Online Advising FAQs

A: Congratulations! Welcome to SHPRS! Your next step is to schedule an appointment with an academic advisor. Although your enrollment counselor may have already suggested (or enrolled you in) some classes to start, your academic advisor will give you an overview of the program, discuss class choices in more detail and work with you throughout your time at ASU to help you choose the best classes for your goals. (See the next FAQ for how to schedule an advising appointment.)

A: Log onto your My ASU page and look for the box titled “Academic Support Team.” Click “Academic Advising.” Then, click “Schedule an appointment” and follow the prompts. You’ll be able to select a phone or Zoom appointment.

For a phone appointment, your advisor will call you at your scheduled time, at the number you provide. For a Zoom meeting, your confirmation e-mail will contain the link to access your advisor’s Zoom meeting room. 

Having trouble? Use this link for the scheduling system.

A: Please be at your computer and logged on to your MyASU page at the appointment time. Prior to your appointment, you should review your Graduation Audit (DARS) (see FAQ below) and write down any questions you have for your advisor.

A: Your Graduation Audit (DARS report) shows exactly how your courses have transferred,  which requirements you still need,  and how close you are to completing your degree. DARS stands for Degree Audit Reporting System. To access your DARS report, login to MyASU and go to the box on the right side labeled, “My Programs.” Click “Degree Progress” and then choose “Graduation Audit (DARS).” Next, click “Request New Degree Audit.” The report usually takes a few seconds to run. Finally, click “View Audit.”

A: During your first advising appointment, your academic advisor will review your DARS report with you in detail. He or she will explain all the requirements and help you determine which classes you need. In the meantime, you can view the DARS Explainer Experience video available here or on your MyASU page, below the Graduation Audit (DARS) link.

A: There are a few possibilities as to why this may be:

1. If you don’t see any courses at all on DARS and there is a red “X” at the top of the report saying that one or more transcripts are still being reviewed, just be patient as it may take 2-3 business days for your transfer work to be evaluated. Your advisor will still be able to help you determine what is needed if you have an appointment scheduled before that time.
2. If you attended more than one transfer school and you see courses from one school on DARS, but not the other, it may mean that you need to request a transcript sent from the other school, if you did not already do so. Check with your advisor to verify the status.
3. If you see all of your courses on the report, but you’re worried some courses are not showing up in the right places, speak with your advisor. Some courses need to be reviewed and placed manually by your advisor, especially ones that apply directly to your major.

A: Yes. All Bachelors of Arts (BA) degrees offered by ASU’s The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences require that you have proficiency in a language other than English, up through the fourth level course (202).

Already proficient in another language? You can take a proficiency exam to have the requirement completed.

Studied another language but don’t know your level? Take a Placement Exam to find out.

For Spanish, you are required to take the Placement Exam before you can enroll, even at the 101 level.

A: Currently, ASU offers Spanish, French, German, Italian and American Sign Language online through the fourth-course level. If you would like to study a different language, speak to your academic advisor about options outside of ASU.

A: You are required to take one class in traditional mathematics (MA) for graduation, and you will need a grade of C or higher in that class to fulfill The College Math Proficiency requirement. If you already have a transfer course that fulfills the mathematics requirement for graduation, you do not need to take an additional math class. The recommended math course for your major is MAT 142: College Mathematics. Any score on the placement exam will allow you to enroll in this course, but you must take the exam in order to register. If you score below 45, we recommend taking this class in the “C” session, which will allow you a full 15-week semester to complete the class. Here is the link to the online math placement exam. Although you will know your placement score right away, your score will take 48 hours to process in the computer system before you will be able to enroll in the appropriate math course. Note that your score will expire after one calendar year. If you plan to switch to a different major (or add a concurrent degree) that requires higher-level math than your current major, speak with your advisor. MAT 142 does not satisfy prerequisites for higher-level math courses, so you will need to take a different course instead.

