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Second-year Student Guide

Contacts for This Information
1. Rachel Most,
Assistant Dean

(434) 924-8873

Your second year is a time when major events occur in your academic career but support can be the least structured. We know you are facing some important decisions: Major? Minor? Transfer to another U.Va. undergraduate school? Study abroad? Internships, Externships? Successful students formulate and keep an academic plan by being well informed about opportunities and policies in the College, and by being in frequent contact with their advisors and their Association Dean. This page summarizes the important information you need to succeed in your second year. We hope that you will read it, print it, save it, and refer to it.

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Competency and Area Requirements

College students are required to fulfill a series of competency and area requirements. It is recommended that these requirements be completed by the end of the second year. As the details about the specific competency and area requirements you must fulfill are somewhat lengthy, they will not be included here, but you can find them on the degree requirements policy page. Use ISIS Online to access your VISTAA report.

Advising

Association Deans

For the purposes of academic advising, every student is placed in an "Association". The Association in which you are placed is determined by your first-year housing assignment. Your Association Dean's primary responsibility is to advise you on academic matters, to help you establish an academic plan, and to refer you to the various agencies and offices the University has established to assist you. Do not hesitate to call on your Dean. Each of the Association Deans has scheduled office hours in Garrett Hall, and the receptionists or the Dean's secretary will be happy to arrange an appointment for you. You will remain with the same dean as long as you are a student in the College.

Students should let their parents know the name and phone number of their Association Dean. The secretaries know how to contact a Dean quickly in the event of an emergency. A “Dean of the Day” is also on duty Monday through Friday afternoon from 12:30-3:30 P.M., and on Tuesdays from 2:00-3:30 P.M. in Garrett Hall (no appointment is necessary). Associate Dean Gordon M. Stewart is responsible for the administration of rules and procedures.

Faculty Advisors

Every second year student should have a faculty advisor. Check ISIS ( through ISIS Online) to verify the name of your advisor. Students typically meet their advisor during Fall Orientation. Although it is hoped that students will remain with the same advisor until they declare a major, this is not always possible. The College will assign a new advisor if circumstances arise which prevent a students current advisor from continuing to perform their duties.

Students who want to change their advisor should select another faculty member who will then notify us by way of a note you deliver or by e-mail (to Judy Mitchell: ) about the change.

Students often ask why they were not assigned an advisor in their area of academic interest. Experience has shown that students benefit greatly from an advisor whose academic interests vary from their own. Additionally, first- and second-year students often have multiple areas of interest, and most first- and second-year students change their academic focus before settling on a major at the end of their second year. The breadth of academic interests students exhibit and the rich diversity of academic disciplines at U.Va. make it impossible to assemble a group of advisors who share specific academic interests with each student.

At the end of the second year, all College students will need to declare a major and will then be assigned an advisor in the major department they choose.

All Faculty Advisors are trained to be general academic advisors, and are prepared to help you or refer you to the appropriate person, whatever your interests. Although your advisor will provide you with valuable help, at U.Va. you are expected to make your own decisions and to accept responsibility for those decisions.

Your Advisor CAN:

  • Give you sound academic advice.
  • Refer you to other academic support services.
  • Serve as a sounding board.
  • Help you choose suitable courses.
  • Help you select a major and clarify your long-range plans.

Your Advisor CANNOT:

  • Serve all your advising needs.
  • Tell you what to do.
  • Tell you what courses and professors to take.
  • Be your only source of advice as you choose a major.

Declaring a Major

In order to graduate you must complete a major in one of the College’s departments, interdepartmental programs, or in an individually designed Interdisciplinary Major. Declaration of Major Forms are available from the rack in the lobby of Garrett Hall. You need to declare a major at the end of your second year, and no later than your fifth semester, or you will not be able to register for classes. All College students are expected to declare their major by the last day of final exams in their fourth semester. Students unable to do so should complete the Request to Defer Declaring a Major Form by this same date. Students not in a major by October 1 of their fifth semester will be blocked from enrolling in their spring classes.

Information on majors, minors, and degree programs is available on department and program Web sites and in the Undergraduate Record. Your Faculty Advisor, your Association Dean, Directors of the Undergraduate Programs, classmates, the Arts & Sciences Council, and departmental faculty are all possible sources of additional insight and information into academic majors. When researching majors to see if they are a good choice for you consider the following:

  • prerequistes for declaring;
  • minimum GPA for acceptance or minimum grade accepted in courses toward the major;
  • degree requirements specific to the major;
  • internships and externships available in fields related to the major;
  • post-graduation career opportunities;

Scholarships and Fellowships

The mission of this office is threefold:

  1. to promote intellectual community within the College by encouraging academic achievement, research and excellence;
  2. to provide resources and support for all students as they explore research and fellowship opportunities and compete effectively for awards; and
  3. to celebrate the success of those who challenge themselves academically.

