How is a student assigned to an advisor?

Freshman students are assigned to a first year advisor from the advising center. Students are assigned an advisor based on their interests in a major(s). Students with out a specific interest in a major are assigned to a first year advisor, as well. Seniors, juniors, and sophomores who have declared a major are advised by a faculty member in that major. First-year students have the opportunity to more to a faculty advisor over the course of their first year at Carthage.

When and how do I register for a major?

Many students will declare a major by end of their freshman year. Students should declare a major before the end of their sophomore year. Students that do not declare by the end of the sophomore year may not be able to graduate in a four year span, you can declare a major or minor at anytime. A change of major/minor form may be obtained from the registrar's office or the Advising Center. The student will fill out the form, sign it and drop off the completed form to the registrar's office.

How many credits will a full-time student need to take each semester?

Full-time students may register for 12 - 17 credits during the 14-week terms. While students can register for 12 credits, a student planning to graduate in four years will want to take 16 credits each semester. Students in good academic standing may register for up to 18 credits. There is an additional charge for registration in excess of 17 credits. Students wishing to register for more than 18 credits must obtain approval for the overload from the Subcommittee for Academic Review and Recommendation no later than the last day to add a regular course.

What is January term (J-term)?

The January Term offers students a variety of opportunities not always during spring and fall terms. On-campus courses include those especially created for J-Term as well as regular-term courses, some of which my satisfy Distribution Requirement credit. Students register for one course only, allowing them to concentrate study in one subject. All students must enroll in J-Term during their freshman year and in at least one additional year. J-term also provides off-campus opportunities, such as travel to other parts of the country and abroad, as well as "hands-on" experience through field placement internships. Students also may propose an independent study project under the direction of a faculty member. The J-Term catalog lists specific field placement courses that are available. In addition to these courses, students may propose their own specially-arranged placements through the Career Center. Students must consult with their academic advisors to select their J-Term course. Students taking an on-campus course and living in residence halls pay no additional room and board for J-Term. This is limited to full-time residential students registered for either the Fall or Spring Terms. Som J-Term courses require an additional fee to cover cost of travel and other course activities; payment of these non-refundable fees is due at registration. J-Term information is available on the Carthage website during the Fall Term and provides full details on the various courses, independent study courses, and divisional field placements that are available. 

How does AP credit work?

Advanced Placement Examinations, consisting of both objective and free response sections, are administered by the College Board to students who have completed college-level Advanced Placement courses in high school. A score of 1 through 5 is assigned by a group of evaluators based on the score for the objective section and review of the free response questions. Carthage awards credit in most subject areas in recognition of scores 3 through 5. Students looking for AP credit in Psychology or Physics will need a score of 4 or 5 on the AP exam. Entering students who wish credit for Advanced Placement must submit official results to the Registrar's Office. All advanced placement courses are subject to departmental review of scores and/or booklet before credits are awarded. A maximum of 32 credit hours of alternative credit may be counted towards graduation.

When are the registration and other important academic dates?

The academic calendar is available on the Carthage College website. The website address for the academic calendar is www.carthage.edu/academics/calendar

What is the modern language placement test?

Students that have studied a modern language and plan to continue their studies in that language can take a placement test in that specific language. Departmental faculty evaluates the indicator and recommends an appropriate class level. Students completing the course in which they were placed with at least a grade of "C" will be awarded credit for the preceding courses in normal language sequence, to a maximum of 12 credits. Placement tests are administered at each Advance Registration event or may be taken at the Advising Center.

What is the add/drop policy?

Please log into your Carthage account to add and drop courses online. Students will be able to add and drop courses online untile the semester deadline. All add and drop deadlines are listed on the Academic Calendar. The Registrar my authorize permissible changes falling within the academic rules of the College. The Subcommittee for Academic Review and Recommendation must approve changes involving departure from the rules. No student is permitted to add or drop a course after the deadline. Any course changes after that date must be made with the permission of the Subcommittee for Academic Review and Recommendation. A student may withdraw from a course after the add/drop deadline. (Please refer to the academic calendar for specific dates). The course will show on the student's transcript with a "W".

How many credits in a major and minor?

Credits for a major can range from 36 to 56
Credits for a minor can range from 20 to 24

How many credits are needed to graduate?

138 credits are needed to graduate and the last 32 credits need to be taken at Carthage

Explain midterm grades at Carthage?

At the midpoint (7th week) of each term, all faculty members are asked by the Provost to submit midterm low-grade reports for all students doing "D" or "F" work. Reports are distributed through the Registrar's Office to the students and their advisors. If a student receives two or more reports, the student's parents also will be informed unless the student is financially independent. Financially independent students must bring proof of their independence to the Office of Student Financial Planning at the beginning of the academic year. Students who have not shown proof of their independence are assumed to be financially dependent on their parents.

Explain the grading system.

The College maintains progress records that are furnished to students on a regular basis. At the completion of a course, each student is assigned a letter symbol: "A," "A-," "B+," "B," "B-," "C+," "C," "C-," "D+," "D," "D-," "S" and "P" for passing grades; "I" for incomplete, which is given only in special cases of illness or some other uncontrollable factor; "W" for official withdrawal; "U" for unsatisfactory; and "F" for failure or unofficial withdrawal. A student who has received an "I" must finish the incomplete work within the first four weeks of the following regular 14-week term, or the grade will be recorded as an "F." The student may file a petition for an extension within the first two weeks of the following regular term. Letter grades convert into the following point system for determining cumulative grade point average i.e.: an "A" is worth four points per credit.

