Frequently asked questions

Popular questions and answers

What courses count for liberal studies requirements?

The university has selected certain courses to meet the learning outcomes for the liberal studies program. You cannot use courses with your major’s prefix to fulfill liberal studies requirements. For example, Political Science majors cannot use POS courses to meet liberal studies requirements. Please take the time to view the approved liberal studies courses.

What are general electives?

General electives are any (non-remedial) course that NAU offers. Students might need general electives in order to get to the 120 units needed for graduation.

What are upper-division courses?

Upper-division courses are 300–400 level courses. In order to graduate from NAU, all students must complete at least 30 units of 300–400 level coursework. These upper-division courses can be from all components of your degree: liberal studies, major, minor, and general electives.

What are prerequisites?

A prerequisite is a requirement that must be met prior to enrolling in a class. For example, CCJ 101 is a prerequisite for CCJ 210. You must complete CCJ 101 before enrolling in CCJ 210. All prerequisites for courses are listed in the course descriptions located in the academic catalog.

I didn’t get the grade I thought I would in a course. What do I do?

First, contact the instructor for the course to discuss the grade. Then, contact us at the SBS Academic Services and Advising Office to set up an appointment at (928) 523-6540.

What is a faculty mentor?

A faculty mentor is a professor from your discipline who works with you as you move toward your future career. You will discuss possible graduate schools, internships, research opportunities, and potential jobs in your field.

How am I assigned a faculty mentor?

When you find a professor you would like to be assigned as your faculty mentor, email us the following information:

• your name
• student ID number
• major
• minor
• name of the faculty member you would like to be your faculty mentor

What is a minor?

A minor is a set of courses that are sufficient to establish proficiency in a discipline without having to take all of the courses that a major would require.

Do I need a minor?

Most of the SBS majors require students to have a minor. Be sure to check with your academic advisor to see if a minor is required for your major. If your program does not require a minor, you may still complete a minor if you choose to do so.

How do I sign up for an internship?

Please see our internship page for deadlines, contacts, and procedures.

What is undergraduate research?

Each department has a specific policy regarding undergraduate research. Generally, you will work with a faculty member on ongoing research.

What is an independent study?

An independent study is usually a course where you work on research questions in coordination with a faculty member. Course possibilities vary from department to department.

How do I request official transcripts?

Current students can log into LOUIE and select “official transcript request” from the “other academic” drop-down list in the NAU Student Center.

Non-current students must order their transcripts through the Clearinghouse Welcome Center.

I want to study abroad…

Here are the steps you should take if you want to study abroad:

1. Meet with an advisor to see if studying abroad will keep you on track for graduation or put you behind. They will also make suggestions for the types of classes to look for when studying abroad.
2. Go to the Center for International Education and speak with a study abroad advisor about where you want to go. They will help you select a university and then show you how to pick courses.
3. After you have chosen a group of courses you want to take abroad, email the following to your advisor:
   • your name
   • student ID number
   • major and minor
   • where you will be studying
   • name of your study abroad advisor
   • course to be taken at the student abroad institution, including the course description in English
   • requested Northern Arizona University course including prefix and course number

Your academic advisor will send an email to you and your study abroad advisor with approved courses.

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Enrollment questions

Enrollment questions are the most common type of question we receive. We’ve covered some common enrollment questions below:

How do I get into a course that is full?

There are three main ways to try to get a seat in a course that is full. Please note that there is no guaranteed way to get into a full course:

1. Keep checking to see if a seat opens up. Students are adding and dropping courses constantly before the first day of the semester.
2. Contact the instructor by email or in person to request a class limit override. It is up to the instructor to allow or deny your request. They may not be able to grant overrides due to room capacity. If they grant an override, they need to either send you an email or sign the override authorization form. The form needs to be stamped by the department of the class to authorize the signature and then either brought to our office or the registrar’s office for processing.
3. Attend the first day of class with an override form in hand. If there is room, the instructor will sign appropriate overrides.

What are the deadlines to add/drop a course?

You can find important dates/enrollment deadlines on the registrar’s website, including the last day to add, drop, or withdraw from the term, etc. You can also find the last day to drop a class or withdraw from a course on your syllabus. If you have any additional questions about deadlines after looking at the registrar’s website, please do not hesitate to contact our office for clarification.

What does a “W” mean?

A “W” means withdrawal. A withdrawal does not affect your GPA or your academic standing. However, withdrawals can affect financial aid and enrollment status (full-time vs. part-time). Before withdrawing from a course, be sure to check with an advisor to see how it may affect your enrollment status. Contact financial aid about how it could affect future aid.

What is department consent vs. instructor consent?

Department consent means that you need to contact the SBS Academic Services and Advising Office for permission to enroll in a course.

Instructor consent means that you need to contact the instructor about a course in order to enroll.

I have enrolled in fieldwork or an internship, but the course is only showing as one unit. What do I do?

Please contact our office so that we can have the number of units corrected.

Enrollment has begun. Why can’t I enroll?

The two most common reasons you may not be able to enroll in courses are:

• There is a hold on your account (please see the advising questions for information on how to clear holds).
• It’s not your scheduled time to enroll. The enrollment times are based on units completed. This does not include current coursework or courses in the process of being transferred.

Why can’t I enroll in a specific course?

If you are not able to enroll in a course, an error message will appear. The most common causes of errors are:

• The class is full.
• The seats are reserved.
• You do not have the required prerequisite.
• Instructor or department consent is needed.

If you have taken the prerequisite but are still unable to enroll in a class, please contact us.

I transferred a prerequisite, but I cannot sign up for a course. What do I do?

It is common for LOUIE not to recognize a transfer course as a prerequisite. If this is your case, please contact us.

If a course is showing as open in LOUIE, why can’t I enroll in it?

The most common reason is that the seats are reserved for a specific group of students, like distance learning. If you have questions about the reserved seats or possible overrides, please contact us and we can explain the appropriate steps to you. When you contact us, please be sure to include what course name and number you are trying to enroll in. The course number is the four digits located in parentheses. For example, PSY 101: Intro to Psychology Section: 01-LEC (1468)