Undergraduate Advising and Graduate Advising

Regular contact with a major advisor is crucial to a student's success at Hunter. An advisor can help you negotiate the maze of academic requirements, select your major and minor courses, follow the academic path that will best prepare you for graduate school or your chosen career, and stay on track so that you complete your degree in a timely manner. Advisors are also an excellent resource for informal mentoring or for those times when you feel overwhelmed by academic demands and requirements. Unfortunately, many students put off seeing an advisor until a problem or crisis has developed, in which case it's sometimes too late to resolve it. An advisor's job is not to sit in judgment of you or your academic record, but to help you to deal with the realities of your life at Hunter, to get the most out of your education, and to graduate successfully.

Advising FAQ’s: Introduction

When should I see an advisor? And why?
You need to see an English Department advisor to have transfer courses evaluated, to declare your major and minor, and to have the Graduation Audit form approved. But we encourage you to consult an advisor at least once a semester, ideally before you register for the following semester's courses. That way, you will get the guidance you need in planning your academic program, while avoiding potential pitfalls that could delay your graduation.

The following lists show undergraduate and graduate advising schedules for the beginning of Fall 2008.

It's a good idea to be at the advisor's office EARLY because, though these are walk-in hours, all advisor's use sign-up sheets. Be here as early as possible and wait for the advisor to put up the sheet. If you show up when the sign-up sheet is full you must come back at another time.

Additionally, if you are planning on seeing an advisor to declare your major it's a good idea to make this happen BEFORE registration starts. Trying to declare your major during registration periods turns something that is normally quick and painless into an all-day affair.

English 498 in-Service Learning

There is no regular Graduate Advising during the summer, but see below for important information and dates.

CONTINUING MATRICULATED MA STUDENTS:

All matriculated students in the M.A. and Adolescence Education programs have priority registration and may register online at the time scheduled by the registrar. Department permission required for English 681, 700, 781 only.


ALL NON-MATRICULATED MA STUDENTS must see the Graduate Advisor, Professor Marlene Hennessy, for all course registration. Prof. Hennessy will hold an advising session on Friday, August 15th, 4:00-6:00 in room 1233 Hunter West.

TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED FOR ADVISING AND REGISTRATION

NEW  MATRICULATED  MA STUDENT ORIENTATION:

New matriculated students should attend an orientation session on Friday, August 1st.
Literature students 2:00-3:00; Adolescence Education students 3:00-4:00. Room: 1242 Hunter West.  MOST STUDENTS ONLY TAKE 1 OR 2 CLASSES PER TERM, AS THE WORK LOAD IS DEMANDING.

If you are interested in applying to our program, please consult the details available on our website (http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/~english) and contact me again in September.   Messages sent to this mailbox will not be answered until the fall semester begins.  If you have urgent questions or issues that cannot wait until then, please e-mail me at: marlene.hennessy@hunter.cuny.edu.

Graduate (MFA)

What do I need to bring with me when I meet with an advisor?
You will need to bring an up-to-date copy of your transcript (you can print an unofficial copy of your transcript from the Registrar's website at any time). This will save time and insure accuracy in your advising session.

If you need to have transfer courses evaluated (courses that are marked "See Dept" or "Pending" on your transcript), you will also need to bring a detailed description of the course from the original college's catalogue or website, or, if available, a course syllabus.
Finally, and most importantly, you should bring an advising worksheet, which you should fill out as completely as possible. The worksheet summarizes the requirements for the department’s various concentrations. Be sure that you download the appropriate worksheet (in MS WORD format) for your concentration: Adolescence Education, Creative Writing, English Language Arts, or Literatures, Language, and Criticism.

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