Repeating Courses:
Only courses with a grade of "C-" or lower may be repeated. When a course is repeated, the earlier grade remains on the student's permanent record as an "R" and will appear on all transcripts. Only the last enrollment and grade will be used in computing the cumulative grade point average.

What is the summer class structure at Carthage?

The Summer Program meets the needs of day and evening students. There are three sessions during the summer: one session of all-day classes for two weeks; one session of daytime classes for eight weeks; and one session of evening classes for eight weeks. Summer classes are open to high school students, college students from other institutions, Carthage students, teachers, and other professionals. In addition, Adult Education, upon written request from a school, church, business, or agency, create credit courses on - or off-campus if a sufficient number of students is guaranteed. Contact the Adult Education Office for further information and specific procedures.

What is the process for transfer/correspondence credits?

A student enrolled at Carthage who wishes to apply transfer or correspondence courses taken elsewhere to Carthage must secure advance approval from the involved department chairperson and the Registrar by the end of term prior to enrollment in the course. Upon receipt of an official transcript from institutions accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and similar regional associations, appropriate value will be given for comparable courses or areas taught at Carthage.

Courses at other institutions are counted as part of a student's term load. Credit will only be transferred for courses in which a grade of "C-" or better is earned. Credit will not be transferred from a junior college after a student has accumulated 68 credits. College-level courses taken in high school are credited on the same basis as other transfer credits, provided that the courses have not been counted for entrance requirements. The maximum total credits allowed for specialized testing (CLEP) and correspondence courses is 32. Transcripts from institutions outside of the United States must be evaluated by Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.

How do you design your own major and minor?

The faculty has provided an opportunity for students with special interests to design their own major/minor programs. Specialized major/minor programs must consist of existing courses; proposals should be thoughtfully prepared in consultation with a faculty advisor and the department chairperson whose course offerings will be included in the major. A complete proposal must be submitted to the Curriculum Planning Committee for approval before the student has achieved senior standing.

What is the process to attain field placement and internships?

The field placement and internship programs provide students with meaningful work experiences that either directly relate to their career objectives, or assist in determining those objectives. The central feature of the programs is the opportunity for significant interaction between the students' work experiences and their academic programs. The following policies shall govern field placement and internships during the regular term.

1. The student may register for up to eight hours of field placement or internship per term. He or she may count up to 12 hours of field placement or internship toward graduation including J-Term field placement or internship credits but excluding student teaching. Credits earned in departmental offerings involving field work, such as Parish Service, Field Work in Psychology, and Field Instruction and Methods in Social Work, are to be included in these limits. Field placement may not be substituted for student teaching.
2. Placements are open to juniors and seniors in good standing who receive the consent of the supervising faculty member and the appropriate department chairperson or program director.
3. Attendance at a regularly held on-campus seminar conducted by the instructor is expected.
4. A minimum of two hours of on-the-job activity shall be spent per week for each credit.
5. The instructor will take into account the evaluations of the on-the-job supervisor, grading placements on an "A" to "F" scale.

Departments will have discretion in the determination of prerequisites, whether or not field placement may be counted toward the major, whether or not it is required for the major, and how many hours is necessary. Departments may establish guidelines in addition to these listed.

What is the Honors Program?

The Honors Program is a program of the Division Interdisciplinary Studies, through which Carthage offers enhanced educational opportunities to students with outstanding achievement and promise. The Honors Program admits only approximately 10 percent of the class entering Carthage each year. Generally, these students enter the Honors Program through an honors section of Western Heritage I (CORE 1100). However, we also actively recruit highly talented and motivated students who have completed at least 16 credits of balanced course work (at Carthage and elsewhere). These students may enter the Honors Program in the second term of their first year or as sophomores. While it is rare for students should discuss their options with the Director of Honors. Any qualified student may enroll in a particular Honors course with the consent of the instructor. For more information on the Honors Program go to their website: http://www.carthage.edu/honors/

What is the support for students with disabilities?

Support will be arranged for students with documented disabilities, attention disorders, and physical and psychological disabilities, attention disorder and physical and psychological disabilities. Students who do not have current documentation or suspect they may have a learning disability may arrange for evaluation services. Students are responsible for contacting the Diane Schowalter, learning specialist and providing current (within three years) documentation. In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Carthage is committed to achieving equal educational opportunities and full participation for people with disabilities. The Advising Center is located on the lower level of South Hall.

Are double majors possible and can they be completed in four years?

Typically, students are able to double major at Carthage and graduate in four years. There are some factors that will affect a student’s ability to graduate in four years. These factors include: credit requirements for both majors, if required classes will overlap in each major and how well the student plans out each semester. Your advisor can assist you in this process.

What happens at Advance Registrations?

During the advance registration, the student will learn about the Carthage curriculum. The advising staff will inform students about the general education requirement and some of the specifics of the various majors. The staff will assist students in choosing classes and alternatives for fall registration. Students will be expected to complete the modern language proficiency test. The test will assist in properly placing students in modern language classes. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions about Carthage academics. Also, representatives of the dean of student’s office and athletics provide information about the student life at Carthage.