Academics
Mail Registration FAQs
After you have received your Mail Registration materials
More information about Mail Registration
Q. How do I choose an English course?
A. DO NOT FILL IN
A CHOICE FOR ENGLISH. This is determined by many factors and will be
added to your form upon processing. However, check all the boxes that
apply to you in this section.
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Q. How do I choose a math course?
A. DO NOT FILL IN A CHOICE FOR MATH. This is determined by many factors and will be added to your form upon processing. Check all the boxes that apply to you in this section.
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Q. How do I know which foreign language (listed under “Modern Languages”) to take?
A. In order to determine your placement, please refer to page 9 in your mail registration booklet. If you are just beginning a language and you are open to several choices then fill in all 3 lines. If you are continuing a language you have taken in high school or are a native speaker of a language, then only choose one language course. If you DO NOT wish to take a foreign language this semester, leave that box blank and place a zero (0) in the small box at the bottom of the section.
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Q. Do I have to take a foreign language (listed under “Modern Languages”)?
A. All students in the College of Arts & Sciences are required to pass a competency level of a 200 level course or higher in a foreign language. (See choices under “Modern Languages” on page 19.)
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Q. What social sciences courses should I take?
A. Section D: SOCIAL SCIENCES: Please refer to pages 11, 12, 19 and 20 in your booklet for your choices. If you are majoring in one of the social sciences then you should select an introductory course in your major this semester. Again, remember to list three (3) choices. If you do not wish to take any social sciences courses this semester, place a zero (0) in the small box at the bottom.
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Q. What humanities courses should I take?
A. Under Section E: HUMANITIES please read page 13, 21 and 22 in your booklet for your choices. If you are majoring in a particular humanities field, you should choose an introductory course in your humanities major this semester. Again, remember to list three (3) choices. If you do not wish to take any history or social sciences courses this semester, place a zero (0) in the small box at the bottom.
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Q. What course in natural science should I take?
A. Under Section F: NATURAL SCIENCES there are numerous choices. If you are majoring in a particular natural science field, you should read pages 14 and 15 to determine which introductory course you need to take this semester. Please refer to pages 23, 24, and 25 in the back of your booklet for your choices. It is possible, depending upon your scores from AP, IB or CLEP tests, to have fulfilled your requirements in this area. Please check our online AP and IB evaluation page to see the credit that we award. Again, remember to list three (3) choices. If you do not wish to take any history or social sciences courses this semester, place a zero (0) in the small box at the bottom.
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Q. What should I list in the box marked G?
A. Section G: OTHER is the box in which you might list the University of Miami Experience (UMX), marching band (MIP 170), R.O.T.C. (AIS 101), First-Year Seminar (FSS), or any other special course that is not listed in the mail registration booklet. If you have been accepted into the Honors Program, you may indicate 3 Honors courses in this section. Please write the course, followed by an “H” – i .e., PSY 110 H. Please note: we will only place you in one Honors course.
Q. On the back of the mail registration form there is a place for "special considerations." What does that mean?
A. Special considerations might include the fact that you are in the marching band, working, or participating in a sport or R.O.T.C., commuting from a long distance, having a disability, or anything you think we need to know in order to plan your schedule.
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Q. What do I do about my dual enrollments?
A. Dual enrollment refers to college courses you took while still in high school through a college program at your high school. Please list any dual enrollment courses that you are taking or have taken on the back side of your mail registration form. Please ask to have all transcripts from those colleges sent to the University of Miami's Office of Admission, P. O. Box 248025, Coral Gables, FL 33124-4616
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Q. What do I do about my AP, IB, or CLEP scores?
A. If you are going to take any AP, IB or CLEP tests please note that all scores must be sent directly from the testing agency, not from your high school, to the University of Miami's Office of Admission. Also, if you have taken any AP, IB, or CLEP tests and already received your scores, please write them on the back of your mail registration form in the appropriate area. AP and IB evaluation page.
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Q. What courses should I take if I am in Premed, Prevet, or Predental?
A. If you are in the Premedical track, you must take either Biology 150 and 151 or Chemistry 111 and 113 your first semester, unless you have AP/IB or dual enrollment credit for these courses. List both of these as choices under section "F." The lecture and the lab for each of these courses count as one course, although each class meets at a different day and time.
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Q. I am undecided on my major, but I know that I am Premed. What should I major in?
A. It is not necessary to declare a major initially. You can major in anything you want and still be in the Premed track. For more information: View the Premed Advising page
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Q. As a Premed student, should I be seeking the degree of Bachelor of Science degree?
A. Premed is a track and you may seek a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts. For more information: View the Premed Advising page
Every student who seeks admission to a health professional program must select a major. However, all of these programs also require specific science courses for admission. These include, but are not limited to, the following introductory level classes and corresponding labs. It is advised that you begin with one of the science/lab classes your first semester (they are two-semester courses): BIL 150/151 and BIL 160/161 or CHM 111/113 and 112/114 or PHY 101/106 and 102/108 or PHY 205, 206/208, and 207/209.
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Q. I am a Prelaw major. What courses should I take?
A. Prelaw is a track not a major. Therefore, you could select any major in Arts and Sciences and still be Prelaw. One of the best features of Prelaw education is that it contains no requirements or restrictions. While no single curriculum is the ideal preparation for law school, you should try to acquire a well-balanced education. To do this, you would take courses in history, political science, sociology, economics, psychology, etc. Law schools want students who can think logically, read well, write in a clear, well-organized manner, and who have some understanding of the forces that have shaped human experience. For more information: View the Prelaw Advising page
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Q. I don't understand my Mail Registration Booklet and how to fill out my form. What should I do?
