The mission of academic advising is to facilitate a process of educational inquiry
that by intention and design promotes the intellectual, personal, and social development
of students. Academic Advising is overseen by the Office of Undergraduate Retention.
By providing proactive advising and programming, we encourage and empower students
to formulate realistic academic plans, explore professional and career options, and
engage in meaningful decision-making, all in an environment that is welcoming, inclusive,
and supportive.
What is advising and what do we do?
Each student is assigned support staff and faculty based on his or her chosen path
of study. Every student is first assigned a Retention Specialist- who you have as
your Retention Specialist is based on the college that houses your chosen path of
study. Students may also be assigned a faculty advisor- this can happen as soon as
you are admitted or later in your college career, again, depending on your chosen
path of study. Academic Advisors and Retention Specialists assist new and current
students by:
- Formulating a plan that outlines their academic path and monitoring academic progress
- Interpreting institutional policies and procedures
- Recommending opportunities for personal growth and academic development
- Providing referrals to institutional and community resources and support when academic
and non-academic challenges arise
- Discussing alternatives when there are doubts concerning choice of major or career,
or when admission is not granted to the chosen major
WHO ARE MY SUPPORT STAFF?
For the list of advisors by major, please click on the link below titled “Academic
Advisor List,” or log in to MY Portal to find your assigned advisor and Retention
Specialist.
If you are considering another major or minor, you can discuss this with your assigned
advisor, seek out faculty from other majors in which you are interested, and explore
options through the Madonna University Office of Career Development.
Some helpful links for you:
Academic Advisor List
Academic Programs
Career Development
Catalogs
Course Schedule
HOW DO I PREPARE TO REGISTER FOR CLASSES?
If you have never enrolled at a college or university previous to Madonna University
and are between the ages of 18-24, then you are a first-year student. You might, however,
have already earned college credit through a Dual Enrollment Program, Advanced Placement
Test (AP), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), or International Baccalaureate
Program (IB) scores.
As a first-year student, you will meet with an academic advisor and register for your first semester courses
at your New Student Orientation. To register for classes in future semesters, you will then either stay with your
Retention Specialist or be transitioned to a faculty advisor within your major during
the first semester. This information will be made clear to you during your UNV 1010
course in your first semester.
Some helpful links for you:
Assessments/Placement Exams
Orientation
Credit-by-Exam
You are considered an adult or transfer student if you:
- have never enrolled at a college or university previous to Madonna University, and
are 24+ years old; OR
- have earned college credit through enrollment at a college or university before attending
Madonna University. Note: If you have military credit you are included in this category;
but if you are a high school student with Dual Enrollment credit, Advanced Placement
(AP), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), or International Baccalaureate Program
(IB) scores, you are considered a first-year student.
Before you are able to register for classes, you are required to complete an orientation. More information on this process can be found in the links below. Though you are
not required to meet with an academic advisor as a new adult or transfer student (unless
you were admitted provisionally), we strongly encourage you to do so.
If you start Madonna University with a declared major, you might find it beneficial
to simply meet with your assigned faculty advisor for your major. If this is the case,
please click on the link below titled “Academic Advisor List,” or log in to MY Portal
to find your faculty advisor’s name.
Some helpful links for you:
Academic Advisor List
Assessments/Placement Exams
Credit-by-Exam
Orientation
Prior Learning Assessment
Transfer Guides
If you are a current Madonna University student who is undecided on a major, you will
be assigned a Retention Specialist in the college that you are interested in finding
out more about. During your appointment, your Retention Specialist will help you select
courses by reviewing remaining core curriculum requirements, discussing major programs
at Madonna University that are of interest to you, and might recommend that you complete
a career assessment through Madonna University’s Career Services Office.
Some helpful links for you:
Academic Programs
Career Development
Catalogs
Course Schedule
How to Decide on a Major
Study Abroad
There are several steps to receive admission to the Madonna University Nursing Program.
The first step is to be accepted as a pre-nursing student. Until then, you will be
categorized as a “Health Sciences- Undeclared” student with an interest in Pre-Nursing.
During this process, you will receive advising services from the Retention Specialist
in the College of Nursing & Health.
Your Retention Specialist will help you select courses by reviewing pre-nursing and
nursing program criteria, as well as your remaining core curriculum requirements.
In the event that you do not receive admission into the Madonna University nursing
program, Retention Specialists in the various colleges are great resources to utilize
to talk about alternative majors and related careers.
The admissions process for the ABSN program does not follow the same structure as
the traditional program. Information regarding the admission process for the accelerated
nursing program can be found at absn.madonna.edu.
Some helpful links for you:
ABSN Programs
Academic Programs
Assessments/Placement Exams
Career Development
Catalogs
Course Schedule
“Provisional admission is offered to those applicants whose credentials may not satisfy
the minimum admission requirements but whose maturity and seriousness of purpose indicate
potential for academic success” (Madonna University Catalog).
If you have been granted provisional admission to the University, a hold is placed
on your account that required you to get permission from either your Retention Specialist
or Faculty Advisor in order to register for courses. They will help you understand
the criteria of your provisional admission and assist you in taking the necessary
steps to ensure academic success.
Some helpful links for you:
Academic Advisor List
Academic Programs
Catalogs
Course Schedule
Orientation
There are many valuable resources to which an academic advisor might refer you throughout
your college journey. Please feel free to explore some of the resources that might
be helpful to you:
