Frequently Asked Questions and Common Advising Terminology

Q. How many credits should I take in my first semester?

A. The recommended course load is somewhere between 15-17 credits. All students must take a minimum of 12 credits to be considered a full-time student and to be eligible for financial aid and on-campus housing. The maximum number of credits a student can enroll in during his/her first semester is 18 credits.

Q. How do I know if I need to take ENG 105, English Composition I?

A. Refer to the New Freshmen Registration website for more information on English placement.

Q. What math course should I take?

A. Refer to the BSN, BSHS, and BSPH requirements links on the right to find out what mathematics course is required for your degree. Also, read through the Math Placement website to learn more about your math placement and to determine what course you should take in your first semester.

Q. What if my math placement is not high enough to take BIL 150/151?

A. You can retake the ALEKS Math Placement test or take a different natural science (e.g., CHM 103/105) or complete a different required course in your first semester as you complete the necessary mathematics pre- or co-requisite. You have plenty of other requirements to complete in the meantime, all of which count toward your degree. Refer to the BSN, BSHS, and BSPH requirements links on the right to find out what other courses are required for your degree.

Q. Should I take biology, chemistry, or both in my first semester?

A. This all depends on your math placement and how comfortable you feel taking multiple university-level natural science courses in your first semester. Most BSN, BSHS, and BSPH students take at least 1 of these courses in their first semester. Students who choose to take multiple natural science courses in their first semester should expect an intense course load and be ready and willing to dedicate significant time to their studies in order to excel. Your placement into one or more of these courses is also dependent upon your mathematics placement. Click on the natural science course of interest in the CaneLink Search for Classes function to view the required pre- and co-requisites to ensure you register for the proper courses.

Q. What biology and chemistry courses are required for my degree?

A. Refer to the BSN, BSHS, and BSPH requirements links on the right to find out what science courses are required for your degree.

Q. Do I need to take a foreign language?

A. All BSPH students are required to complete a foreign language course at the 200 level or above. Foreign language is not required for BSN and BSHS students; however, foreign language proficiency is extremely important nowadays so students are encouraged to think about completing courses in this area for their Arts & Humanities cognate or general electives.

Q. What counts as an elective?

A. Anything. You can take any course at the University for which you have the required pre- or co-requisite and it can count as an elective, except for those that do not count toward the BSN, BSHS, or BSPH degrees.

Q. What courses do not count toward the BSN, BSHS, or BSPH degrees?

A. The following courses do not count toward the 120 credits required of the BSN, BSHS, or BSPH degree: DAN 101-104, ENG 103, and MTH 099. Based on your ENG or MTH placement scores, you may need to complete ENG 103 or MTH 099 before enrolling in higher-level requirements. Even though the courses listed above cannot count toward graduation, they can count toward the 12 credits required to be considered a full-time student.

Q. Who should I contact if I have additional questions?

A. Contact the academic advisors in the Office of Student Services at sonhs@miami.edu or (305) 284-4325.


Common Advising Terminology


Term
Description
Cognate
 Cognates are groups of courses focused on a specific topic designed to fulfill the University of Miami’s General Education Requirements. Cognates arrange courses into three Areas of Knowledge: Arts & Humanities, People & Society, and Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM). Each cognate is “at least three related courses for at least 9 credits.” Students must select three cognates, each with a different Responsible Academic Unit (RAU). Majors and minors can be used to fulfill a cognate in its respective Area of Knowledge. Several cognates may include the same courses; however, one course cannot be used to complete multiple cognates.

Students who pursue a BSN, BSHS, or BSPH degree may apply their major to the following cognate areas:
  • BSN (Nursing major) = STEM cognate
  • BSHS (Health Science major) = STEM cognate
  • BSPH (Public Health major) = People & Society cognate

For more information on cognates, go to http://www.miami.edu/cognates/.
Corequisite
 Designated course(s) students must take at the same time they take another course(s). These are listed under “Enrollment Information” and/or “Notes” for each course listed in the CaneLink Search for Classes function. Click on a specific course of interest to view this information.
Elective
 Any course(s) that count towards the 120 minimum credits for the BSN, BSHS, or BSPH degree and for which students have the required pre- or co-requisite. These courses are those not needed to complete specific degree requirements.
Full-time student
 An undergraduate student is considered to be a full-time student if he/she is enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits during the fall or spring semester. Students must be full-time to be eligible for financial aid and on-campus housing.
Official Records/
Transcripts
 Original records of test scores, transcripts, etc. that are sent directly from a testing body or institution to the University of Miami. Official records often include embossed seals and original, official signatures. These cannot be received directly from students.
Prerequisite
 Designated course(s) students must take prior to enrollment in another course(s). These are listed under “Enrollment Information” and/or “Notes” for each course listed in the CaneLink Search for Classes function. Click on a specific course of interest to view this information.
Swap
 CaneLink feature that allows students to set up a mechanism for the system to automatically drop them from a specific course and enroll them into another once the course becomes available. The Office of Student Services recommends all students register for a complete schedule of courses and then use the swap feature to try and get into any courses that may be waitlisted. There is no guarantee a full course will open; however, students can maximize their chances of getting into a waitlisted course by properly utilizing the swap feature.

For more information on the swap feature, check out the New Freshmen Registration swap tutorial video, as well as the UASP swap tutorial developed by our colleagues (Note: Be sure to read the information listed under “SHOW MORE” area of the UASP video to learn the specific details of what you must account for when setting up the swap feature in order to utilize it effectively).
Unofficial Records/
Transcripts
 Unofficial records of test scores, transcripts, etc. printed or produced by students from online resources or original documentation. These are often used as proof students meet specific criteria for enrollment, etc. and to facilitate registration or other processes before original documentation is received by the University.
Waitlist
 CaneLink feature that allows students to set up a mechanism for the system to automatically enroll them into a course once it becomes available. The Office of Student Services recommends all students register for a complete schedule of courses and then use the waitlist feature as needed. Check out “swap” above to learn how it compares to the waitlist feature.

For more information on the waitlist feature, check out the New Freshmen Registration waitlist tutorial video.
Withdraw
(from a course)
 When students drop a course after the initial drop deadline but before the final drop deadline and they receive a “W” (withdraw) on their transcripts.

One or two “Ws” are okay. All one or two “Ws” mean is the student withdrew from a course later in a given semester for any one of an infinite number of reasons (e.g., illness). By contrast, a student should avoid more than two “Ws” as it starts to paint a picture the student cannot plan effectively, quits when things get tough, etc. Students who are thinking about withdrawing from a course are encouraged to speak with an academic advisor in the Office of Student Services.
Withdraw
(from the University)
 When students drop an entire semester of courses and leave the University for a period of time. Students who are considering a withdraw from the University must speak with an academic advisor in the Office of Student Services.