Academic Onboarding

Below you will find the essential tools and deadlines to help you build your first-semester schedule and connect with your academic support team.

Quick Links

Selecting Your Courses

Action Item: Participate in faculty advising sessions via Zoom from May 29 – June 16.

Major Requirements

Use the Online Catalog to find the courses required for any potential major. You can also use this List of Majors to view their initial requirements.

Placement Exams

Find Information about math, computer Science and language placement exams here. Please note: many students do NOT take any placement exams.

  • Math Placement Support: In addition to the Math Placement Exam linked above, the Math Department will be holding 1 hour drop-in sessions to answer any questions about math placement that you have. Please use this Zoom link during any of the following days/times:
    • June 4 at 11 am
    • June 9 at 7 am
    • June 10 at 2 pm
    • June 11 at 10 am
    • June 16 at 1 pm and 6 pm

Pre-Health

Interested in medical, dental, nursing or vet school? You will want to connect to our Pre-Health Office. A Pre-Health Zoom session will be held on June 9 at 11 am EST. Registration is required. If you cannot make this, don’t worry. You can also connect to the office through their webpage.

First-generation and/or low-income students

Please look at our resource page for First Generation/Low-Income Students and sign up for our Fearless First Academy. (More information coming soon by email on how to apply!)

hear from students! Watch these videos from Department Liaisons that explain the beginnings of several (but not all) majors.

Registering for Classes

Fall course registration is from June 17 to June 29.

How to Register

  • You will receive an email from the Registrar with instructions for registration. The sooner you register, the more likely you’ll enroll in your first-choice classes.
  • You can start putting courses in your “cart” before your registration day and time. This will help you register as quickly as possible.
  • We recommend making a list of alternative classes before you register, in case one or more of your choices has a waitlist. These can also be in your “cart” to be accessed quickly if needed.

Add/drop period

You will have the opportunity to make changes during the add/drop period at the start of the semester after you meet with your assigned academic advisor.

Need help?

Technical Issues: If you have any technical difficulty with registration, please contact the Office of the Registrar at registrar@mtholyoke.edu or 413-538-2025.

Course Selection: Kim Parent, the Academic Dean for New Students, is happy to answer any questions during the registration process through email at advising-firstyear@mtholyoke.edu.

Preparing for August Advising

Advisor Assignment

You will be assigned an academic advisor in August.

Initial Meeting

You will meet individually with your advisor via Zoom before arriving to campus to make any necessary changes to your schedule when the add/drop period opens on Sept. 2.

Orientation Meeting

You will meet again with your advisor at the beginning of Orientation with the other students in your advisor’s cohort. This will allow you to get to know your advisor more and to know other students in your advising cohort.

Action Item

Complete the New Student’s Initial Information for Advisors questionnaire by June 30. (Refer to Step 1 of the First-Year Guide for instructions on how to access the form).

  • This will help in the advising assignment process and will allow your advisor to get to know you better.