Academic Information and Planning

Academic Advising

All TWU students should meet with the academic advisors or faculty advisors in their major program prior to registering each semester to develop a schedule of courses needed to complete their degree requirements.

Working with advisors supports academic success. Academic advisors discuss with students their decisions about educational and career goals, as well as informing them about degree requirements and opportunities. It is the responsibility of students to investigate necessary resources and information to help them make informed decisions regarding their academic careers. Students should work with advisors to stay informed about current university policy, departmental scholarships, and support services. For more information visit the Academic Advising website.

Maximum Semester Credit Hour Load

An undergraduate student may not enroll for more than 19 semester credit hours during a fall or spring semester, or more than 17 semester credit hours during the summer, including Summer I. Exceptions require the approval of the department chairperson, program director, or associate dean. Exceptions will be considered only if additional course work is in the best interests of the student when the student is in good academic standing and has a grade point average of 3.0 or higher for the last two semesters. Students are expected to prepare for classes with a minimum of two to three hours of study for each semester credit hour.

Degree Audit

Degree Audit enables students to track their progress toward graduation.  Students should check their online degree audit record each semester and work with their advisor in planning or making changes. The Degree Audit system shows courses and requirements for their degree plans. The degree audit provides a statement of requirements, but the student is responsible for knowing the requirements for the degree as stated in the catalog under which he or she is entitled to graduate and for registering to fulfill these requirements. One year prior to graduation, an Undergraduate Degree Plan Verification Form must be signed by the advisor and submitted to the Registrar’s Office.

Choosing a Major

After students complete 30 semester credit hours, they must select a major and degree plan in order to choose the appropriate courses for the degree. No diploma can be granted without a degree plan, as shown on the Undergraduate Degree Plan Verification Form available online in the forms section of the Registrar’s Office website. Students should meet with their major advisors either one year prior to anticipated graduation or when they have completed 90 semester credit hours to run a degree audit, review their remaining graduation requirements, complete any needed substitution forms, complete the verification form, and submit the form with required signatures to the Registrar’s Office. Students should keep a copy of the degree audit and carefully complete the remaining requirements in order to graduate on time. Another degree audit should be run at the beginning of the final semester to assure that all degree requirements have either been met or are in progress. If documentation that the requirements have been completed is not submitted to the Registrar’s Office, the diploma cannot be granted.

To change a major, a student must submit the Approval for Change of Undergraduate Academic Program form to the Office of the Registrar. Change of majors after the census date of a term will be officially reflected starting the next academic term.

UNIV 1231: Learning Frameworks

UNIV 1231 is a one-credit hour course fulfilling the Component Area Option (CAO) in the TWU Core Curriculum. The course uses research and theory of learning, cognition, and motivation along with the application of learning strategies to positively influence college student success. The goal of the course is to encourage effective integration of learning theories with academic skills, personal well-being, and resource utilization among TWU students.

After enrolling in the course students will be able to:

  1. Evaluate research and theories of learning that impact learning and lead to development of effective learning strategies.
  2. Develop strategies for reading, questioning, and conducting academic inquiry.
  3. Apply knowledge of learning theory to development of personal effective learning strategies.
  4. Integrate tenets of academic integrity in oral and written works.