Advising

To declare a major in the Chemistry Department (BMS/MET/CHM/CHS/INS) please visit the Declare a CAS Major page.

It is NOT required that you make an appointment or see a chemistry advisor before declaring your new major. To change your major within the College of Arts and Sciences or to add a second major within the College of Arts and Science, go to the Declare a CAS Major page.

Please keep in mind that you will want to make an appointment with the department that houses the new major you are declaring. (Example: If you are switching from Biomedical Sciences to Biology, you will make an appointment with a Biology advisor for questions about the new major.)

While minors are not required, many departments offer an academic minor that requires approximately one-half of the upper-level credits required for a major. Students interested in a particular minor should obtain the specific requirements from the department that offers the minor. Sometimes minors help students when they need additional upper-level hours that are not science courses to balance their schedule.

Minors that require a declaration/application:

Languages - World Languages Department
Business - College of Business
Fine Arts Theatre minor, Dance minor, Art History minor - College of Visual and Performing Arts
Mass Communication - Zimmerman School of Advertising and Mass Communications
Criminology - Department of Criminology

Minors that are popular with Pre-health professions students:

Public Health - College of Public Health
Business - College of Business
Psychology - Department of Psychology
Behavioral Healthcare - Department of Mental Health Law & Policy

*Note: You cannot major and minor in the same department, i.e., it is not possible to major in BMS and minor in Chemistry.

If you are interested in double majoring between two Colleges (i.e. Chemical Engineering & Mathematics or Accounting & Public Relations, etc.), please speak to an advisor. A student at USF may receive two baccalaureate degrees provided he/she meets University graduation requirements for both degrees. In addition to the minimum 120 semester hours that apply toward the first degree and include at least 60 semester hours from a baccalaureate institution, the student must also earn at least a minimum of 30 semester hours in on-campus USF undergraduate courses that will apply toward the second degree. The student must also meet the requirements of the college awarding the degree and the residency requirement. Visit the Office of Academic Advocacy for more information.

Unfortunately, because of too much overlap in chemistry courses, students are not able to double major within the Chemistry Department.

Students are permitted to double major with Biology and certain Chemistry majors: Chemistry B.S, Chemistry B.A., and Chemistry B.A. Biochemistry Emphasis. Students may NOT double major in Biology and Biomedical Sciences or Interdisciplinary Natural Sciences because there is too much overlap between the two degrees.

The Chemistry Advisors are located in the Science Center (SCA 203) and we advise all students who are declared or intending to declare majors in Biomedical Sciences, Medical Technology, Interdisciplinary Sciences, and Chemistry. We also advise students who are pursuing a minor in Chemistry. Please see the Chemistry & Pre-Health Professions Academic Advising section for more information.

Email

• For more information visit Graduate Programs.

You apply for graduation by logging into Student Self-Service using your Net ID and self-assigned password, then you click on the Student menu and select Apply for Graduation. For more information, please visit the Registrar Graduation application page.

You can register for Commencement here: Tampa Commencement. Please keep in mind that you are not required to participate in the Commencement ceremony. However, if you do plan to attend, you must register for the ceremony separately from applying for graduation.

If you know the professor's name, you can use the e-mail search. You can find the e-mail search by going to the USF homepage and clicking on the link to the USF Directory which is located in the top, right hand corner of the page. Contact information for Chemistry faculty members can be found on our Chemistry Faculty Directory.

You must retake the same course at USF in order to use grade forgiveness. Once you complete the course for the second time, and the grade has posted, you can submit a Grade Forgiveness Form to the Registrar's Office in SVC 1034 for processing. Once it has been processed, the original grade will show as a forgiven grade, and the new grade will calculate into your USF GPA. Please keep in mind that while grade forgiveness will impact your USF GPA, both grades will show on your transcript and be calculated into your Overall GPA. It is highly recommended that you meet with an advisor before you decide to use grade forgiveness to make sure it is in your best interest. For the official USF policy on grade forgiveness, please visit the Academic Policies page.

You only have 3 opportunities at USF to use grade forgiveness with no more than one repeat per course.

In order to be eligible to use grade forgiveness at USF, you must have taken and repeated the course at USF. You cannot re-take the course at another institution and use USF grade forgiveness.

First Year Students

Students applying to USF with at least a two-part SAT score of 1330, or ACT score of 30, and weighted HS GPA of 4.0 are automatically invited to join the Honors College. Notification of acceptance is sent via mail at least one week after the USF Admissions letter, or after receipt of scores meeting these criteria.

Students applying to USF with at least a two-part SAT score of 1300, or ACT score of 29, and weighted HS GPA of 3.8 are invited to apply for admission to the Honors College. Students will be notified via email, which will include application instructions. 

