are considered an “internal admit” if you are a current Syracuse University graduate student pursuing a graduate degree and either of the following apply to you:

  • If you wish to pursue a concurrent degree, you are presently in a graduate program and are pursuing a second graduate degree at the same time as your current one; or

  • If you wish to pursue another; or wish to be admitted to the doctoral program in the same program of study in which you are currently pursuing a master’s degree.

Graduate students who are in one of the above-mentioned categories should complete the Graduate Enrollment Internal Admission Application form.

Along with obtaining the necessary signatures, graduate students must also:

  • provide all official degree transcript(s)*,

  • provide a statement of research interests,

  • provide three letters of recommendation (external or internal)

  • complete and return forms and required documents by January 15th to the department contact:

*Graduate students who have recommendations on file in the HDFS department from having applied for and/or obtained an HDFS degree need only two letters of recommendation from HDFS faculty who are familiar with their work. If official transcripts are on file in the HDFS department, they do not need to be resubmitted.

Graduate students who received a graduate degree from Syracuse University more than 12 months ago and are not currently pursuing a graduate degree at Syracuse University should not use the Graduate Enrollment Internal Admission Application form but should apply online instead.

Internal Program Transfer Students

If you are seeking to transfer/change from a current graduate degree program to a different graduate degree program, you are considered a “Program Transfer Student” and should use the Graduate Program/Plan Transfer Form. You will need to obtain signatures from both your new and old departments. When complete, the form should be sent to the Student Records Office, located in Steele Hall.