CREATING A FOUR YEAR PLAN

Office of First and Second Year AdvisingHonors Academic Advisors

Purpose

• Goal: graduating in four years! – After creating your plan, you should have a

better understanding of requirements and options, as well as course sequencing and balance.

• Your plan is a GUIDE and may be changed. It is not set in stone.

• Allows you to answer the question, “How do

I get all of this done?”

Consider the Following:

• How many courses do I need for Core and Honors?

• How many courses do I need for my Major(s)?• How many courses do I need for my Minor(s)?• Am I planning on: Studying Abroad?

Participating in Internships? Taking the MCAT/LSAT/GRE/PCAT/DAT….?

• Does my department already have a recommended course sequence for me?

Resources for Creating Your Plan

• Academic Requirements Report in LOCUS (make sure your major/minor is correct)

• Course Catalog in LOCUS• Academic department websites• Major tracking sheets (uploaded onto UNIV 101

Honors Sakai page)• Undergraduate Academic Requirements

– On right side of page when you log into LOCUS

Academic Basics

• You will need 120 credit hours to graduate from Loyola.

• Throughout your four year at Loyola, you will take a combination of courses from your major(s), optional minor(s), Core, general electives, and Honors program each semester.

• You register for classes each semester- there are no year-long courses.

What is the Honors Program?

• Interdisciplinary program• Not like high school honors • There is an Honors designated curriculum

– The Program requires 27 credit hours (9 classes) of Honors courses

– You can find the requirements and course descriptions at http://www.luc.edu/honors

– All Honors courses must be completed with a grade of a C or better

– Students must have an overall GPA of 3.33 to graduate with honors

Honors Program Requirements27 Credit Hours

Course Semester

1) Western Traditions: Antiquity to the Middle Ages HONR 101 – (3 cr.) Lecture

Freshman Year - Fall

2) Western Traditions: Antiquity to the Middle Ages HONR D101 – (3 cr.) Discussion

Freshman Year - Fall

3) Western Traditions: Renaissance to Modernity HONR 102 – (3 cr.) Lecture

Freshman Year - Spring

4) Western Traditions: Renaissance to Modernity HONR D102 – (3 cr.) Discussion

Freshman Year - Spring

5) The United States Experience HONR 203 – (3 cr.) Anytime after Freshman year

6) Science and Society HONR 204 – (3 cr.) Anytime after Freshman year

7) First Area Studies course HONR 209, 210, 212, or 216 – (3 cr.) Anytime after Freshman year

8) Second Area Studies course HONR 209, 210, 212, or 216 – (3 cr.) Anytime after Freshman year

9) Moral Capstone HONR 301– (3 cr.) Junior or Senior Year

The Core• All students, regardless of major or program,

take Core courses at Loyola. The Core classes are the foundation of a Jesuit education and build students’ capacities for critical thinking, effective communication, and ethical decision making.

• There are 10 Knowledge Areas, plus 1 Engaged Learning area from which students need to take courses.

• Tier 1 Core classes do not have any pre-requisites and any student can sign up for them.

The Core

Honors and Core

• All of your Honors courses satisfy a Core requirement.

• Additionally, Honors students are waived from UCWR 110, College Writing Seminar, if they complete the first year of the Honors program.

Honors and Core:Automatic Fulfillment

• HONR 101 = Tier 1 Philosophical Core

• HONR D101 = Tier 1 Theological Core

• HONR 102 = Artistic Core• HONR D102 = Tier 1 Literary Core• HONR 301 capstone = Ethics Core

Honors and Core

• HONR 203, 204, and your two Area Studies courses will fulfill Tier II Core requirements.

• The Core area they fulfill depends on which section of those courses you take.

• For example:– HONR 203A = Tier II Historical Knowledge– HONR 203B = Tier II Societal Knowledge– HONR 203C = Tier II Literary Knowledge– HONR 203D = Tier II Scientific Knowledge– HONR 203E = Quantitative Knowledge

Honors and Core

Two weeks prior to registration, Dr. Katz provides a list of the next semester’s honors courses and

course descriptions, indicating the area of core satisfied by each course.