Transfer/Continuing Students

Students entering the Honors College as transfer/continuing students must present:

• 3.5 cumulative and (if appropriate) USF GPA
• Two full semesters of coursework at a college or university
• 30 earned college or university-level credits (does not include AP/IB credits)
• Minimum of three semesters remaining prior to intended graduation date

Your Chemistry major advisor is specifically assigned based on your major and will help ensure that you are satisfying your degree requirements, staying on track for graduation and help you navigate university policies and procedures. Your Chemistry advisor can help with basic pre-health course planning to show you how the prerequisite courses for your pre-health goals may fit into your major requirements. The advisors in the Division of Health Professions Advising meet with any student with a pre-health intent and will help you build a competitive application. Health Professions Advisors will discuss your pre-health timeline, answer questions about health profession programs and provide recommendations for building a competitive application. Remember: if you are planning to go to a health profession program after your Bachelor's, you should be meeting with both your Chemistry major advisor and a health professions advisor every semester. Visit the Division of Health Professions for more information.

If you are majoring in Chemistry (CHM/CHS) or Biomedical Sciences (BMS), your advisors are: Ashley Sowell, Adelia Douglas, Durand Capers, Megan Stowe, and Lauren Harris. If you are majoring in Interdisciplinary Natural Sciences (INS) or Medical Technology (MET), your advisor is: Ashley Sowell. For more information visit CAS Advisors, or send an Email.

If you are a declared a major within the Department of Chemistry major and interested in pursuing a health profession after graduation you may choose to meet with the following pre-health advisors: Dr. Melvin James, Anthony Iannelli Jr, or Renea Forde.

If you are a current USF student, please use the online scheduling system, E-Scheduler. If you are a former or prospective student interested in one of our majors (Chemistry, Biomedical Sciences, Medical Technology, or Interdisciplinary Natural Sciences), you can make an appointment on this page.

No, if you are still officially declared in another department, but you intend to change your major to CHS/CHM, BMS, INS, or MET, you may make a 30 minute appointment with a Chemistry advisor via the E-Scheduler.

You must first cancel, and then reschedule, your appointment via the E-Scheduler.

It is recommended that you meet with your advisor at least once per semester, prior to registration for the following semester in order to ensure that you are completing major requirements. The Chemistry Department serves approximately 3,500 majors; therefore, it is imperative that you plan ahead if you wish to schedule an appointment!

It may be beneficial to review your Degreeworks audit before your meeting. Also, use the schedule search for the upcoming semester to start selecting courses that you may want to take.

Yes, prospective students are able to meet with a Chemistry Advisor. Please keep in mind that the months of October-November and March-April are peak registration times and advisors are at our busiest advising current students.  Schedule a 30 minute appointment.

If you are blocked due to cancellations or missed appointments, please send an email to (from your USF email address) stating the reason(s) you were unable to attend your appointments. Please be sure to include your full name, U#, and major in the email.

Follow the links below to find the contact information for your major

Biology Department Advisors

Mary Cuthbertson, Jessica Davis, Tarin Haydt, and Jessica Hoffman
Email

Science & Health Professions Honors Students

Reginald Lucien, Arnaldo Mejias, Amanda Cutchens, and Carter Harbert
Honors College

Non-Science Majors with Pre-health Professions Track

Dr. Melvin James, Anthony Iannelli, Jr., and Renea Forde
www.cas.usf.edu/healthprofessions/advising/

College of Arts & Sciences Advising
College of Business Advising
College of Engineering Advising
College of the Arts Advising
College of Education Advising
College of Behavioral and Community Services Advising

A course evaluation is needed to determine if a course from an out-of-state or private institution transfers as equivalent credit for a specific USF course. A course syllabus with a detailed description of the content covered is required for a course evaluation to be completed.

For detailed instructions regarding the Department of Chemistry's course evaluation process and to submit a Course Evaluation Request form, please visit our website: Course Evaluations.

For detailed instructions regarding the Department of Biology's course evaluation process and to submit a Course Evaluation Request form, please visit the following site: Biology Course Evaluations.

For detailed instructions regarding the Math Department's course evaluation process and to submit a Course Evaluation Request, please visit the following site and follow the instructions for submitting a course evaluation: Math Course Evaluations.

For detailed instructions regarding the Physics Department's course evaluation process and to submit a Course Evaluation Request, please visit the following site and follow the instructions for submitting a course evaluation: Physics Course Evaluations.

