Students in the Department of Languages and Communication are assigned to a faculty member who serves as their adviser from their sophomore year through graduation. An adviser helps with choosing courses, choosing a minor, finding internships, resolving academic issues, and planning for the future.
How do I register for courses?
Make an appointment with your official adviser, who should be listed in PV Portal / Panthertracks. Come prepared with the first page of the University Registration Form, as well as your degree plan and some ideas about what you would like to take. Listen to your adviser about prerequisites and course sequence; if you don’t take a particular class when you are advised to, you may find yourself off track for graduation.
I have holds. Can I still be advised?
Yes! While advisers can’t see the specifics of your holds (unpaid parking tickets, parking permits, health clinic charges, and graduation application fees are common, while housing balances do not affect registration), they still can sit down with you to talk about course selection. That way, when you do get your holds lifted, you are ready to sign up for classes.
How do I get my alternate pin?
You can get this from your adviser after you have talked about courses and future plans. Advisers will not just give you a pin without first advising you. Alternate pins chance twice each year, with one pin for summer and fall and one pin for the spring semester. If you have a registration hold, do your best to get that cleared before your meeting with your adviser, since your pin automatically changes any time your record is updated.
Can I be advised via email?
Yes, if your adviser is willing to do this! Expect to have a back-and-forth email conversation about how the current semester is going, what you want to take next term before your adviser sends you the alternate pin.
Where do I go to change my major, minor, or concentration?
Your adviser has copies of the form used for all three of these changes. You should do a separate form for each change – for example, if you are changing your concentration and adding a new minor, you should complete two forms.
Next, the forms must be signed by the Chair or Head of the department in which you will be studying. This means that the Head of Languages and Communication signs only those forms where you are declaring a major, minor, or concentration in Communication, English, or Spanish. If you are minoring in psychology, your form must be signed by the Chair of the Department of Psychology.
Once you have this signature, you take the form to the Office of the Registrar. The best time to submit this paperwork is right before a semester begins and during the first week of classes.
How do I make sure that my transfer courses are accepted?
Prairie View A&M must accept credits from accredited colleges and universities, particularly in the Texas Core Curriculum. To be safe, it is best to fill out the Pre-Approved Transfer Credit Form, which states that classes you plan to take and the equivalent classes at Prairie View for which you are seeking credit. Your adviser can assist you with a selection of transfer courses, and s/he must sign the form before you take it to be signed by the Department Head and then the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
You might also consult our web pages on transfer course equivalents for Communication and transfer course equivalents for English. All levels of Spanish, from Elementary Spanish I to Intermediate Spanish II, can be taken at a community college and transferred to Prairie View for credit.
Please be aware that while your grades will be listed on your transcript, preceded by a “T”, transfer courses do not count in your GPA. You will receive hours, however, towards graduation and satisfy degree plan requirements.
I have heard that I should just go to a certain professor or the Department Head to be advised. Can I go to someone other than my official adviser?
All advisers in the department have been trained to understand the degree plans, paperwork, and procedures associated with your academic success. You must see your official adviser in order to receive your alternate pin. Many advisers hold additional office hours during the beginning of early registration, and you can find your adviser’s contact information in the Campus Directory.