The Advising Office and all advisors are accessed through Room 120 of the Science (S) Building.
In addition to advising
students, this office is set up to provide
a broad array of services to students.
The services provided by this office
are listed below
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Academic
Advising FAQs |
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| When
and how often do I need to see an
advisor? |
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You
should see an Academic Advisor
before you register for classes.
It is best to come in before
the class schedule comes out.
You need the class schedule
to decide when to take classes,
but your Academic Advisor will
help you decide which classes
to take. The closer it gets
to registration, (or worse yet,
the beginning of a semester)
the larger the crowd wanting
to see Academic Advisors.
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It is important
to stay in touch with an Academic
Advisor so that we can insure
that you are taking the correct
courses, and that you are taking
care of the required paperwork.
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Financial
Aid Appeals: Students who require
an Advisor's signature for F.A.
Appeals must be advised before
the Advisor is able to sign
the Financial Aid form.
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Veteran's
Enrollment Certification Form:
Students who are receiving VA
benefits must get a signature
from an advisor before they
turn in an Enrollment Certification
Form.
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Graduation
Checks: Seniors who will
be
graduating are encouraged
to see an Advisor to do
a Graduation
Check the semester before
they intend to graduate.
The Advisor
reviews the student's Official
Degree Plan to make sure
that
all degree requirements are
being met so that the student
will be able to graduate
the following semester.
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Readmission
from Academic Suspension:
When
students are suspended
from the University,
they must
meet
with an Advisor before
going to the Readmission
Interview
in the NSM Dean's office.
The
Advisor and the student
create a schedule for
the following
semester and that schedule
must
bear the Advisor's signature.
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Advising
Stops: When students have
an
advising stop and are unable
to register by VIP,
then they must see an Academic
Advisor.
After meeting with an Advisor,
the advising stop may be
removed.
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What
is a General Petition?
General Petitions forms are available
in the Office of Undergraduate
Affairs and Academic Advising
(room 120 Science), all other
academic offices, in room 108
E.Cullen, or on the UH web site.
Most commonly, petitions are used
for change of major, transfer
course equivalency requests, course
overload requests, requests for
Core Curriculum credit of a transfer
course, and degree requirement
exceptions. Other uses are listed
along with an "Other"
category. Be sure you read the
directions of the backside of
the petition.
How do I
petition a transferred course?
Complete section "A"
of the petition then sign and
date it. Check line #11. In the
"Explanation Of Request" box,
identify the course and the institution
where the course was
taken and state which UH course
you believe is equivalent. You
must attach a Transfer Evaluation
(get one from room 129 E. Cullen)
and highlight the course to be
assessed. You must also attach
a catalog description of the
course
taken and, if possible, a copy
of the syllabus used for the
course.
Do not submit notes, tests, or
any other similar materials.
Never
submit original documents.
Where do
I file a petition?
This depends on the reason for
the petition but usually the Advising
or Academic Affairs
Office of an Academic Department
is where to submit it. Biology
or Biochemistry petitions should
be submitted in room 120 Science.
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- Change
of major is submitted in the
department in which you want
to major.
- Transfer
equivalency requests go to the
department that offers the UH
course you believe is equivalent.
- Course overload
requests are submitted in the
department of you major.
- For registration
in Special Problems courses,
Senior Honor's Thesis, or Senior
Project submit the petition
in the department of your major.
- Degree Requirement
Exceptions are submitted in
the department of your major.
- Finally,
when in doubt, ask your Academic
Advisor.
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Who
handles petitions and how long
does it take
to get a response?
It may take
two weeks to two months to process
a petition. It varies with the request
and who must assess it. When it
is done, a copy will be mailed to
the address you put on the petition
and a copy is put in your academic
file in the Office of Academic Affairs
and Advising.
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- Some
petitions require only Departmental
and NSM Dean's signature's
and get
done quickly.
- Some petitions
must go through another College,
so that takes longer.
- Some
petitions require University-level
assessment
(usually in the Provost Office),
so they may take longer yet.
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Generally,
the more signatures required, the
longer it takes.
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What
are Core Curriculum Courses?
See the class schedule (usually
about page 13) for a list of core
categories and approved core courses.
You must choose a course that is
on the list in order to get credit
for a particular core requirement.
Biology, Biochemistry, and Biology/Medical
Technology core courses are as follows:
- Social Science
- 6 hours (3 hours must be Writing
Intensive.)
- Humanities
- 3 hours
- Visual and Performing
Arts - 3 hrs
- Communication
- English 1303, 1304
- Natural
and Formal Sciences (see degree
plans.)
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How many
hours can I transfer to UH?
You can transfer a maximum of
66 hours for a two-year institution
(Community or Junior College).
There is no maximum number of
hours you may transfer from a
four-year, Bachelor degree-granting
institution.