Under certain circumstances, students may be approved to take courses at another institution while attending USF. Students doing this are considered "transient" students. To receive approval and confirmation of how those courses will transfer back to USF, you will need to complete the online Transient form prior to registering for courses at another institution. Students should use the comment section of the online form to explain the purpose of taking coursework at another institution. To be eligible for approval, the courses you are requesting to take at another institution must meet the following criteria:

1. Course(s) must be necessary for graduation in current declared major. This can include courses which are prerequisite courses necessary to take other major required courses. -and-
2. Either:
   • Course(s) are not available at USF and are necessary to be taken this semester. This can include courses not offered at USF this semester, courses which are full at USF this semester, or courses which overlap with another required course. -or-
   • Student has an uncontrollable, necessary, and documentable reason which prevents the student from being available to take courses at USF.

1. Login to FloridaShines and complete the Transient Request, which is under the Transfer Students tab Transient Student Admission Application.
2. Your academic college office will receive notification that there is a transient request awaiting their attention.
3. The academic college office signs-in to FloridaShines to authorize or not authorize your enrollment request, and electronically submits the request to the Regional Records Office for certification.
4. If you indicate that you would like to receive aid for the course, if eligible, the college office forwards your request on to the Office of Financial Aid for their review.
5. The Records Office certifies your status and forwards the transient request electronically to the attending institution.
6. You are then sent an email detailing if your request was approved or not.
7. The institution you are attending as a transient student will contact you with further steps from that point on.
8. You are able to log into your Florida Shines account to monitor the progress of your request at all times throughout the process.

Due to recent changes in policy, students are no longer eligible to receive Financial Aid from USF to be paid at another institution unless certain, specific criteria are met. You should consult with your financial aid counselor to determine if your courses are eligible for financial aid. With regard to USF scholarships, you must check with your scholarship administrator directly to make sure they will accept the credits

Due to Chemistry, Biology and Math Department policies, if you take pre-requisite courses at another institution, you will have to wait until you have earned a final grade in these courses before you can be issued a permit for the next course in the sequence. For more information on Department of Chemistry courses, please visit our permit website: Chemistry Permit Request Form. For Department of Biology permits, please visit the following website: Biology Permit Request Form. For Department of Math permits, please visit the following website: Math Permit Request form.

For the Department of Physics, students currently enrolled in pre-requisite courses at another institution may request preliminary permits based on their current registration. However, in order to take your seat in the course, you must provide proof of a successful final grade. For Department of Physics permits, please visit the following website: Physics Permit Request form.

Example:

The General Chemistry sequence is comprised of two distinctive course meeting times:
Lecture – this meets 3 times/week and you are expected to attend each time. For example: MWF 8:35 AM – 9:25 AM.
Exams – these are approximately 4 times per semester and you only attend at this time on exam days. For example: W 7:35 PM – 9:45 PM.

Example:

The Organic Chemistry sequence is comprised of three distinctive course meeting times:
Lecture – this meets 3 times/week and you are expected to attend each time. For example: MWF 10:45 AM – 11:35 AM.
Discussion – this is once per week and you are expected to attend each time. For example: T 8:00 AM – 8:50 AM.
Exams – these are approximately 4 times per semester and you only attend at this time on exam days. For example: M 7:35 PM – 9:45 PM.

Example: 

The Organic Chemistry Lab sequence is comprised of two distinctive course meeting times:
Lab Lecture – this meets once a week in a lecture hall, and you are expected to attend each time. For example: T 12:30 PM – 1:20 PM.
Lab – this meets once per week for three hours and fifty minutes in one of the organic chemistry laboratories, and you are expected to attend each time. For example: M 12:55 PM – 4:45 PM.

There are two reasons why a class would not appear on the class schedule search:

1. The class is closed.
2. The class is not being offered that semester.

Examples: CHM 2045, 2046, 2210, and 2211 and their respective labs are generally offered each semester (although the number of available lectures and labs will vary from semester to semester). CHM 3120C and CHM 3610 & 3610L are offered predominantly during the fall and spring semesters, but may also be offered in the summer semester if resources allow. BCH 4033, CHM 4130C and CHM 4410 are only offered in the fall semester. BCH 4034, CHM 4131C, CHM 4411, and CHM 4611 are only offered in the spring semester.

Academic Advisors and USF professors are not able to add you to courses that are already full. It is recommended that you continue to check the Student Self-Service schedule search on a regular basis to see if spaces become available. Students are allowed to add and drop courses continuously through the first week of classes. Alternatively, students who are registered for courses but do not attend the first class meeting, are likely to be dropped due to the mandatory first day attendance policy. You want to continually be checking the Student Self-Service schedule search throughout the week for spaces to open up. If you secure a seat in a course after the first class meeting, make sure that you e-mail the professor to let them know that you just added the class and that you plan to be in attendance for the next class meeting. Communication is key and this can help avoid you being dropped due to lack of first day attendance. Communication is key!

