Each semester during the advising period before registration, you need to see you advisor to get your Hold released for registering through MyPack. Although either your CALS or CHASS advisor alone can do this, you need to talk to both! Jefferson Scholars may register earlier than the category determined by completed credit hours alone.
Dr. Kimler and Dr. Jordan are happy to talk to you at any time, for advice, help with problems, or contacts with the right person to help.
Until you have declared your CHASS major, you need to ensure that any Humanities & Social Sciences courses you take also meet the CHASS degree requirements. These are listed in the CHASS "Key Points of Information" advising handbook online. This will also help your CALS advisor in planning appropriate courses for the CHASS general requirements. Dr. Kimler also will be happy to assist you in picking courses.
Remember, you must declare your CHASS major by the end of your second year (which really means meeting the February 15 deadline in the Spring semester). The form is at
http://www.chass.ncsu.edu/docs/academic/CHASS_transfer_policy.pdf
If you decide to design your own Interdisciplinary Studies Self-Designed Degree Program (BA or BS degree), Sandra Stallings
(208 Winston, 515-9739, sandra_stallings@ncsu.edu) will help you find a sponsor and prepare your proposal [theme and courses] to be submitted to the IDS Self-Designed Major Committee.
It is your responsibility to let Dr. Kimler know when you will wish to do the Independent Study for the Jefferson Senior Paper, either in Fall or Spring of your last year. In general, it is a good idea to keep the advisors well-advised of your plans, your schedule for graduating, and any problems or special needs you have.
Special Advice for First-year Jeffersons
The first required course for Jefferson Scholars is a course with one of the program faculty, Dr. Bob Beckmann. Right away in the Fall semester, you will take PB 219 (Plants in Folklore, Myth & Religion). We want the whole incoming class of Jeffersons in this classroom experience together. Your schedule at Orientation should show you already signed into the course.
In general, don't worry about your Humanities & Social Science (CHASS) major during your first semester. It's a good idea to take those math and chemistry courses you need for biology, and perhaps starts with General Education Program (GEP -- start learning the acronyms and jargon!) requirements for courses.
The math and science courses in your College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) major will take care of those requirements in your CHASS major.
If you do have room in your Fall schedule, Foreign Language is a really good class to take while it's fresh from high school. The CHASS requirement for at least one semester of foreign language at the 201 course-level is one of the big differences in the requirements between your two degree requirements. If you made good grades in language in high school, you have been notified that you have met the University proficiency requirement. This is not the same as satisfying the CHASS requirement.
If you have not placed out of Foreign Language, you need to take a placement test during Orientation (it takes about 30 minutes). We offer computerized placement tests in French, German, Spanish, and Latin. You can find placement information at http://fll.chass.ncsu.edu/undergraduate/place.php.
If you have space or would rather take an introductory (200-level) History or English or social science class in the Fall, make sure that the one you pick meets the distribution requirements for CHASS. You need to satisfy the CHASS requirements in the humanities and social sciences, which will be more than adequate for your CALS curriculum. For guidance, see the CHASS Key Points booklet.
One thing to remember is that CHASS has lists of required "groups" of courses in History and Literature. For example, the History requirement is for two 200-level courses (6 hours): one about non-Western societies and one about European or American societies. Check carefully to see which courses will be satisfied by any of your AP or IB credit.
Unfortunately, the Keypoints booklet doesn’t list specific courses that satisfy the particular requirements, such as History I or Literature II. You don’t want to take one that is already covered by AP credit, for instance.
And you have to be careful with the introductory courses in your possible CHASS major, as each major suggests particular introductory courses that are most suitable or required.
So it’s a good idea to check the requirements for the major you are intending, and take the recommended introductory (200-level) courses. There are a few ways to see what your possible CHASS degree will require:
- You can use the MyPack system to look at the “What If?” Degree Audit plans for possible majors.
- Explore the department’s website, as many have information or advising handbooks.
- You could go directly to the list of CHASS degrees and look at the “8-semester displays” of all requirements. The footnotes on each page will give you specific courses that fit: http://www.ncsu.edu/registrar/curricula/chass/
- You could make an appointment with an advisor in the department. If there’s a “Director of Advising” Or “Director of Undergraduate Studies” listed, that’s the best person to call. Be sure to tell the advisor that this will be a second degree, and that you have CALS requirements in math and science.
- At any time, you can ask Dr. Kimler. He will be happy to meet with you, answer whatever questions he can, or direct you to the right person.
If you want to start in the social sciences, do not take ANT 252 (Cultural Anthropology), because we have a special, required section of that for you in your second year. Because you'll need courses in 3 different social sciences, you might look for something other than anthropology.
Another category of the General Education Program is Interdisciplinary Perspectives (IP). The courses for Jefferson Scholars will completely fulfill that requirement. Dr. Beckmann’s course is one of them. The required course for your third year as a Jefferson Scholar will be a special history of biology course (HI 481H) with Dr. Kimler, and it satisfies the rest of your IP requirement. It does not satisfy the CHASS requirement for History I and II.
Many of you know what your CHASS major is going to be, but you won’t declare it during Orientation. After you’ve completed 12 hours at State (your first semester) with a 3.0 GPA, you will be automatically accepted into the major of your choice. You will go in January to the CHASS Dean’s Office (106 Caldwell Hall) with the form found at
http://www.chass.ncsu.edu/docs/academic/CHASS_transfer_policy.pdf
If you don't already know what humanities or social science major you want, don't worry! Take some intro courses, explore, talk to other Jeffersons and the faculty, and think about it. There will be time to declare it during your first year. The older Jefferson Scholars are a wonderful source of information and advice, so ask away!