A: Check your DARS report or consult your advisor to see if you need any English composition classes. If you have transfer work or test credit in this area, you may have all or part of the requirement fulfilled. Most students fulfill the first-year composition requirement by completing ENG 101 and ENG 102. No placement test scores are needed for enrollment into ENG 101. Students with a qualifying test score on the ACT, SAT, or ACCUPLACER WritePlacer may take ENG 105, an advanced first-year composition course, instead of ENG 101 and ENG 102. Students without a placement test score who wish to try to qualify for ENG 105 may arrange to take the ACCUPLACER WritePlacer exam. Students for whom English is not the native language and who have a qualifying test score may enroll in ENG 107 and ENG 108.

A: SHPRS programs are designed to make it easy to add a minor, and some students even find that they can include a second (concurrent) degree without exceeding their minimum credits required for graduation. Be sure to ask your academic advisor about this, to see if it is a good option for you! 

Here is a list of online minors and certificates.

Here is a list of undergraduate degrees offered by ASU Online.

A: Most students take either one or two classes per 7.5-week session. As an online student, you can plan a degree schedule that works best for you, but two classes in a session (four in a semester) is considered a full-time load. The number of classes you take each session depends on your individual circumstances and on how much time you can devote to coursework each week. These courses are fast-paced and intensive, covering the same material traditionally covered in a 15-week semester. You will complete courses quickly, but you take fewer at a time.

In general, courses in the 7.5-week sessions require you to spend about 6 hours per credit hour per week on coursework. One 3-credit course requires approximately 18 hours per week, and two 3-credit courses (6 credits) will require about 36 hours per week. History, philosophy and religious studies courses require extensive reading and writing, so most students find that these courses demand a significant time investment. Second language courses, worth 4 credits each, are labor-intensive and can require 24 hours a week or more. Some language courses, including SPA 101, are also available in Session C (15-week format). We recommend this format for SPA 101, especially if you have never studied the language before. 

Online students admitted as first-time freshmen have a limit on the number of credit hours they can take in their first session. If you are a freshman, please see these registration rules. 

If you are using financial aid or scholarships, note that there may be a minimum number of credits you must take per semester to be eligible. Please check with Financial Aid and Scholarships Services. A “full-time student” for financial aid purposes is 12 credits per semester (four classes), which is two classes per 7.5-week session.

A: Most ASU Online courses require textbooks. In some cases, e-books are available. You can order your textbooks online through the ASU Bookstore. To determine which books are required for your courses, go to the “My Classes” box on MyASU and click on the link for “Books.” If you see the message, “No books are listed for this class,” you should contact your professor by e-mail to clarify the materials needed. You can view your professor’s contact information in the “My Classes” box on MyASU. Most professors give assignments from the books right away, so please obtain your materials prior to the course start date.

A: Please review the drop and withdrawal policy here. The easiest way to see the drop and withdrawal deadlines for your classes is your MyASU page. In the “My Classes” box, click on the calendar icon for each course, just to the right of the professor’s name. Note that deadlines vary by session and by course length. You should be familiar with the withdrawal deadlines in case you need to use them. Note that withdrawing from classes may impact financial aid, so please check with Financial Aid and Scholarship Services before making the decision to withdraw.

A: Your advisor will assist you with a degree plan and graduation timeline, but in general, it depends on three factors:

1. How many courses you still need
2. How many courses you plan to take at a time
3. How many terms or sessions per year you will take classes (i.e. Will you attend in summer, or only in fall and spring?).

Your DARS report and Major Map will assist you in forming a degree plan

A:  SHPRS majors are prepared for a wide variety of career fields. Studying history, philosophy, or religious studies cultivates critical thinking, communication, writing skills, research, problem-solving, analytical skills and cultural competency - skills that are valuable to employers in every field.  See the SHPRS Career Diagram for additional skills you will learn and career suggestions for each major.

For more information, see “What can I do with this major?” through ASU’s Career and Professional Development Services website.

The My Major Map tool on your MyASU page (located in the “My Programs” box, “Degree Progress,” then “My Major Map”) has helpful career-planning suggestions noted throughout your degree path, so be sure to review those. As an ASU student, you have access to many resources through Career and Professional Development Services.  Sign up for Handshake, your online hub for career resources, to schedule a phone or chat session with a career advisor. You can also search for jobs, internships, online career events and more.