Advising FAQs | Department of Communication at USF

department of communication — frequently asked advising questions

I am interested in the Communication major. Where can I find more information?

Please go to http://www.cas.usf.edu/communication/major.htm for more information. You can also send an email to the advisor, Leslie Tod at tod@cas.usf.edu or set an appointment to meet with her at http://usfweb2.usf.edu/Appointments/ StudentSignon.asp

This looks like the major for me, and I have met the pre requisites of 30 hours with a gpa of 2.5 or better and at least a C- grade in SPC2600 or public speaking equivalent. What do I do to declare the major?

To declare the Communication major you must contact the advisor, Leslie Tod, for the declaration of major form that must be submitted to the College of Arts & Sciences. This can be done via email (make sure to include your U number)or by appointment (see above contact information).

I have not yet met all the pre requisites for the major. What can I do?

If you have not earned 30 hours yet, you should keep working on your General Education requirements and, if you have the other pre requisites you can wait until 30 hours to declare. However, you are still welcome to discuss your academic plan with the advisor. You can start working on the Communication core courses. If you have not completed public speaking but have the other pre requisites you need to get into the SPC2600 asap to avoid any delays in progressing through the major. You also can work on the Communication core courses while taking SPC2600. If you have not achieved the 2.5 GPA needed for admission and you have the other pre requisites you need to meet with the advisor to assess the feasibility of you raising your gpa without compromising a timely progression through the major.

If you would like to evaluate your GPA there are several GPA calculators you can access online http://cse.unl.edu/~bchoat/gpaCalculator.html. If you believe you cannot feasibly raise your gpa to the 2.5 at this time you should meet with advisors from other programs to assist you with academic planning http://web1.cas.usf.edu/MAIN/contentDisplay.cfm?contentID=229&Family=Y . The general rule is that if you have earned 60 hours you should have the requirements needed to start on you major and if you cannot get that accomplished within one semester you need to make a more realistic plan. You can look for other majors in the online catalog http://www.ugs.usf.edu/pdf/cat0809/12artsci.pdf. As a note, the only majors in the College of Arts and Sciences that have major gpa restrictions are Biology, Communication, Mass Communication, Psychology, and Social Work.

I am ready to get started. Where can I find descriptions of the Communication courses?

http://www.cas.usf.edu/communication/ugcourses.htm

Do I have to take my courses in a particular order?

It is recommended that you complete the core requirements before starting into your chosen concentration or any departmental electives, particularly the COM2000 as it is a pre requisite for all the upper level communication courses except COM3122, COM4030, SPC3301, SPC3710, and SPC4714. There are some further upper level courses that require more than the COM2000, which will be indicated in the course descriptions.

Speaking of pre requisites, I have all the pre reqs listed in the course description, but I am still not able to register for the course. What should I do?

It is likely the course has SPC2600 as a pre req and you transferred in with a public speaking equivalent. You just need to email the advisor, Leslie Tod (tod@cas.usf.edu), with your U number and the Course Reference Number (5 digit CRN) and she will override the restriction.

I have taken an SPC4930 course. Can I take another?

Yes. As long as it is a different topic you can take more than one SPC4930 course.

I am interested in doing an internship, but I don’t see anything offered in the department. Can I still do one?

We do not have a formal internship program and do not require it for the major. However, some of our students gain opportunities on their own or have checked out a listing on our major’s site on Blackboard or from the Careers Center and want to earn credit. If the opportunity is with a non profit organization there is a program through the College of Arts & Sciences that students can utilize. Otherwise, you can contact the advisor, Leslie Tod (tod@cas.usf.edu) about the 1 credit hourSPC4900 available for students to take as S/U.

I saw a course, COM3110, listed in the schedule search. Can I take that?

No. This course is for non-majors only.

I am a transfer student and want to know if courses will count towards my major. What should I do?

If it is a Communication course, you need to send a copy of the course description (and possibly a syllabus) to the advisor, Leslie Tod (tod@cas.usf.edu) for her to review. If it is a course from another department, you need to contact the advisor from that department for review of the course.

I was thinking about taking a course from another institution. Can I do that?

Yes. If you are taking courses at USF while enrolling elsewhere you are considered Cross-enrolled. Financial Aid has the form you will need for the other institution http://usfweb2.usf.edu/FinaidPDF/Internet/0809/0809_xrol.pdf. It will need to be signed by the advisor, Leslie Tod, so you should set an appointment to make sure the course will count towards your major and get approval. If you are only enrolled at the other institution, you are considered a Transient Student. You will need to check with your advisor to make sure the courses you want to take will count towards your major. Then you will complete the form for Financial Aid http://usfweb2.usf.edu/FinaidPDF/Internet/0809/0809_cag.pdf. The College of Arts & Sciences also should be notified that you will be transferring in other credits. They have a separate for to complete http://web1.cas.usf.edu/MAIN/include/0-1201-009/TransCrossCover1.pdf. However, it is your responsibility to request the transcript from the institution be sent to USF’s Registrar’s Office upon completion.

How can I access my SASS report to follow my own progress?

Go to http://www.FACTS.org

What should I do if I have a CLAST hold (TC, TS, TL)?

Go to http://www.usf.edu/CLAST/Hold. You will need to contact the College Advisor, Kim Williams (williams@cas.usf.edu), not the departmental advisor to handle these holds.

Where do I find out about the ARC petition regarding late adds/drops, late fee waivers, withdrawing from a semester, deleting a course my record, and academic dismissal/readmission?

All petitions must be submitted to BEH201, College of Arts & Sciences. To get more information you can go to the website: http://web1.cas.usf.edu/MAIN/contentDisplay.cfm?contentID=41&Family=Y

When and where should I apply for graduation?

Apply in the first four weeks of the term in which you will graduate. Applications are available and must be submitted to BEH201. Go to http://www.usf.edu/commencement for information about the ceremony.