College of Science & Health (CSH)

The Academic Advising Center in 1140 Centennial Hall can provide useful information about majors and various career opportunities. Tools available to assist you in your exploration include interest inventories, the Discover computer system, career videos, and other resource materials. Staff members are available to assist you with your search.

Also, be sure to take advantage of opportunities for research, internships, job shadowing and conversations with faculty, family, and peers. These are great ways to explore major and career options.

Students wishing to change majors during the semester need to file a Change of Program form. This form allows you to change majors, change minors, and add or delete majors and minors. The form must be submitted before midterm of the semester in order to be accurately reflected on your Advisement Report. Students who change from one major to another are usually assigned a new faculty advisor by the college office staff.

If your new major is in a different college on campus, you should submit the Change of Program form to the Dean's office that houses your new major. You must be in good academic standing to be eligible to transfer to another college or school within the University. Students who wish to transfer to the School of Education or into majors in Exercise and Sport Science, Health Education or Recreation, must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50. More information on majors and programs offered at UWL can be found at the Academic Programs site.

You can find the name and contact information of your advisor by using WINGS. You may also call the College Dean's Office (608.785.8218) to find out who has been assigned as your advisor. You should also call the College Dean's Office if you have questions about switching to a different advisor.

Faculty advisors are assigned according to the student's declared major . Students who are interested in entering a professional program in the college are considered to be in a "pre" program (such as pre-NMT) until formally admitted to the program. Students who have designated a pre-professional program at UW-La Crosse (e.g., medicine, optometry, physical therapy, etc.) are assigned to a pre-professional advisor who has a special interest or background in that particular discipline.  Additional information is also available at the Pre-Health Student Resource Center in 1140 Centennial Hall.

Students who are undecided on a major or program are assigned to an advisor in the Academic Advising Center (AAC). Advisors in the AAC will help you to explore your academic interests and assist you in planning your schedule of course work.

Refer to the Advising webpage to see what the Assistant to the Dean's Office can do for you.

If you are interested in transferring to UWL, contact the Admissions Office for information about the application process. If you have questions about how your specific course work will transfer to a College of Science and Health program, you can contact an Academic Service Director depending on your program of interest. If you are planning to transfer from within the UW System or from the Wisconsin Technical College System, course equivalency information can be found on the Transfer Wisconsin website.

If you are interested in transferring out of UWL, meet with your advisor to talk about your future plans.

If you are interested in taking a course within the UW System or within the Wisconsin Technical College System, you can refer to the Transfer Wisconsin to see which courses might transfer appropriately. Whether you take a course in one of these systems or go to a different school altogether, you will want to have approval from UWL that the course will transfer back to UWL with the correct equivalent. See the Academic Services Director in your Dean's office (105 Graff Main Hall) to fill out the green Off-Campus Course Evaluation and Permit form before you register for the course.

If you do not meet the University's minimum academic standards, your status will change to "Suspended". You will be mailed a letter from the Office of the Dean that will indicate your standing and remind you that you may apply for readmission to the UW-La Crosse after remaining out of school for at least two semesters. However, if you can clearly demonstrate that this academic suspension was due to factors beyond your control, you may appeal your ineligible status by writing a letter of appeal. Your letter must clearly demonstrate factors that contributed to your ineligibility and your plans for correcting this situation. If your appeal is accepted, you will be allowed to continue on probation.

GPA calculator is an online GPA tools that can help you calculate your GPA in a variety of situations.

UWL offers GRADUATE programs such as Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Physician Assistant Studies, but these require a bachelor's degree in some other major prior to admission. See their individual web pages for appropriate pre-professional coursework requirements as well as information on some unique dual-degree opportunities.

Students interested in medicine, dentistry, chiropractic, etc, will also need to understand prerequisites and application processes. Quite often UWL students interested in these areas will complete a bachelor's degree prior to beginning the professional program. Advisors are available to help the student navigate the requirements at the Pre-Health Student Resource Center in 1140 Centennial Hall.

Graduate school information can be gathered from a variety of places. If you have a specific area of interest, it could be very beneficial to talk to your faculty advisor or other faculty members in the area to see what information they might have for you. The Academic Advising Center is also a great place to explore your graduate school options. Additionally, be sure to gather information directly from the different graduate schools and programs that exist via their websites or by contacting their offices directly.

You will want the most current application criteria and should seek to exceed the minimum requirements. Having an active back-up plan, in-case you are denied admission, is a very healthy approach where there is heavy competition for admission. Participation in clubs, volunteering and employment related to your chosen major can be beneficial--or even essential--for admission. Please discuss planned involvements with your adviser(s) to make sure your interests are on target with your major field. Also, faculty expect applicants to give their full attention to all the details, so you must carefully follow directions for admission. For example, make sure written materials are accurate and professional in appearance. This may seem obvious but some students make the mistake of being too casual when it comes to the details.

There's no reason to fear heavy competition if you take a mature approach to the application process. However, you might explore other pathways if you do poorly in foundational classes or are struggling to satisfy minimum criteria.