First-Year Student Advising

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Understanding Your First-Year Course Registration Process

The first step in the course registration process is to submit the required First-Year Pre-Registration Form. All first-year students will then be automatically registered for required courses in their intended major by the Office of Advising. You will register for additional courses during EmBark Orientation in June with the support of Student Success Specialists. Your registration is completed at EmBark regardless of AP credit, dual enrollment credit, and college coursework taken in high school. 

  1. Submit your First-Year Pre-Registration Form. Check your Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ email account and your
  2. The Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ Office of Academic Advising will automatically register you for introductory courses consistent with your intended major or area of interest.
  3. Your registration will be completed  with an Academic Advisor during your EmBark Orientation session in June.

AP and Dual Enrollment Credits

First-year students are encouraged to be informed about what credits they may be bringing in.

If you have AP credits, you can  to determine what credits you may have already earned.

If you are bringing in Dual-Enrollment credits, you can refer to this Transfer Equivalency Tool to determine transfer equivalencies for UNCA courses.

Degree Requirements

Degree requirements are comprised of Core and Major requirements. In some cases, you will also take elective classes to reach 120 total credits.

Course Program of Study Requirement

Stay on Track with your courses for financial aid eligibility

Course Program of Study (CPOS) is a U.S. Department of Education regulation that only classes counting towards a student’s program of study are eligible for financial aid. This ensures that students stay on timely progress towards their degree.

Therefore, federal and state financial aid is only awarded for courses included in your program of study.

Your program of study includes your  requirements, your major requirements, and any elective hours needed to reach the 120 total credit hour graduation requirement.

To receive a full financial aid award, you must register for a minimum of twelve (12) undergraduate hours from your program of study each spring and fall semester.

If a student’s registered hours do not meet this requirement, financial aid eligibility is reduced.

Your Academic Advisor & Major Declaration

During your first year at UNCA, a Student Success Specialist in the Office of Academic Advising will serve as your academic advisor and a core member of your campus support network.

You can connect with your academic advisor at any point during the semester with any questions or concerns. The instructor of your First Year Seminar, your PAL, and your RA are all important members of your support network here at UNCA.

When you are ready to declare your major, please use . Once you are declared you will be assigned a faculty advisor in that department. . Check the  for more information. We encourage students to declare a major during their Sophomore year.

Tips & Troubleshooting:

Which class do I absolutely have to take?

First-year students need to take their First Year Seminar (FYS 178) in their first semester at UNCA.

What if I have an A.A. or A.S. from a North Carolina Community College?

Your A.A. or A.S. means that all the  classes are considered fulfilled. If you decide to enroll as a first-year student, you still have the option to take a First Year Seminar to receive support with onboarding and transitioning to campus.

How do I get to 15-16 credit hours?

In addition to your First-Year Seminar, we recommend selecting 1-2 classes from the  (including LANG 120) and 1-2 classes from your intended major or majors you would like to explore. Most classes on the 100-200 level will be ideal for incoming first-year students.

What if I have Early College Credits or AP/IB Credits?

  • If you are an early college student with early college credits that will transfer in before your arrival to campus, and these classes are pre-requisites for a class you would like to take for your intended major, then use our  to check the transfer equivalency and fill out the (must be logged into your UNCA email) and an advisor will register you for that course.
  • Check out our  to see what courses you might receive credit for based on your expected final AP or IB scores. Fill out the(must be logged into your UNCA email) if your AP/IB class is a prerequisite for a course you would like to take during your first semester and an advisor will register you for that course. These scores are not sent to UNCA until July and will be reflected in GradPlan at that point. Final AP/IB scores might require final schedule changes.
  • Coming with a COMPLETED AA or AS from a North Carolina Community College/Early College/Dual Enrollment? You will be considered core complete (all  requirements are fulfilled) and can focus on classes in your (intended) major and – if needed – classes to help you meet the 120-credit-hour graduation requirement.

For Chemistry Students

– Enroll in the same class sections with other chemistry majors to get to know each other, form study groups with peers, and build a community of chemistry learners.

For Engineering Students

If you are interested in pursuing an Engineering degree, please contact Linnea Linton (llinton@unca.edu).