Academic Advising

In addition to helping you connect with your assigned academic advisor, we can help you:

  • Change your advisor
  • Refer you to other campus departments to meet your goals
  • Address concerns with courses or instructors
  • Cope with academic stress
  • Register for courses through the Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities (ACTC)
  • Discuss the appropriateness of grade or refund appeals

Your Academic Advisor

During your first semester as an undergraduate student, St. Kate’s will assign an advisor who cares about you and your academic success. It’s your advisor’s primary goal to help you adjust to life at St. Kate’s and understand the requirements for your degree. He or she also can direct you to additional campus resources to help you succeed during your first semester and throughout your degree program.

At the end of your first semester, you will be assigned to:

  • a faculty advisor in your major
  • a pre-nursing advisor if you are pre-nursing in the College for Women
  • an advisor from the Academic Advising office if you are still deciding on your major

Pre-Nursing Students

As a pre-nursing student, you will have specific prerequisites to complete and you will need to closely track your GPA before applying to nursing school. We have resources to help you navigate this process.

Pre-Nursing advising resources

Preparing to Meet With Your Advisor

Your academic advisor will provide you with feedback on your academic progress and serve as a sounding board for your academic journey. Advisors have knowledge of campus resources that are available to help you when they can’t. They can also help beyond the classroom, with activities, internships, jobs and grad school preparation. You can expect your advisor to post and keep office hours, return calls and emails promptly and know the requirements and options for your degree program.

Choosing or Changing Your Major

If deciding on a major feels overwhelming, look in the academic catalog at the required courses for a field of study that interests you to see if the topics interest you. You can also connect with the Career Development Center to learn about the career opportunities related to a major or to connect with alumnae from your major.

When you want to declare, add or change your major, fill out the appropriate form from the Office of the Registrar.

Academic catalog

Career Development

Office of the Registrar forms

Taking a Leave of Absence or Withdrawing

If you are enrolled for the next term and you wish to drop all your classes or if you are not planning to attend St. Kate’s, please let us know.

If you plan to return to St. Kate’s after one semester, ask academic advising to process a leave of absence for you. Usually, students complete this process in person. If you have extenuating circumstances, it can be done over the phone. While you are on leave, you will continue to have access to several on-campus services, including:

If you plan to transfer to another institution, or if you have no plans to return to St. Kate’s, ask academic advising to process a withdrawal for you. Usually, students complete this process in person. If you have extenuating circumstances, it may be done over the phone.

Returning After Withdrawal
If you are a student in good standing who has withdrawn from the University, you may be readmitted by contacting the Office of Admission. Readmission is required only if you have been away from St. Catherine’s for more than one semester. St. Kate’s will not charge you an application fee.

Financial Aid and Withdrawal
The Office of Financial Aid can help you determine the impact of your withdrawal on current and future aid awards.

Office of Financial Aid

You may process your own withdrawal from one or more classes as long as you will still be enrolled in at least one class. For important dates and deadlines that will affect your withdrawal, see Academic Calendars.

Before the registration deadline, drop the courses. No course registration will show on your transcript.

After online registration, but before the last day to withdraw, the course will be listed on your transcript with a notation of “W.” To officially withdraw, submit a form to the Office of the Registrar.

Academic calendars

Office of the Registrar

Placement Testing for Languages

Placement tests evaluate your ability. This will tell you what course you should take, or it may tell us that you already have command of another language that will fulfill your degree requirement. Contact the Academic Advising office if you have questions.

If you earned college credit through AP, PSEO, or CIS, you do not need to take a placement test. You may register for the next level of language for which you received credit.