Make It Count! Learn more about CPoS at KSU Enrollment Services.

Don't lose your federal financial aid due to your course choices! Talk to your advisor before planning your schedule.

Learn More

FAQs

Advising and Your Advisor

  • You are assigned an advisor based on your intended major. Find Your Advisor here.

  • Each school has multiple professional advisors to assist students. Professional advisors assist students with a variety of tasks, such as developing an academic plan or providing guidance with major or USG Core requirements.

  • Advising is an on-going partnership between a student and his or her advisors that empowers the student to plan for academic success. Advisors help students with the "here & now," as well as with future coursework and career planning. Among other things, advisors:

    • Empower students to develop their educational plan
    • Discuss appropriate courses & additional educational experiences, such as internships
    • Evaluate progress toward established goals and degree requirements
    • Refer students to the Department of Career Planning and Development to discuss career options and opportunities
    • Interpret & clarify university policies and procedures
    • Enhance awareness of educational resources, such as Counseling and Psychological Services
    • Have the knowledge to appropriately refer students to other important departments on campus, such as the Registrar's Office or Financial Aid
    • Help to develop decision-making skills
    • Understand and help to resolve transfer issues

  • You should meet with your advisor at least once per semester, but you should see your advisor(s) as frequently as you need to. Each of the Schools and departments at Kennesaw State has specific requirements for meeting with your Advisor. Many departments recomend that you update your degree plan and see your advisor every semester before registration. Feel free to schedule an advising appointment and ask your advisor for an explanation of the process.

Registration

  • Use the DegreeWorks web-based tool to know what courses you have left to complete your degree program. 

    Please be aware that most courses require one or more prerequisites. A prerequisite is a course you must successfully complete before registering for another. Please check the current Catalog for prerequisite information. You can also click on the specific class in DegreeWorks for this information. A pop-up window will display prerequisite info.

    Remember that not all courses are offered every semester and some alternate being offered in the daytime and in the evening. Some departments will have a tentative list posted on their website regarding their course offerings each semester.

    If you are uncertain about your major, you will probably want to take courses from the core, or consider taking an exploratory course in an area you are considering to major in.

    For further assistance with choosing classes, please seek your advisor for help.

  • As you plan your schedule, keep in mind time needed for class preparation, tests, papers, and projects. It is recommended that for every hour you spend in class, you should devote at least two hours to studying. For example, if you spend 3 hours per week in a class, lab, or studio you can expect to spend 6 hours devoted to studying for that one class. So, time spent dedicated to this class will equal approximately 9 hours. The more hours you take, the amount of time devoted to studying will increase.

    12 credit hours is considered full-time, but those wishing to graduate in 4 years should aim to take 15 credit hours every Fall and Spring.

    As you plan your schedule, take into consideration your non-school responsibilities, such as family, work, and other personal commitments.

  • Please consult the current Undergraduate Catalog under Academic Policies and Procedures regarding the policy for acceptance of transfer credit. Transfer.kennesaw.edu is also a great resource!

  • The simplest way to withdraw is through Owl Express. When you log in, you proceed to Registration, then select Class Withdrawal. You will be prompted to review university policies concerning the impacts of withdrawing from classes. Once reviewed, you will select "Proceed to Withdrawal Program." to review your class list. Carefully review your list of classes and select "Withdraw" from the eligibility column. It will take you to another page to review the changes you are about to make and the grade you will earn. It will ask you to select a reason to confirm the withdrawal.

    A grade of "W" will be assigned for the course. Please remember you must withdraw from a course before the midpoint of the term ("Last Day to Withdraw"). This date changes every semester and is listed on the academic calendar.

  • The best way to plan ahead is to access the phased registration dates on the Registrar’s page. If these are not up to date, you can also click on the academic calendar to view many important dates for the University including the beginning and ending of each phase of registration. The first available time for you to registrar can be found by logging into Owl Express.

  • On the Kennesaw State website there is a link to the “Schedule of Classes,” which is the Dynamic Bulletin. This shows the classes for the current term and also the classes for the upcoming term as they become available.

  • In order to take an eCore class, you have to complete the eCore online orientation and a short quiz.

    If you have not done this in the past, please go to the following website - ecore.usg.edu/ prospective/orientation and take the orientation and quiz. You will need your KSU student ID number. You will receive an email with registration instructions within 24 hours. Once KSU registration is opened, you will be able to register in the Owl Express in accordance with the instructions sent to you.

    If you have taken the orientation/quiz in the past, you can register (during open registration) in Owl Express.

  • Your math placement is typically determined by your high school GPA and ACT/SAT scores. If you would like to take a higher math than what your placement recommends, you can elect to take the ALEKS placement exam.  

  • The University System of Georgia (USG) requires all students in USG institutions to satisfy the United States and Georgia History and Constitution requirements prior to graduation. For KSU students pursuing a second baccalaureate degree, the history requirement can be satisfied by passing HIST 2112 or by passing the US and/or Georgia History Exam.  The Constitution requirement can be satisfied by passing POLS 1101 or by passing the US and/or GA Constitution Exam. We strongly recommend that you consult with your academic advisor BEFORE scheduling your exam.  Passing scores and recommended study materials are as follows:

    History
    US and Georgia Exam:  Passing score is 70 out of 100 questions - 70%
    Georgia Exam:  Passing score is 32 out 50 questions - 64%
    Recommended study material:
    - For the American part of the US and Georgia History Exam, any college-level US History textbook.
    - For the Georgia part of the combined exam, and the Georgia only exam; Myers and Williams, Georgia: A Brief History (Mercer University Press) or please click here for additional study information.

