Advising

Current Advising Assignments for New Majors

An essential part of your education at Duke is careful course planning based on sound advice. The administrative officer in charge of undergraduate affairs in each Department is the Director of Undergraduate Studies. You must see this person to:

• Obtain permission for independent study. Click here for form
  
  
• Transfer sociology credits to Duke for courses taken at other institutions, including study abroad.
  
  
• Discuss problems you might be having with a course or an instructor in the department.
  
  
• Choose your major advisor (PDF Download). While your advisor is the first person to whom you should turn, you may discuss your progress and plans at any time with the Director of Undergraduate Studies, and you may change your advisor at any time by notifying the Director of your desire to do so.

All first majors must obtain their Personal Identification Number (PIN) from their advisors in person at pre-registration. We recommend that all majors arrange periodic planning sessions with their advisor. The discussions should cover not only courses in the major but your larger academic program and the evolution of your career plans and job search activities. We want to assist you in whatever way we can. Here are some helpful things that you can do when you meet with your advisor:

• Come prepared. Know what you want to accomplish in each session.
  
  
• Sketch a longrange plan, even a tentative one. Revise as necessary.
  
  
• Each semester, check your status with respect to required courses.
  
  
• List the courses you would prefer to take but also think about and prepare a backup set of courses in case those you choose are closed. Remember, seniors and juniors have priority in course assignments.
  
  
• Watch the bulletin board (next to Room 271), the Chronicle, and your mailbox for notice of general advising sessions. Signup early on the sheet posted on your advisor's door.
  
  
• If you don't know your advisor, and pre-registration is approaching, contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies.