Academic and Career Advising

The best way to find your advisor’s information is to use Hokie Spa:

1. Log into Hokie Spa.
2. Select the Hokie Spa tab at the top of the page.
3. Click on the link that says “View Your General Student Information”.
4. Your advisor is listed in the row labeled Primary Advisor.
5. To get your advisor’s contact information, use the Virginia Tech People Search.

Your advisor can help you make decisions, big and small, related to your academic life at Virginia Tech. You are encouraged to meet with your advisor to receive help with academic events and topics, such as:

• completing or updating your plan of study
• academic support
• registering for classes
• dropping or withdrawing from a class
• resigning from a semester
• choosing a major and/or minor
• taking classes at another institution
• studying abroad
• completing undergraduate research
• accepting a coop or internship

Of course, there may be other things your advisor can help you with. Advisors are always a good starting point - they can connect you with other helpful resources on campus. 

The process of substituting courses is considered on a case-by-case basis in individual departments. Talk with your advisor about substitutions.

Drop/Add is a period of time when you can add or drop courses using Hokie Spa. It typically happens several weeks before the start of classes, and during the first week of classes during a term.

During Drop/Add, students are able to add a course back to their schedule as well as drop courses without penalty. Holds can prevent a student from dropping or adding. Learn more about holds here. To add a course:

1. Log into Hokie Spa.
2. Click on the "Hokie Spa" tab at the top.
3. Click on "Registration (Add/Drop) and Schedule".
4. Click on "[Drop/Add] Register for Classes".
5. Click on the drop down menu next, and choose the semester you wish to add a course.
6. Click "Ok" on the Financial Notice in the top right corner of the screen.
7. Search for a new course, or enter the CRN (Course Registration Number) of a course under the Enter CRN tab. Multiple CRN numbers can be added on the Enter CRN screen. Once you select a course, it will appear in your pending schedule in the bottom right of the screen, however, you must click the "Submit" button to actually register.
8. Click the "Submit" button. Even if a class appears on your schedule, it is not on your schedule officially until it says Registered next to the course. 

You may receive an error message. If this is the case, read the error, then fix the problem and/or choose a different course.

Students must take at least 12 credit hours each semester to be considered full-time. In general, CLAHS suggests students take at least 15 credit hours each semester to efficiently make progress towards graduation.

During the first six weeks of the semester, you can drop a course via Hokie Spa.

After the drop deadline, consider applying the “W” grade policy, which allows you to withdraw from up to three courses throughout your time at Virginia Tech. The deadline to withdraw from a course is usually the last day of classes for the semester (before Reading Day).

Make sure you schedule an appointment with your advisor to discuss the pros and cons of withdrawing, as well as your plan for re-taking the course. During this appointment, you can also fill out a course withdrawal form.

When a class is full, the only way you can add it is by “force-adding.”  To do so, you must have permission from the department offering the class or the instructor.

Force Add requests must be processed by the department offering the course before the add/drop deadline.

Some departments have specific force-add procedures. If the department does not have its own procedure, then contact the instructor of the class.

If you are taking courses elsewhere, you must fill out the Authorization to Take Courses Elsewhere form.

You will need to check the Transfer Equivalency Database to see whether any courses have transferred from the institution in the past. Regardless of whether a course is listed, submit the Authorization to Take Courses Elsewhere form so your advisor can confirm whether the course is equivalent to a Virginia Tech offering and, thus, transferable.

Please be aware that grades do not transfer, only credit hours. Also, you must earn a grade of C or better for the credits to transfer to Virginia Tech.

Change of primary major:

There are three periods annually when you can change your major through Hokie Spa. The dates when each period opens and closes are available through the University Registrar. All CLAHS majors are non-restricted, meaning there are no specific entrance requirements and access is not restricted. CLAHS advisors are assigned by major, so once you make the change, your advisor may change as well.

Add or drop a second major:

If the major is in CLAHS, complete the "Request to Change Second Major" form available on the CLAHS Undergraduate Forms page in the "Change of Secondary Major" section. If the major is in another college, schedule an advising appointment with that college and fill out the appropriate form for that college. . Keep in mind that some majors are restricted, meaning there are strict entrance requirements and policies for internal transfers.

If you are considering a major in the School of Communication: 

Review the Change of Major Requirements and attend an Explore Communication information session. 

Add or drop a minor:

If the minor is in CLAHS, complete the "Request to Change Minor" form available on the CLAHS Undergraduate Forms page in the "Change of Minor" section. If the minor is in another college, schedule an advising appointment with that college and fill out the appropriate form for that college. Minor checksheets are available through the University Registrar.

DARS is short for Degree Audit Report System. A DARS report will show you which graduation requirements you have completed and which requirements you still need to complete.

Before you can run a DARS report, however, you must apply for your degree in the first semester of your junior year (or when you have earned 60 credit hours). To apply for your degree, go to Hokie SPA and click on the “Degree Menu.” Then enter when you plan to graduate and your major(s), option(s), and minor(s), if applicable.

After applying for your degree, you can request a DARS report in the same degree menu. Once you have your report, you should review it with your advisor. It is important to request a new DARS report at least once a semester or whenever something changes.

If you are not yet eligible to apply for your degree, you can run a “what if” DARS report. This is a hypothetical DARS report based on any major you choose. You can find the “what if” DARS in the same degree menu.

Students who earn at least a 3.4 GPA while taking 12 or more credit hours attempted are named to the Dean’s List. Pass/fail hours do not count toward Dean’s List eligibility, and Dean’s List honors are not extended to summer sessions. Students who are named to the Dean’s List will be notified via email.

Once you reach junior standing (or have earned 60 credit hours), you should apply for your degree. To do so, go to Hokie SPA and click on the “Degree Menu.” Then enter when you plan to graduate and your major(s), option(s), and minor(s), if applicable.