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Office of Academic Advising and Retention

• About the Office
• Creating Your Academic Map
• • Advisement Report
  • Transferring Courses
  • Calculating Your GPA
  • Building a Class Schedule as a Second Semester Undeclared Student
  • Choosing a Major
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Creating Your Academic Map

Planning and preparing for graduation can be stressful for students, especially with the underlying question, “Will I be able to graduate on time?” Academic advising can help you reach your goals, reduce your stress, and assist you on the path to graduation.

Graduating from APU requires the fulfillment of several components. You must:

• Complete 126 units (excluding remedial units). Up to 73 units may be General Studies units. The specific General Studies units required will depend on your major.
• Complete all the academic requirements for your major and minor.
• Maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. (Note: Some majors/minors have higher GPA requirements. Check with the department or the undergraduate catalog).
• Meet the residency requirement. (See the current undergraduate catalog for the exact policy.)
• Complete the allotted amount of ministry hours for each semester in which you are enrolled.
• Fulfill all financial obligations to the university.
• Fulfill all other university requirements.

To get a sense of your progress in your required courses or credits and prepare for your student career at APU, consider this plan of action:

1. Gather your information:

• Go to your Advisement Report (home.apu.edu) and check your units and your GPA. Notice that your Advisement Report will give you a cumulative GPA, as well as a GPA for your work in all of your majors/minors. The unit total given on your degree audit includes completed classes as well as classes for which you are currently enrolled, and those for which you are pre-registered for the upcoming semester.
• While reviewing your Advisement Report, note what academic requirements are still needed. Classes that fulfill these requirements are listed under each section. Make a list of these requirements (or you can print out your Advisement Report).
• Check the prerequisites for the courses that you still need to take using the current undergraduate catalog (PDF). Make a list of these requirements. Read more about General Studies requirements.

2. Plot your future semesters:

• Using the Making an Academic Plan (PDF), make a list of the remaining semesters that you plan to be in school. Do not forget to list summer sessions.
• Start combining your remaining classes into semesters. Use the Guide for Choosing Classes form (PDF) to assist you in this process. You'll want to decide what mix of classes (General Studies, major, minor, Honors, etc.) you'd like to have each semester. You'll also want to plan your unit load for each semester, keeping in mind your extracurricular commitments.
• Check with the departments that offer the classes you need. While they cannot guarantee when classes will be offered, they can give you a sense of whether the classes are offered each semester, seasonally, or infrequently.
• Adjust your plan to include experiences such as Study Abroad semesters and mission trips.

3. Review your plan frequently with your advisor, and remember to be adaptable.