The goal is provide intensive advising experiences relevant for all four years of your academic career, and to help you to reflect carefully on your curriculum as it progresses. This office is therefor a place for any student to come to discuss scholarship, research, service, and academic excellence. To this end, we offer a variety of programs throughout the academic year. Consult the web page for a list of scholarships available to rising third-year students.

Career Services, Internships and Externships

Don't wait until your last year to find out about University Career Services. Visit this office early and discover how an internship or externship can help you. The UCS Web site posts weekly updates on events such as job fairs, job search strategies, pre-professional information, etc.

The goal of UCS is to help students make rational decisions about educational and career options. The UCS staff is well prepared to work with students to identify and develop skills and strategies that will be useful in the ever-changing world of employment. They have several trained counselors on their staff who assist College students with any career and job search concerns.

The office, located in Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium, is open 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. Inquiries for information or appointments can be made by calling (434) 924-8900. The Career Library, containing extensive written and audio-visual resources, is open during normal office hours.

Many of UCS’s services are designed to help students use their academic experiences to guide themselves toward specific occupational goals. A class which is especially valuable for second- and third-year students is PLSK 101A/102A , Career Planning, a two-credit seminar that teaches a systematic approach to setting goals and making decisions.

Through UCS’s EXTERN program, upper-class students can investigate career areas during semester break, spring break, late May, or during the summer months by visiting and observing the workplace of a sponsor, often a University graduate. Through the Alumni Association’s UCAN software programs, students can obtain career advice from alumni nationwide and at the Arts and Sciences Career Forum on Grounds in February. Minority Career Day allows University students to meet directly with recruiters from major companies and organizations. Through FOCUS, a computerized career guidance program, students can discover specific career fields for further exploration.

Stop by UCS in your first year to get acquainted and learn more about making the most of their workshops, print resources and electronic tools. Check the web site for information on choosing majors, career planing and more. As you consider majors, seek summer opportunities, ponder specific courses and their value in the world outside the academy, you should think of UCS as a valuable resource.

Study Abroad

Through the International Studies Office the College encourages students to consider studying overseas for a summer, semester, or academic year during their undergraduate career. Overseas study may be pursued in any field and offers an exceptional way to enhance your academic experience. The majority of students typically study abroad during the 6th semester so start planning early.

The International Studies Office maintains a Resource Library (216 Minor Hall), which houses information on U.Va.-sponsored programs as well as information on scores of programs sponsored by other accredited institutions. The library is staffed by peer advisors–students who have returned from study abroad and who are equipped to assist you in your study abroad research.For information on walk-in and appointment hours call 434-982-3010. Individual advising is provided by the Overseas Study Advisor, and walk-in hours are also available. Please stop by the International Studies Office, 2nd floor Minor Hall Advising Sessions.

A cumulative GPA of 2.5 at U.Va. at the end of the term prior to departure is required to transfer credits back to the University.

Intermediate Honors

Below follow the requirements to qualify for Intermediate Honors (Honors awarded at the end of a student’s second year). Don’t be among the few students each year who are disappointed to learn that they have “just missed Intermediate Honors because I didn’t know” these strictly applied criteria.

A certificate of Intermediate Honors is awarded to students entering the University directly from high school or preparatory school who earn at least 60 credits of course work at the University and are among the top 20% of their class in the College of Arts and Sciences. The computation is based upon the cumulative grade point average at the end of the fourth semester. The notation "intermediate honors" is also placed on the student's official academic record. No more than 12 of the 60 required credits may be earned on a CR/NC basis. Further, students need to have remained in Good Standing. Advanced placement and transfer credits do not count toward the required credits. No Exceptions.

Transfer to Other U.Va. Schools

Students planning to transfer to the School of Architecture, Commerce, Education, Engineering, or Nursing should visit these Schools and investigate carefully the requirements for entrance. These undergraduate professional schools are separate from the College of Arts and Sciences and have their own admissions standards, programs, and goals. Appropriate times for transfer vary among these schools. Transfer is not automatic; students enrolled in the College should not neglect College requirements in anticipation of transfer. Teacher Education students entering the Curry School of Education do not transfer; they are enrolled simultaneously in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Students should remember that some programs may not be compatible with the liberal-arts training expected by some graduate disciplines.

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