Academic Advising

Academic Advising Policy

CSUF Academic Advising Policy (UPS 300.002) states that:

• To ensure that all students receive the opportunities of appropriate advising, every student enrolled at Cal State Fullerton should declare a major as soon as possible after admission to the university. In any event, a major shall be declared prior to the completion of 60 semester units of coursework.
• All students shall confer with an academic adviser on a regular basis.
• All first-time freshmen must receive academic advising prior to registration for their first semester.

Orientations

All first-time freshmen must receive academic advising prior to registration for their first semester. This requirement shall be satisfied by attending Freshman Orientation. First-time freshmen who do not register for a Freshman Orientation session prior to the published deadline risk losing their fall admission. Visit fullerton.edu/orientation for more information.

All incoming transfer students must complete a student orientation session prior to registration for their first semester. This requirement shall be satisfied by attending Transfer Student Orientation. This requirement is in addition to any college or departmental mandatory advising. Visit fullerton.edu/orientation for more information.

The Purpose of General Education Courses

General education provides the foundation of a university education. It is designed to give students a breadth of knowledge and understanding across the major disciplines of science, social science, arts and humanities. It also is designed to help students develop broadly applicable skills such as critical thinking and writing, enhance their capacity for lifelong learning, and strengthen their ability to contribute effectively within a culturally diverse society and interdependent global knowledge economy.

The General Education program provides a common intellectual experience for all students regardless of their major; enhances their awareness of themselves in a complex universe, drawing upon multiple points of view; and helps to prepare them for full participation in professional and civic life. Through the thoughtful completion of the General Education program, students will acquire knowledge of diverse disciplinary perspectives, develop skills for analyzing new situations and problems, and gain both self-awareness and an understanding of their role in both local and global communities. The broad areas and learning goals of general education courses are presented in the catalog section General Education .

All students are expected to consult with their academic advisors, either in their college advising office/Student Success Center, or in the Undeclared and Academic Advising Center (Pollak Libary 1) for support in selecting general education courses that align with their academic goals and meet requirements for graduation. Visit General Education at CSUF for information and resources.

Advising in the Major

Students who have declared a major should consult with their academic adviser on a regular basis for academic advising. Students who wish to explore majors offered by a specific college should contact the college advising office or the major exploration program offered by the Undeclared and Academic Advising Center.

Titan Degree Audit

The Titan Degree Audit is the official advising tool for both students and academic advisers. The report provides information on student progress toward the completion of general education, major and other degree requirements. It is vital that students review their TDAs for accuracy on a regular basis, and it should be available during all advising sessions with each student’s adviser. To access the TDA, students can log into their portal and select “Titan Degree Audit.”

College Advising Offices

Students who wish to explore undergraduate majors offered by a specific college should contact the appropriate college advising office. Undergraduates seeking academic advising in the College of Education are encouraged to visit SchoolsFirst Center for Careers in Teaching for assistance with course selection in preparation for teaching. For information about each college’s advising office/Student Success Team, visit the Academic Advising at CSUF website.

College of the Arts

Student Success Center
Visual Arts Center 280A
657-278-4108

College of Business and Economics

Business Advising Center
Mihaylo Hall 1201
657-278-2211

College of Communications

Advising and Student Success Center
College Park 210
657-278-4926

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Student Success Center
Computer Science Building 201
657-278-3879

College of Health and Human Development

Student Success Center
Education-Classroom Building 105
657-278-2294

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences Student Access Center
Humanities-Social Sciences Building 112
657-278-2594

College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

NSM Student Success Center and Advising Team
McCarthy Hall 129
657-278-7082

Undeclared and Academic Advising Center

Pollak Libary North 1
657-278-3601
https://www.fullerton.edu/uaac/

As the home for students who have not declared a major, the Undeclared and Academic Advising Center Major Exploration program supports students to actively research and explore various majors. Through independent exploration, academic advising appointments, Major Exploration events and interactive workshops, students will develop academic success plans and be directly connected to their prospective majors.

Undeclared Majors

Students who have not selected a major are considered “undeclared” and are required by university policy to declare a major prior to completing 60 semester units of coursework. The Undeclared and Academic Advising Center provides a variety of resources and services to support students in choosing a major. Through its Major Exploration program, students can meet with an academic adviser for specialized advising to explore the many majors on campus, and provide referrals to their chosen or fitting major or faculty adviser. As part of the Major Exploration process, advisers will work collaboratively with students to develop an academic plan that connects their strengths, interests and abilities with their academic goals, while facilitating major declaration and graduation.

Information about the various majors at Cal State Fullerton is available at the Academics website.

Planning a Major Program

When students have selected a major, it is important to be familiar with all the requirements that are specified in this catalog under their chosen degree program. Students should make a tentative semester-by-semester plan for completing the requirements, including prerequisites, and discuss this plan with their academic adviser. In addition to courses in the major department, related courses in other fields and supporting courses in basic skills may also be required. These should be included in the tentative semester-by-semester plan.

Some departments require placement tests prior to enrolling in some classes (e.g., foreign languages, music and computer science). The times and places for such placement tests are available in the college departments.

Change of Major, Degree or Credential Objective

To change a major, degree objective or credential objective, complete the required form at the Office of Registration and Records website for approval. Such a change is not official until the form has been approved.

