ACADEMIC PLANNING TOOLS
We define Academic Planning as an ongoing set of activities and tasks you undertake (with the support and guidance and assistance of your University Division, or UD-Affiliated, Academic Advisor) as you:
• Explore the academic possibilities offered by Indiana University Bloomington,
• Research all the options you have in order to make the most of your entire educational experience,
• Confirm the academic paths you have chosen to follow,
• Engage in the development of your own skills, knowledge, and independence,
• Prepare for productive and useful academic advising conferences,
• Organize intelligent, thoughtful, and appropriate plans for enrollment in each future term, and
• Plan ahead to complete the correct courses, in the correct sequences, in order to complete your degree requirements in the most timely manner possible.
The following academic planning tools are available to you to view and print as you need them. Be sure to work with your University Division (or UD-Affiliated) Academic Advisor to make the best use of the tools that will be the most helpful to you.
University Division Guide
The UD Guide is the introductory overview of IUB schools, degrees, majors, and other academic programs. It includes the most basic information about recommended beginning courses, admission prerequisites, and exploring all the academic options IUB has to offer.Explore Majors website
The guidance and recommendations you will get from the Explore Majors website will help you learn many details about all of IUB’s academic programs, the academic exploring and confirming processes, educational and career planning, and decision-making.Explore Your Options and Explore Your World
You have a lot to learn about all we have to offer here at IUB! The Explore your Options and Explore your World panel presentations give you the opportunity to meet with and talk to faculty and students in academic programs you might be considering. These sessions are NOT necessarily about any specific course requirements for any academic program. Instead, they offer you a bigger picture of the academic field, the kinds of things you get to study, the special opportunities for students in these areas, and the educational/career possibilities that can come after.Bulletins
The Bulletins are the official publications of the schools from which you will earn your degree. They note every detail, every rule, every policy, and every requirement you must complete in order to earn your degree. You may want some assistance from your University Division (or UD-Affiliated) Academic Advisor in interpreting some parts of these detailed documents.
College of Arts And Sciences
(Select the Bulletin from the year you first enrolled at Indiana University.)
Kelley School of Business
(Select the Bulletin from the year you first enrolled as a degree-seeking student on the Bloomington campus.)
School of Continuing Studies
(Select the most current Bulletin.)
School of Education
(Select the most current Bulletin.)
School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation
(Select the Bulletin from the year you first enrolled as a degree-seeking student at Indiana University.)
School of Informatics and Computing
(Select the Bulletin from the year you first enrolled as a degree-seeking student at Indiana University.)
School of Journalism
(Select the Bulletin from the year you first enrolled as a degree-seeking student at Indiana University.)
Jacobs School of Music
(Select the most current Bulletin.)
School of Nursing
(Select the Bulletin from the year you first enrolled as a degree-seeking student at Indiana University.)
School of Public and Environmental Affairs
(Select the most current Bulletin.)
School of Social Work
(Select the Bulletin from the year you first enrolled as a degree-seeking student at Indiana University.)
Program/Degree Planning Guides
Also known as ‘tab sheets’, the one-or-two page Program/Degree Planning Guides offer a very brief overview of the required courses for your intended degree program. They are often arranged as a checklist. They typically include very little detail, so using them in combination with a Bulletin, and under the guidance of your University Division (or UD-Affiliated) Academic Advisor is highly recommended.Sequence Maps
Some Schools/Departments/Programs offer additional guidance to help you see ONE way in which you may complete your intended degree requirements in a ‘traditional’ eight-semester timeframe. The Sequence Maps are only general guidelines, and assume you know exactly what you want to do from the first day you enroll. Seek the assistance of your University Division (or UD-Affiliated) Academic Advisor to help you understand how to use and alter these maps to fit your unique situation.Pre-Professional Planning Guides
If you are interested in becoming a thoughtful, well-prepared, and successful applicant to a professional school after the completion of your bachelor’s degree, you will want to use these guides to help you make the most of your undergraduate experience. In addition, the academic advisors in the Health Professions and Prelaw Center (HPPLC) will be vital to your planning process.Dentistry
Law
Medicine
Occupational Therapy
Optometry
Pharmacy
Physical Therapy
Physician Assistant
Veterinary Medicine
Search Course Requirements
This feature, available to you in StarNet3 (click on the Search Course Requirements link) allows you to search through the master Course Catalog to see which courses (mostly at the introductory – 100 and 200 – levels) may be used to fulfill the ‘general education’ requirements and admission prerequisites in your intended degree program.Academic Advisement Report
Your Academic Advisement Report is available to you in your Student Center. Click on the link titled “ My Academics & Grades”. Then click on the link titled “ View My Advisement Report”. There are more advisor-developed instructions on using this very interactive planning tool.Course Descriptions
Doing a little research before you actually enroll in classes each term is one of the smartest things you can do to ensure your future academic successes. The Course Descriptions page lets you view what faculty and instructors from many of the Schools/Departments/Programs plan to offer in the coming term. These descriptions tend to be much more detailed and useful than the ‘official’ descriptions you find in the School Bulletins.Credit Transfer Service
How do the courses you have taken (or plan to be taking) at other institutions articulate at IUB? You might want to know how they will transfer into the requirements for your degree. You can access the Credit Transfer Service database on the Office of Admissions website.Long-Range Academic Planning Worksheet
This worksheet will allow you to sketch out the sequences of courses you plan to take each term. Jot down a few ideas on this worksheet and take it to your University Division (or UD-Affiliated) Academic Advisor.Academic Planner
Your Academic Planner is available to you in your Student Center, under the link titled “Academic Planning”. This feature allows you to select any number of courses from the IU Course Catalog and put them into a list you save in your Student Center. You can add or delete from that list. You can arrange and sequence that list. You can split the courses on your list into any number of future possible terms. You can add notes or questions or ideas to any course or any term. And, you can show the list to your University Division (or UD-Affiliated) Academic Advisor.Choosing Your Major Workshops
You have lots of decisions to make about your academic plan! The Choosing Your Major workshops introduce you to an easy-to-use, step-by-step process to making good decisions for you about your next steps in your academic plan.University Division (and UD-Affiliated) Academic Advisors
Once you have done your research, Schedule an appointment (or appointments) with your Academic Advisor. Use the tools above to the best of your abilities, print (or note the location of) the information you wish to discuss, make note of your questions and ideas, and be prepared to discuss your academic planning with your academic advisor. This will provide you with the opportunity to get help from a trained professional in integrating the information you gather from this large number of and variety of planning tools. UD (and UD-Affiliated) Academic Advisors are experts in the degree requirements of all the schools on the IUB campus. They can also offer additional information and recommendations about the development of your academic plan and the uses of these planning tools.
