Online B.A. in Psychology
Degree Completion Program

Helpful Advising Information

Please read the full advising handbook.

Who is my advisor?

• If you have been assigned an advisor, you can find their name and contact information by logging in to the Advising Management System. Note: the person with whom you meet for your initial transfer orientation may not be your assigned advisor.
  • Until you have completed the Criteria for Admission to the Psychology Major, you will be advised by a professional academic advisor from Academic Advising.
  • After completion of the criteria, you will be assigned a faculty member in the psychology department as your advisor. 
• Advising is typically done through telephone or videoconference appointments, and not over email.
  
  
• Most faculty in the department have 9-month contracts and may not be reachable during the summer (middle of May to middle of August). If you have advising questions during this time, please contact the department office. 

When should I see my advisor?

• Each semester, you should contact your advisor prior to the date when registration opens. You will need an alternate pin number from your advisor before you can register for classes. Students enrolled in an Online Degree Program have priority registration.

How should I prepare for my advising appointment?

• View the Psychology Major Degree Requirement Checklist
• Please follow the instructions for how to find the list of all online classes offered at EIU, by term, and how to filter which courses fulfill different general education requirements.
• It is best to schedule an appointment with your advisor after you have reviewed the schedule of classes for the next semester and any general education and psychology courses that you still need to complete. You can review your progress toward completing your requirements by conducting a “degree audit” using Degree Works, described here.

• This advanced preparation will enable you to be better prepared to discuss your academic progress and ask relevant questions when you meet with your advisor. You should prepare for your advising meeting with an outline of courses you are considering for the next semester, a list of any questions you may have, and something for taking notes.

How long will my advising appointment last?

• The typical meeting with your advisor lasts between 15 to 30 minutes.  If you have reason to believe that you will require more than 30 minutes, then you should mention this to your advisor when scheduling your appointment.

What classes should I take first?

• First, you’ll need to earn a C or better in PSY 1879G (Introductory Psychology) and meet the math requirement (MAT 1271 College Algebra or higher level math course, with a grade of C or better; or ACT math score of 26 or higher). If you have completed introductory psychology, but not met the math requirement, you can still stake other psychology courses.
• It is advised to take the Orientation to the Psychology Major (PSY 2999) and Psychological Statistics (PSY 2610), followed by Research Methods (PSY 3805) as soon as possible.  Courses from Groups A and D are often recommended before courses from Groups B and C. Unless you are seeking guidance for a particular specialty in psychology, do not expect your advisor to tell you exactly which psychology classes to take.

When can I register?

• The day you can register depends on your class standing, for example junior or senior. The chart with registration dates is available from the Office of the Registrar
• Do NOT wait to register for classes. Our online classes have maximum seat limits. You may not be able to register for the classes you want if you delay registration.

How do I register for classes?

• Watch this video on how to register for classes in PAWS.
• If you are trying to add an online class in psychology that is already full, please contact the department office manager, Leslie Ashley-McLean (lsashley@eiu.edu). In your request, please include your name and EIU E-number, mention that you are an online psychology major, and then list the specific psychology classes you want. For classes in other departments, you'll need to contact the instructor directly (and we recommend mentioning that you are an online psychology major).

How do I get my textbooks?

• Depending on how far you live from EIU campus, books will be available for pickup at Textbook Rental, or mailed to you (see further details).

When will I be billed for classes?

• The University does not typically put classes on student accounts for billing purposes until August (for fall semesters), so the first payment (if you’re registered) is September 1. The first disbursement date for scholarships and loans is actually before school starts and then continues fairly regularly throughout the semester. As long as students drop within the first ten days, there are no fees and anything paid will be reimbursed.
• If you have any kind of "hold" on your account, you will not be able to register for classes. You will need to clear the hold before you can register.

Other Advising Resources

• How to view your degree audit in PAWS (this checks your coursework against graduation requirements)
• How to change your major or minor 
• Find out what courses are offered online each semester
• Registration Deadlines