May
I go to another school and transfer
courses anytime?
No. Your last 30 hours that count
toward your degree requirements
must be taken exclusively at UH.
This means you cannot be enrolled
concurrently at UH and elsewhere.
For example, if you take a course
in fall 2001 (even while taking
classes at UH concurrently), your
30 hours residency begins in spring
2002.
I
am a transfer student and I need
to meet with an Advisor. Do I
need to bring anything with me
when I see an Advisor?
If you are a transfer student,
we need a Transfer Evaluation
to be able to advise you. A Transfer
Evaluation evaluates how your
classes have transferred to UH.
Transfer Evaluations can be picked
up at 129 E. Cullen.
Why
did my Organic Chemistry class
transfer as non-advanced hours?
All courses, by definition, at
a Community or Junior are non-advanced
level (Freshman or Sophomore level).
If Organic Chemistry is taken
at a two-year college, then it
will transfer as non-advanced
hours. All courses transfer at
the level at which they were taken
and for the credit hours taken
regardless of the institution.
You will get credit for the course,
but you may be lacking in advanced
hours. Meet with your Advisor
to determine if this affects your
total and/or advanced hours. |
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How
many hours do I need to take to
be considered a full-time student?
12 semester hours during the Spring
and Fall semester, eight semester
hours during Summer II or III, and
four semester hours during Summer
I and IV is considered to be full-time
loads. What
is the recommended course load?
First-time college freshmen are
encouraged to enroll in no more
than 15 hours. Keep in mind that
science courses (labs, etc.) require
a lot of time; therefore, a student
should take this into account
when registering.
What
is the maximum course load I can
take?
For the Fall and Spring semesters,
the maximum course load for NSM
majors is 18 hours. A student
who is on Probation or Academic
Notice must not enroll in more
than 13 hours. The maximum course
load for the summer sessions is: |
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Summer I
Summer II
Summer I and IV
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7
hours
7 hours
14 hours |
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NOTE:
If you are working, the University
suggests you lighten you course
load 3 credit hours for every
12
hours you work. For example, if
you take 15 hours and do not
work,
then start a part-time job at 12
hours/week you should only
have
a 12 credit hour course load.
I am trying to graduate; can I get
permission to enroll over the maximum
course load?
To
request permission for a course
overload, you must submit a petition.
You must file the petition before
registration or add/drop. To be
considered for a course overload,
you must meet the following conditions: |
- Have a 3.0
minimum grade point average
in the preceding two summer
sessions (minimum 12 hours),
or in the preceding Fall and
Spring semester (minimum 12
hours) at UH, or
- Be in good
academic standing in the college
if this request is in the last
semester of graduation.
NOTE:
Your academic history is also considered.
You must have a history of taking
15 or so hours and doing well.
We
do not grant course overloads if
it is not in the student's best
interest.
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Can
I enroll in a course in which I
don't have the required pre-requisites?
Will I be dropped if I do?
Pre-requisites are strictly enforced.
At the beginning of each semester,
our department executes a pre-requisite
check. If students do not meet the
required pre-requisites for a course,
they will receive a letter in the
mail instructing them to drop the
course. See the Undergraduate Studies
catalog (2001-2003) for pre-requisites
to Biology and Biochemistry courses;
or, you may go to Degree Information
on our website to see a list of
all Biology and Biochemistry courses
and their pre-requisites and co-requisites.
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What
is a Degree Plan?
A
Degree Plan is an official document
that contains all the requirements
for your major degree. It shows
what courses you have completed
and what courses you need to
graduate. An official Degree
Plan is one
that
is signed by the Dean of NSM.
All students must have an official
Major
Degree Plan on file to graduate.
You must do a Major Degree Plan
no later than the first semester
of your junior year. This is
just
after completion of 60 hours.
If you try to complete a Degree
Plan
during the semester in which
you intend to graduate, your
graduation
may be delayed. The entire process
can take up to two months and
sometimes longer. How
do I do a Degree Plan?
There are
two steps involved when you file
a Degree Plan. First, you must
file a Degree Plan Request. If
you have any outstanding petitions,
you cannot file a request. After
turning in your request and picking
up your Degree Plan Packet five
(5) days later, you need to fill
out a Mock Degree Plan. Instructions
for each process are included
with the request form and the
mock packet.
Can I file
one now?
There is
a schedule for the beginning
and ending process each semester.
Dates for doing Degree Plans
are
posted at the beginning of each
semester. |
Readmission
from Suspension
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I
have been suspended. What do I do?
Readmission from academic suspension
is neither automatic nor guaranteed.
You must go through a Readmission
Interview in the NSM Dean's office
to determine your admission status.
Only the Dean may readmit students
on academic suspension. Before the
interview, you must complete a Readmission
Packet and meet with your advisor.