EXAMPLE: The following curses may be offered in a semester

U.S. Experience and Science & Society Courses

• HONR 203A• HONR 203C• HONR 203E• HONR 204A• HONR 204D• HONR 204E

Area Studies Courses• HONR 208A• HONR 208B• HONR 209B• HONR 210A• HONR 210C• HONR 212A• HONR 216C

A = Tier II Historical Core B=Tier II Societal CoreC = Tier II Literary Core D=Tier II Scientific Core

E = Quantitative Core

• Honors students are required to take 9 Honors classes (27 credit hours) and the University Engaged Learning requirement. (3 credit hours)

• They are only 5 Core classes (highlighted in yellow) that must be fulfilled outside of the Honors curriculum

• You must earn a grade of a D or better to count a course for Core and a C or better to count a course for Core and Honors

Honors and Core TrendsHonors courses normally satisfy Core requirements as follows:•“A” Tier II Historical Courses

– HONR 203, U.S. Experience and Area Studies

•“B” Tier II Societal Courses– U.S. Experience, Area Studies, and Science and Society

•“C” Tier II Literary Courses– Area Studies

•“D” Tier II Scientific Courses– Science and Society

•“E” Quantitative Courses– Science and Society

Pre-Professional Tracks

• Pre-health is NOT a major at Loyola. – This includes pre-med, pre-dental, pre-

optometry, pre-physical therapy, pre-vet, pre-pharmacy, pre-speech and hearing therapy, and pre-occupational therapy.

• Pre-law is not a major, either.

To learn more about these pre-professional tracks, visit: www.luc.edu/prehealth and www.luc.edu/prelaw

Step 1: • Distribute your Honors courses and Core.

– Reminder: You should complete Tier I Core courses before moving on to Tier II Core courses within the same Knowledge Area

– You have 5 upper level Honors courses and 1 engaged learning course after your first year.

– You should save some Core courses for each semester, if possible.

– No need to write specific Honors or Core classes on your plan. For example:

– “Core – Foundational Scientific”– “HONR Area Studies: ‘B’ Course – Tier II Societal”

Step 2:

• Distribute your Major/Minor courses evenly. – Pay attention to course prerequisites and make sure you

take any prerequisite courses as soon as possible to stay on track for your major.

– To find prerequisites, use the Loyola Course Catalog in LOCUS (under “Class Search”) or use Department websites.

– Review your tracking sheets in Locus because many of them include sequencing recommendations and academic planning resources.

Step 3:• Add foreign language and/or writing

intensive courses, as needed, for your College or School requirements. – Unless you plan to take the Competency Exam– Remember, it’s very common to “double dip” writing

intensive requirements with Core or perhaps major classes. You can only take one writing intensive class per semester.

– HONR D102 is automatically writing intensive– You can verify if you have a writing intensive

requirement through the department’s website or your Academic Requirement Report.

Step 4:

• Check to make sure that you are on pace to earn 120 credit hours by graduation. If not, you may need to add some General Electives to help you reach the 120 minimum hours necessary to graduate from Loyola.– Add transfer and AP/IB credit hours– Summer course policies (You must take the course at

Loyola provided that the course is offered and is still open)

– J-Term (not recommended for first year students)

Step 5:

• Double check your plan.– At some point, have your honors academic advisor

and/or your faculty advisor review it.– Consider the balance of courses each semester!– For example, you may plan to take a lighter load the

semester(s) you plan to do an internship, take organic chemistry, study for the MCAT, take a service learning course, etc.

Study Abroad Tip• Before you start allocating your courses, set aside

the semester you want to study abroad as a semester that you will take 12 hours of General Electives. – See if you can fit in all of your other requirements during

the other semesters you will spend at Loyola. – If not, talk to your advisor about alternatives such as

taking courses for your Major/Minor/Core abroad, or taking summer courses.

Co-Curricular Involvement

– Helps you connect to campus and your peers.– A different way to learn.– Start exploring your interests.– Begin building a resume.– Experience for grad school, professional school,

job interviews.

The Loyola Experience

• The Loyola Experience will help you apply what you are learning in the classroom to “real world” experiences.

• Include your co-curricular involvement in your four year plan.

Honors Website

• The “resources” section on the Honors website can help you connect to opportunities outside the classroom at Loyola.

LOCUS Tools

• Declare Majors/Minors

• Academic Requirements Report

• How to find AP/IB/Transfer Credits

REMEMBERYour four year plan is a GUIDE! It is not

set in stone. You will change your plan if you:

– Change or add a major or minor.– Fail to complete pre-requisite courses.– A specific class is not offered or

available in a particular semester.– Drop courses.