Student Success Centers/Teams

Academic and Student Affairs have collaborated to create Student Success Teams in each of the Cal State Fullerton colleges and Office of Graduate Studies. The teams are dedicated to improving student learning, increasing graduation rates, reducing time to degree and narrowing the achievement gap among underrepresented students. Each of the teams provides students with information on individual academic, career and personal development. They include academic advisers who support students to make progress and succeed in courses, a graduation specialist whose expertise is in supporting juniors and seniors nearing graduation, and college career specialists who are available to help students with career planning. Find Student Success Centers at the Office of Student Academic Support website.

Departmental Academic Advising

An academic adviser in the major can provide information and suggestions and can support the student in finding the most desirable ways to meet the requirements for graduation and for the major or credential. It is the responsibility of the student to meet with their academic adviser regularly. According to University Policy Statement, Academic Advising Policy 300.002, “Advising is a process by which the university helps each enrolled student realize her/his potential.” The university recognizes this endeavor as a campuswide responsibility that demonstrably impacts the academic success of its valued students.

Undergraduate students who have not yet decided on a major (undeclared students) can seek Academic Advising in the Undeclared and Academic Advising Center (Pollak Library 1). It is recommended that students review their current TDA prior to the meeting.

It is recommended that students who have transferred to Cal State Fullerton bring with them to the advising meeting a list of courses they have taken, copies of transcripts from colleges previously attended and a copy of their TDA.

Pre-Professional Programs

The academic programs of the university provide appropriate preparation for graduate work in a variety of fields. Students who have made tentative decisions about the institutions at which they may wish to pursue graduate work should consult the catalogs of those graduate colleges as they plan their undergraduate coursework. Students planning to pursue graduate work should supplement their undergraduate plan of study by completing course requirements.

The university offers several professional programs through the master’s degree, DNP and Ed.D. These include programs in the fine arts, business administration, communications, counseling, education, engineering, microbiology, psychology, kinesiology, public health, public administration, social work, speech pathology-audiology and others. Students interested in preparing for professional careers in these areas, either at Cal State Fullerton or at other educational institutions, are encouraged to seek assistance and guidance from faculty members in these fields.

Pre-Law Preparation

It is recommended that prospective law students prepare themselves in such fields as English, American history, economics, philosophy, political science (particularly the history and development of English and American political institutions) and such undergraduate courses as judicial process, administrative law, constitutional law and international law, philosophy (particularly ethics and logic), business administration, anthropology, psychology and sociology.

A distribution of course sequences among the social sciences, natural sciences and humanities is desirable. Students interested in becoming lawyers should contact the pre-law adviser in the Division of Politics, Administration and Justice. Some faculty members in the College of Business and Economics and the departments of American Studies and History also can provide advice and assistance.

Pre-Theological

Students who are interested in pursuing careers in the ministry, teaching religion and associated fields should take some courses in religious studies, psychology, anthropology, sociology, philosophy, history, English, speech communication and a foreign language. It is recommended that students seeking assistance and counseling regarding advanced work in religious studies or professional careers as rabbis, priests, ministers, etc., request guidance from faculty members in the Department of Religious Studies.

Human Services

Students who plan to seek employment in social work or human/social services should prepare themselves in the fields of human services, child and adolescent studies, psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science, economics, and research methods in the social sciences.

Students who intend to enter a professional program following undergraduate training should learn about the specific prerequisites for admission to the graduate program of their choice. Ordinarily, a major in one of the social sciences and some additional work in at least several other social sciences are recommended. Students with interests in pursuing careers in the field of social work and social welfare should contact the Master of Social Work program for guidance and assistance.

Health Professions

Gordon Hall 223
657-278-3980

The Health Professions Advising Office is housed in Academic Advising at Cal State Fullerton. In its 50-plus-year history, the HPAO has supported thousands of students in gaining admission to health professional schools. Past students have entered Harvard University, Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the majority of UC campuses. The Health Professions Advising Office is well-situated to assist first-generation and underrepresented students in their successful matriculation into professional schools. CSUF was ranked No. 8 nationally in the number of Hispanic students graduating with bachelor’s degrees in health professions and related programs in 2020-2021.

From its original mission of preparing pre-medical students to become competitive applicants for medical school, the HPAO has expanded in recent years to prepare, inform and advise CSUF students about the following careers: medicine (allopathic, osteopathic, podiatric), dentistry, pharmacy, optometry, physician assistant and veterinary medicine. Preparation for success begins early and continues throughout students’ academic careers at CSUF. Guided by the Health Professions Committee, the HPAO fosters students’ success through its support of several pre-health student organizations, mock interviews, personal statement reviews and full support through the professional school application process. 

Through its community engagement initiatives, the HPAO has established early conditional acceptance (linkage) agreements with professional schools. Students can schedule an appointment or find workshop dates at the Health Professions website.

Teaching Careers

Students who plan to enter the teaching profession must prepare themselves by developing in-depth knowledge in the subject areas they plan to teach. Teachers of elementary and special education children should have a solid foundation of knowledge in all subjects taught in the elementary classroom. High school teachers must develop expertise in the subject named on their single subject credentials. Students are encouraged to seek advice early in their academic careers to plan a program of study that blends general education, major and subject matter preparation requirements, and prerequisites for admission to a credential program. The Center for Careers in Teaching provides information and advising for prospective teachers.

Visit the Schools First Center for Careers in Teaching website or call 657-278-7130.

Answers to Questions