A permit is an electronic approval that indicates to Student Self-Service that a student may register for a course. When the computer cannot recognize a pre-requisite (such as a course from an out-of-state or 2-year institution) on a student's record, he/she cannot register for those courses. The permit will allow the student to register for those courses.
Permit information can be found here: Course Permits.

To take more than 18 credit hours during a Fall/Spring semester or 14 credits in the Summer semester, you need to get approval by filling out the Request for Overload Approval form. Students must be in good academic standing for their petition to be considered. Students with GPAs below 3.0 are less likely to be granted an Overload Request.

Sometimes courses may have times that overlap and Student Self-Service will not let you register for them. Only in rare circumstances will USF permit students to register for courses that are scheduled to meet at the same time or overlapping times. Examples can include:

• 2 courses required for graduation, last semester for student, and one starts at the same time as the other one ends
• 1 course has a required common exam time which students only need to attend 4 or less times throughout the semester

To request a time conflict exception, you will need to complete the Time Conflict Form. Time Conflict forms must be submitted during the registration window. Time Conflict requests must be processed through the college with professor approval. Response time to your request will vary based on availability of faculty member. If you have not received a response in 1 week (5 business days), then it is recommended that you follow up with the faculty members for their feedback

Please see the Holds Page for all of your questions regarding AA, AP, AR, CC, IM/MH, or MJ holds: Hold Information.

First year students will have an AA hold placed on their account before they can register for their 2nd and 3rd semesters. To have the hold removed, the student must see an academic advisor to discuss an academic plan. For more information on this hold, please visit the AA Holds page.

The first time an undergraduate student's USF grade point average (GPA) falls below a cumulative 2.00, the student will be placed on Academic Probation (AP). From the beginning of academic probation, the student must maintain at least a 2.00 GPA each term, and may not totally withdraw from any semester without cause.

Once on Academic Probation, an AP hold is placed on the student's account, and academic advising prior to registration is mandatory until the student is removed from probationary status. The student may remain on Academic Probation indefinitely as long as he/she maintains a GPA of 2.00 or greater each semester. If at any time while on Academic Probation, the student's semester GPA falls below a 2.00, or the student withdraws from all classes after the fifth day, the student will be academically dismissed from the University. Once academically dismissed, a student may only return to USF under the University's Academic Renewal Policies. If academically dismissed from USF, a student may not return to USF as a non-degree seeking student.

Your completed Academic Regulation Committee (ARC) petition must be submitted, in person, to the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Office of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies in BEH 201. The personnel in the CAS office will scan your petition and return the original copy to you. Please retain your original for your records.

The College of Arts and Sciences will not accept incomplete petitions – you should have all supporting documentation sent directly to you and include it when you submit your petition. Remember that submitting a petition does not guarantee approval and you may be required to see a college representative before your petition can be presented to the committee.

A student may withdraw from a course between the second and tenth week of the semester (except for Summer sessions - see the Summer Schedule of Classes for dates. However tuition and fees will be assessed for any course withdrawn by the student after the first week. The student's academic record will reflect a "W" grade for any course(s) withdrawal between the second and tenth week of the semester.

Effective Fall 2011, all undergraduate students will be limited to a total of five course withdrawals while enrolled as a degree-seeking or a non-degree seeking undergraduate student at USF. The five course withdrawals will be limited to three course withdrawals for students with less than 60 semester credit hours, and two course withdrawals for students with more than or equal to 60 semester credit hours. Please see the Withdrawal Policy for more information.

Please contact your academic advisor and financial aid counselor before withdrawing from any course.

Please complete and submit all of the following forms to the College of Arts and Sciences Office of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies in BEH 201 (full submission direction are below):

1. Completed ARC Petition form.
2. Personal statement explaining why you would like to add your class or classes and supporting documentation for your reasons.
3. Instructor Documentation form for each class.

The forms can be found on the Registrar's Website:

• ARC Petition Form
• ARC Instructor's Documentation Form

Remember, submitting a petition does not guarantee approval, and you may be required to see a college representative before your petition can be presented to the committee.

Please complete and submit all of the following forms to the College of Arts and Sciences Office of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies in BEH 201 (full submission direction are below):

1. Completed ARC Petition form.
2. Personal statement explaining why you would like to withdraw from your class or classes and supporting documentation for your reasons.
3. Instructor Documentation form for each class.
4. Medical documentation as appropriate.

