Department of Health Sciences
Academic Advisor
Department of Health Sciences
Illinois State University
The answers to these frequently asked questions pertain only to academic advising in the Department of Health Sciences at Illinois State University.
Q: Can I make an appointment for advising?
A: Absolutely! Everyone is welcome to schedule an appointment to meet with the advisor in Health Sciences. You need not be a declared major or minor in the Department of Health Sciences. Simply call the main office and schedule an appointment. Information about scheduling appointments is located on the Make an Advising Appointment link.
Q: What is an override?
A: There are a couple of different types of overrides. A full class override is given when a class is full, but a student is given permission by the advisor to enroll anyway.
A pre-requisite override is unusual and is given when students are allowed to enroll into a class for which they do not meet the pre-requisites. Sometimes, students have satisfied the pre-requisites with a transfer course, but the computer system doesn't recognize it. This would be a good reason for a pre-requisite override.
Q: How do I get an override for an HSC class?
A: You may submit an override request at the following link: Override Request Form. Your request is electronically submitted to the advisor, who reviews it and then notifies you whether or not the override can be given.
Q: Are there walk-in hours for advising?
A: No, not officially. Appointments for advising are much preferred because it allows time for preparation in advance of the appointment and it allows adequate time to be set aside for your appointment.
Q: Where do I send my transcripts for transfer courses I've completed?
A: Official transcripts are sent by the host institution to Illinois State Undergraduate Evaluations, Campus Box 2202, Normal, IL 61790-2202. Please do not send transcripts to me. Once the envelope is opened, transcripts are no longer considered official and you will have to send another.
Q: Do transfer courses affect my GPA?
A: No. Your GPA is calculated only with coursework you've completed at ISU.
Q: How do I know if a transfer course will "count"?
A: Utilize the Course Transfer Guides. Double check with me if you aren't sure.
Q: I received a letter saying I have to apply for graduation, but I have several semesters yet to go. What's going on?
A: Undergraduate Evaluations in the Office of the Registrar automatically generates letters when students have completed 80 credit hours. It doesn't mean that you are running out of time. It is a good idea to apply for graduation at this point because your application will generate an official degree audit. The audit will point out all deficiencies that stand between you and your degree. It is much better to have several semesters in which to correct these decficiencies, than to find out at the last minute that there is a problem.
Q: I took a course that should count in my major, but it doesn't show up on my Progress Toward Degree Summary. What's the problem?
A: If a course counts in your program as an elective option, or if there is an opportunity to take one of several different courses to meet a certain requirement, I have to update your plan of study before it will appear on the Progress Toward Degree Summary. This process takes only a few seconds in most cases.
Q: How do the five different major programs in Health Sciences compare and relate to one another?
A: Please refer to this grid. It compares the programs in a variety of ways. Health Sciences Majors