    Constitution
    US and Georgia Exam:  Passing score is 75 out of 100 questions - 75%
    Georgia Exam:  Passing score is 30 out of 50 questions - 60%
    Recommended study material:
    For the American part of the US and Georgia Constitution Exam; Janda, Berry & Goldman, The Challenge of Democracy (Current Edition).
    For the Georgia part of the combined exam, and the Georgia only exam; Please click here for study materials.

    After consulting with your academic advisor, click here to schedule your appointment.

  • The College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC) requirements are based on courses taken in high school. They apply to all entering freshmen who graduated from high school after spring of 1988. Some students have a deficiency in one or more of five areas. These areas are:

    • English
    • Mathematics
    • Science
    • Social Science
    • Foreign Language

    Students who have a deficiency in the areas of English and/or mathematics satisfy the deficiency by taking the CPC exam prior to enrolling in the University. If they pass this exam, the deficiency is satisfied. If they do not pass the exam, they are not admitted to SPSU.

    Students with deficiencies in the other three areas are required to take one course at the college level to satisfy the deficiency. These courses will not count toward degree credit, but will be included in the computation of the grade point average. A grade of a C or better is needed to satisfy the CPC requirement. Please see the current Undergraduate Academic Catalog for more information.

Degree Requirements

  • Undecided (also known as “exploratory” or “undeclared”) students are assigned an advisor in Owl Advising. Your Owl advisor is a great initial resource and can help you identify academic programs at KSU that are consistent with your strengths and interests. Additionally, the Counseling and Psychological Services center and the Career Planning and Development Department can help with choosing an appropriate major by providing career and academic counseling.

  • You can change/declare your major in Owl Express under the “Student Records” tab in Owl Express.

  • General education ('Gen Ed' or 'core') classes are those which are required by the state of Georgia to graduate from a university or college in the University System of Georgia (USG). All students are required to take a group of courses that provide a broad basis of education and context to support studies in their major discipline.

    All schools in the University System of Georgia are required to ensure its students develop an understanding of the history, political system, and culture of the United States ("U.S. Perspective"); are able to describe and compare how political, social, economic, religious, and historical factors affect various people, cultures, and societies, primarily outside of the U.S. ("Global Perspective"); and have the ability to evaluate and synthesize information to support ideas and solve problems ("Critical Thinking").

  • catalog.kennesaw.edu

  • Each major has a specific list of required classes for graduation. Current KSU students should check DegreeWorks for this list.

    DegreeWorks is a web-based tool through Banner Web that provides real-time information on degree progression. DegreeWorks lists the courses you are required to take to complete your degree at KSU. This is available to you 24/7.

    Login to Owl Express (enter your KSU ID & Pin) Select the Student menu. Select DegreeWorks – Degree Audit.

    Your declared major worksheet will automatically load. There is also a “WHAT-IF” tab that gives you an unofficial view of how your credits will apply to a different major. (NOTE: If you officially change your major, you will be moved to the most recent Catalog regardless of when you started classes at KSU.)

    DegreeWorks does not replace face to face advising. You should continue to meet with your advisor to discuss degree-related concerns. Prospective students should contact the major department of interest for degree information.

  • A minor is generally a set of classes that consist of 15-18 hours of course work in a particular discipline. Please note that some minors may require more than 18 hours. According to the KSU Undergraduate Catalog at least 6 hours of upper division course work is required for a minor.

    Please consult the current Undergraduate Catalog for minor information.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

  • Information on financial aid, including loans, FAFSA, Hope, and work-study opportunities, can be found online at the KSU Financial Aid site.

  • Your department may be aware of additional scholarships related to your field of study, in addition, the KSU library maintains books with information with various scholarships and grants.

Graduating

  • Prior to petitioning to graduate, you should verify with your Professional or Faculty Advisor that your DegreeWorks audit is correct and up to date. Additional information and instructions on petitioning to graduate can be found below.

    Information on Graduation and Commencement

  • All transcripts will include the entire academic record; no partial or incomplete record will be issued as a transcript. Though transcripts are normally issued promptly, requests should be made several business days before the document is required, particularly at the beginning or end of a semester. A transcript will not be issued when a student's record shows financial indebtedness to the institution. Transcripts may be ordered online at getmytranscript.com.

Getting Assistance- Academic, Career and Personal Counseling

  • The Career Planning and Development would be a great place to start. Additionally, the Counseling and Psychological Services Center conducts career and academic counseling. Finally, your advisors can help you see how your undergraduate major can lead you to many different careers.

  • Absolutely! The Counseling and Psychological Services Center is available to all students and is completely confidential.

  • Yes! Click Here to view current tutoring options at KSU!

  • If you have a question that isn't covered here, begin by talking to your academic advisor. Not sure where to start? AskAdvising@kennesaw.edu

©