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The Academic Success Center

Director: Dr. Robert M. Otten

Academic Counselors: Amy Clay, Rhett Leverett

The Academic Success Center (ASC) at Marymount University assists students in setting and achieving their academic goals. The Center offers academic advising to students who prefer the advantages of entering the University as an undeclared major.

The Undeclared Major

Some students are uncertain of their choice of major and choose to enter the University as undeclared. For such students the Academic Success Center facilitates the process of choosing a major. Beginning studies as an undeclared major allows the student to take time for careful reflection in selecting a major that best suits his/her interests and abilities.

An undeclared student must choose a major by the end of his or her sophomore year because traditionally a student’s junior and senior years are devoted to taking classes within the major. The ASC encourages undeclared students to begin narrowing down their potential majors following the conclusion of the freshman year.

Typically, there are three types of undeclared students, each with a different suggested first-year course plan.

Undeclared Major Option 1

This option should be chosen by students who are open to many possibilities or have no clear idea of how to choose a major. The focus will be on taking classes required for the Liberal Arts Core.

Suggested course plan

Year One

Fall

  • ECO/POL/PSY/SOC 100 Introduction to the Social Sciences*
  • EN 101 Composition I*
  • Health elective*
  • Humanities (History) elective*
  • Humanities (Theology/Religious Studies) elective*
  • SEM 101 Freshman Seminar

Spring

  • EN 102 Composition II*
  • Humanities (Philosophy) elective*
  • Science elective*
  • Social Sciences elective*
  • Explore elective**

*See Liberal Arts Core requirements for details.
**Explore electives: These should be selected from courses in the subject area(s) in which the student is considering a major.

Undeclared Major Option 2

This should be chosen by students who are able to narrow down their choice of major to two or three possibilities. In addition to taking Liberal Arts Core requirements, these students will take introductory courses in several fields of interest.

Suggested course plan

Year One

Fall

  • ECO/POL/PSY/SOC 100 Introduction to the Social Sciences*
  • EN 101 Composition I*
  • Health elective*
  • Humanities (Theology/Religious Studies) elective*
  • Explore elective**
  • SEM 101 Freshman Seminar

Spring

  • EN 102 Composition II*
  • Humanities (Philosophy) elective*
  • Humanities (History) elective*
  • Social Sciences elective*
  • Explore elective**

*See Liberal Arts Core requirements for details.
**Explore electives: These should be selected from courses in the subject area(s) in which the student is considering a major.

Undeclared Major Option 3

This should be chosen by students who are able to narrow down their choice of major to two or three possibilities, and at least one of those choices is a field that is mathematics or science intensive. In addition to taking Liberal Arts Core requirements, these students will take introductory mathematics and sciences courses. This will give the student an opportunity to evaluate his/her aptitude in mathematics and science.

Suggested course plan

Year One

Fall

  • ECO/POL/PSY/SOC 100 Introduction to the Social Sciences*
  • EN 101 Composition I*
  • Mathematics elective*
  • Science elective*
  • Explore elective**
  • SEM 101 Freshman Seminar

Spring

  • EN 102 Composition II*
  • Humanities (Philosophy) elective*
  • Mathematics or Science elective
  • Social Sciences elective*
  • Explore elective**

*See Liberal Arts Core requirements for details.
**Explore electives: These should be selected from courses in the subject area(s) in which the student is considering a major.