The forms can be found on the Registrar's website:

• ARC Petition Form
• ARC Instructor's Documentation Form
• ARC Medical Form

Reasons a late withdrawal would NOT be approved:

• I changed my major and don't need the course.
• I thought I would do better in the course, but now that it is the end of the semester, I realize I will not pass the course.
• Completing this course will hurt my GPA.
• I am trying to improve my GPA.

For more information regarding the Academic Regulation Committee Petition Process, please visit the Guide to Academic Regulations Committee (ARC) Petition Process.

Beginning in the Fall 2011 semester, students must meet one of the following criteria in order to be eligible for readmission following academic dismissal:

Academic Renewal I - Students academically dismissed with less than 60 hours (or greater than 60 hours in extenuating circumstances) will be considered for reinstatement to the University if they complete an AA degree. If reinstated, the student's GPA is calculated from the re-admission point forward. Students must complete at least 30 hours at USF following re-admission in order to graduate. Students must complete the Reinstatement After Academic Dismissal form, and check the box for "ARI". In addition, the student is required to complete the Academic Advising Record for Reinstatement Through Academic Renewal I or II form.

Academic Renewal II - Students academically dismissed from USF with greater than 60 hours may return to the university through Academic Renewal II, only with approval from the University Academic Reinstatement Committee. Generally such students will have been engaged in successful non-academic activities such as work or military service for at least one year, or demonstrated recent academic success of a minimum of 12 semester hours with 2.00 GPA, no grades lower than C, and no withdrawals. Upon return to USF, students must complete a minimum of 15 credits at USF from point of re-admission, have a minimum of 30 USF hours of C or higher grades, and have a 2.00 overall GPA in order to graduate. The GPA for students returning under Academic Renewal II will be reset to 2.00 following reinstatement. Students must complete the Reinstatement After Academic Dismissal form, and check the box for "ARII". In addition, the student is required to complete the Academic Advising Record for Reinstatement Through Academic Renewal I or II form.

Submitting a petition does not guarantee approval and you may be required to see a college representative before your petition will be reviewed by the committee.

If you meet one of the above criteria for readmission, you will need to submit all of the following forms to the College of Arts and Sciences Office of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies in BEH 201, plus a personal statement explaining why you should be readmitted and supporting documentation for your reasons:

1. Completed Reinstatement After Academic Dismissal Petition Form
2. Academic Advising Record for Reinstatement Through Academic Renewal I or II form.

All students petitioning for readmission are required to meet with an academic advisor in the degree program they plan to pursue. The best way to take care of this is to set a 30-minute appointment to see an advisor. Appointments can be scheduled online using the E-Scheduler.

For questions regarding ARC petitions, please contact the College of Arts and Sciences Graduate and Undergraduate Studies Office at (813)974-6957.

For more information regarding the Academic Regulation Committee Petition Process, please visit the Guide to Academic Regulations Committee (ARC) Petition Process.

1. The student should first meet with the class instructor to discuss the grievance. The traditional relationship between student and faculty member is the primary means of settling disputes that may arise.
2. If a resolution cannot be reached and the student intends to pursue the matter, the student should prepare a letter to the Department Chair detailing his or her complaint and the outcome of attempts to resolve the issue. Upon receipt of this document the Department Chair will meet with the student. The letter must include information pertaining to how, in your opinion, University policies or procedures were violated. More specifically, that "a claim that a specific academic decision or action that affects the student's academic record or status has violated published policy and procedures, or has been applied to the grievant in a manner different from that used for other students." If indicated, a meeting with the Department Chair, Instructor and student will be scheduled through the department office.
3. If, after the Chair, Instructor and student have met, a resolution is not reached, the student should request that the Department Chair notify the Associate Dean for Graduate and Undergraduate Studies for the College of Arts and Sciences that a resolution could not be reached. This request should be in writing and should contain the same documentation presented to the instructor and Department Chair regarding the nature of the grievance and description of attempts to resolve the issue at the departmental level. The Associate Dean will consult with the student, the instructor and Chair and may schedule one or more meetings which may require their presence.
4. If resolution is still not reached, the Associate Dean (or his or her designee) will convene a committee to evaluate the grievance. The committee will hear the complaint and the responses, review any evidence that may be presented, and make a written recommendation to the Dean. The Dean will provide a decision in writing to all parties within three weeks of receiving the committee's recommendation.
5. A student or the instructor may appeal the decision of the College Dean to the University level only if the decision of the College Dean is contrary to the recommendation of the committee, or if there is a procedural violation of the Student Academic Grievance Procedures. Please refer to the University's Student Academic Grievance Procedures policy for more information about this process.

You will want to follow up with your advisor to learn how the changes affect you. You can view more information on the Catalog.