A. The first thing you need to do is to take time to read your booklet completely. Then do the worksheet before the mail registration form and fill in all of the required information on both the front and back sides. If, after you have read the entire booklet, you start with your mail registration booklet open to page 1 and have your worksheet next to your booklet, and work through pages 7 - 15, you should have little difficulty.
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Q. How do I fill out the mail registration form? (see above directions)
A. Place your form next to your booklet and go through the booklet by section, filling in your worksheet with a pencil. It is not necessary to choose something in every box; however, it is better to give us 3 choices in sections D, E and F. All of your choices for courses are in the back of this booklet. DO NOT USE ANY OTHER SOURCE. These courses are all part of your general education requirements and must be completed before you graduate.
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Q. How many courses should I choose for each section?
A. Beginning with Section D, please choose three (3) courses for each box. You will not be placed in all three of these courses. This is just to give you more choices in the event your first choice is not available. At the bottom of the box under each section is a smaller box indicating how many courses from this section you wish; please indicate how many courses you want or write a zero (0) if you prefer not to take any courses in that section your first semester.
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Q. How many classes may I take?
A. The maximum number of credits a freshman may take is 17 and the minimum number to be considered full-time is 12 credits. The average is 15 hours of credit or 4 or 5 courses (see page 1).
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Q. Is this going to be my final schedule for the first semester?
A. This is a preliminary schedule. You will meet with your advisor at Orientation and any changes to your schedule may be made then. Remember that nothing for freshmen is "cast in stone." We have a period of time during the first week of classes to do an ADD/DROP of any classes for any reason.
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Q. If I am undecided about a major, how do I know what classes to take?
A. All Arts and Sciences students are required to complete approximately 54 semester hours of general education requirements. Usually, you take these courses before you begin your major. This gives you four (4) semesters before you have to decide on your major. You have been offered courses in all of the areas on your mail registration form. If you choose three (3) courses from sections D, E, and F, we will be able to select a schedule for you which will fulfill part of your 54 general education requirements.
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Q. I wish to major in sports management. What do I take?
A. The program you are interested in is in the School of Education. If you want more information on that program, you should contact the School of Education at (305) 284-3711.
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Q. What are the majors offered in the College of Arts and Sciences?
A. To see a list of our majors, check out the web page www.as.miami.edu/majors
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Q. I want to know what degree my major is in. How do I find this out?
A. That information is in the University of Miami Bulletin which is available at the following at the following address www.miami.edu/umbulletin. It is the guide to every program and department at the University of Miami. It includes essential information like admission and graduation requirements, financial information, and academic procedures.
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Q. How do I change my major or my school?
A. Students should contact the Office of Admission to change their major or school before arriving on campus. You may do this by FAX at (305) 284-6605. If you change your mind after you have already returned your mail registration material, then call (305) 284-3437, the Center for Freshman Advising, Ashe 112. Changing majors is common for freshmen and sophomores and need not cause anxiety.
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Q. When should I declare my major?
A. You don't have to declare a major until the end of your sophomore year or the beginning of your junior year. You will have plenty of time to take courses in your major after you have completed the general requirements. You can change your major as many times as necessary.
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Q. Can I possibly test out of a specific area and not have to take any courses in that area?
A. It is possible, depending upon your scores from the SAT, ACT, AP, IB or CLEP tests, or dual enrollment credits, to have fulfilled your requirement in a specific area.
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Q. If I don't like my schedule, can I change it?
A. Yes, there is a period of about 7 days at the beginning of every semester during which students can make changes to their schedule.
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Q. How do I get into the Honors Program?
A. Invitations to General Honors are typically extended to the entering class on the basis of their outstanding scholastic achievements in high school and their high scores on the college entrance examination. *The University of Miami Honors Program takes the initiative to invite the top 10% of the entering freshman class to join the General Honors Program. A minimum SAT of 1360 or ACT of 31 or better and ranked in the top 5% of your high school graduating class is required. On receipt of an invitation, there is no further action required on the part of the student. General Honors students must earn a grade of "B" or better in any University of Miami course taken for Honors credit in order to satisfy the 24 Honors credits required for graduation with General Honors.
*Note that minimum criteria are guidelines and that students meeting them are not guaranteed entrance into the General Honors Program. If you were not selected this semester, contact the Honors Program Office at (305) 284-5384 to request further information.
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Q. When will I get to meet with an advisor?
A. You will meet your advisor in August during Orientation before classes start to go over your preliminary schedule.
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Q. I want to change schools within UM next year and I have been having some problems filling out the mail registration. Should I just sign up for general requirements and get them over with so if I transfer next year, I will have some of my general requirements done?
A. Yes, you may take up to 17 credit hours per semester and every student is required to take approximately 54 semester credit hours of general education requirements. Once you receive your mail registration information, read it very carefully. The selections in the back of your mail registration booklet contain most of those requirements.
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Q. I would like to take some courses in the School of Communication to see if I have an interest in this area. Can you tell me when (and if) this will be an option for me?
A. Yes, there are some courses in the School of Communication that are offered to non-Communications majors. These courses fill up very fast; however, you may be able to register for these courses for your second semester.
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Q. What should I do if my question is not listed or I need more information regarding the Mail Registration process?
A. Call the Center for Freshman Advising at (305) 284-3437