Readmission Packets are available
in the NSM Dean's office, and in
the Department of Biology and Biochemistry. |
Pre-Health Professional Students
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Is
there a Pre-Med Degree?
No.
There isn't a Pre-Med Degree or
Pre-Dental or Pre-Optometry, but
many students who plan on going
into these and similar health professions
major in Biology or Biochemistry.
I have questions
about medical school. Who can
help me?
Speak with
a counselor in the Pre-Health
Professions area for information
relating to the health professions
(medical, dental, physical therapy,
etc.). They are located in the
Student Service Center Building
(room 320). Their phone number
is (713) 743-8982.
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What is
an NSM Capstone?
The capstone
is an NSM requirement that is
satisfied by completing one of
the following: |
- An approved
minor (approved minors are listed
on page 16 in the class schedule)
- A double
major
- A double
degree
- A previous
degree
- A senior
research project (see an advisor
for details)
- A
senior honors thesis (guidelines
are
available in the BIOL and BCHS
dept.)
- 9 hours
from:
INDE
4333 (Industrial Engineering),
DISC 4332, 4364, 4368, 4370,
4371, 4374, 4375, 4377, 4378
(Decision and Information Sciences)
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Declaring
or changing your major/minor
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I
want to change my major to Biology
(Biochemistry, or Medical Technology).
What do I need to do?
Fill
out a petition form and submit it
to the Biology and Biochemistry
Department (Science, room 120). To
be accepted, your GPA must be at
least a 2.0 and you must have completed
a minimum of 12 hours at UH.
How do I
declare a minor?
Go to the
Department of your intended minor
to declare a Minor Degree Plan.
How do I
declare a minor in Biology or
Biochemistry?
If you
want to minor in Biology or Biochemistry,
fill out a Minor Degree Plan Request
form in the department. See Minor
requirements under Degree Information
on our website (http://www.bchs.uh.edu). |
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The
following is required for graduation:
- Completion
of all required coursework.
- Minimum
2.00 cumulative GPA
in all attempted
UH coursework
- Minimum
122 (Biology and Biochemistry
majors)
or 135 (Medical Technology
majors) semester hours
of coursework.
- Biology
majors: Minimum of
36 advanced hours
(3000 or 4000-level courses).
- Biochemistry
majors: Minimum 45
advanced
hours (3000 or 4000-level
courses).
- Minimum
GPA in major and minor
must be a
2.00. All attempted
UH courses in the discipline
will count
toward this GPA if
approved for use toward
the degree by
catalog description
(even if taken as elective
credit). All
repeated coursework
will apply toward the
GPA
- No
more than six hours
of coursework with
a grade below "C-" in the major
will be permitted (even if taken
as elective credit). Students
must be prepared to repeat coursework
when more than six hours in
the major below "C-" is
on their record.
- The
last 30 hours of your
degree program
must be completed in
residence at this UH
campus. Students
may not apply course
credit completed while
concurrently
enrolled in any institution
in the last 30 hours
of their
degree program.
- File
for graduation by the
deadline OR
you will not be able
to participate in the
NSM graduation ceremony.
Filing for Graduation
- To be considered
a candidate for a degree, students
must submit an application for
graduation to the Office of
Registration and Academic Records,
108 E. Cullen Building. Check
the application deadline date
in the class schedule. You may
file for graduation either the
semester prior to or the semester
in which you plan to graduate.
If you were denied graduation
previously, you must reapply
for graduation at no additional
charge.
- Diplomas
will be mailed within four to
six weeks following the closing
day of the semester of gradation.
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The
College of Natural Sciences
and
Mathematics (NSM), and College
of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Alumni Association (NSMAA)
offer the following scholarships
for the
2002-2003 academic year.
- The
NSMAA Scholarships
Scholarships for one academic
year (Junior and Senior students
only).
- The
H. Gordon Davis and Bernice Davis
Memorial Scholarships
Scholarships for one academic
year.
Entering freshmen and continuing
undergraduates.
- The
NSM Excellence Scholarships
Scholarships for one academic
year.
Entering freshmen and continuing
undergraduates.
Interested students
can pick up an application with
scholarship requirements in the
NSM Dean's office or in the Department
of Biology and Biochemistry. |
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How
do I know if I'm graduating with
academic honors?
Undergraduate
students who have completed their
degree requirements will graduate
with the following academic honors
if they achieve the stated grade
point averages in the last 66 hours
completed at UH.
3.75
to 4.0: Summa Cum Laude (with
highest honors)
3.50 to 3.74: Magna Cum Laude
(with high honors)
3.25 to 3.49: Cum Laude (with
honors)
You must also
have a cumulative grade point
average of 3.0 or above to graduate
with honors. |
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