Purpose and Mission
The purpose of advising is to help students explore, define, and achieve academic goals consistent with their personal and professional interests.
TLU’s Office of Advising supports students in developing a coherent educational plan consistent with personal interests, values, and abilities by providing individual support, resources, and programming to enable degree completion and lifelong learning. Many individuals across campus may assist students in making decisions and accomplishing goals; however, TLU grants formal authority to the assigned faculty advisor to approve a student’s academic program of study and assist the student in progressing toward the chosen degree. TLU’s Office of Advising works directly with first-year and transfer students to identify their desired degree plan and connect them to a specific faculty advisor. Additionally, existing students work with TLU’s Office of Advising to understand the impacts when changing majors or minors to their expected graduation date.
Graduation Requirements
General Education
Your General Education requirements, known as Compass, guide your path to college graduation and consist of three parts. The first part is your Foundations, which provides the foundation for the rest of your time at Texas Lutheran. The next part is Distributions, where you choose classes across the Liberal Arts curriculum to achieve a breadth of knowledge. These include experiences in the Fine Arts, Humanities, STEM, and Social Sciences, aligned with your interests and future goals. The third part is Competencies, which you demonstrate alongside other courses you take. These include Critical Thinking, Citizenship, Communications, and Ethics.
Classes Taken by All TLU Students
Foundations are the classes that give you the base you will build on for the rest of your college experience. Think of these classes as the starting point to begin your college journey.
- Basic Quantitative Literacy
Math 130 or higher - Critical Reading
FREX 134 - Engaging Faith Traditions
THEO 133 - Modern Language
Any modern language at the 131 level or higher - Written Communication
COMP 131 & COMP 132
Foundations classes will account for 18 hours required toward Compass and your degree.
Chosen Based on Student Interest
With Distribution Classes, you get to choose the class that interests you the most in the arts, humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, cultural perspectives, and religion.
- Arts: 6 hours from Dramatic Media, Music, and Visual Arts
- Humanities: 12 hours from African American Studies, Communication Studies, English, History, Modern Languages, Mexican-American Studies, Philosophy, Theology, and Women’s Studies (Must be satisfied by courses in two different disciplines or modern languages).
- Natural Sciences & Math: 6 hours from Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, Math, Physics, and Statistics. (At least one natural science course must have a lab)
- Social Sciences: 6 hours from Criminal Justice, Economics, Geography, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology
Distribution classes will account for 30 hours required toward Compass and your degree, and are taken in addition to your Foundation requirements.
Additional Skills
You will gain certain skills while completing your Foundations, Distributions, and selected classes in your major. These Competencies help you stand out from other college graduates when interviewing for your first job or graduate school.
You will be required to take classes that satisfy each of the four competencies:
- Critical Thinking (T) 3 courses
- Effective Communication (C) 2 courses
- Engaged Citizenship (Z) 3 courses
- Ethics (E) 1 course
Competencies are fulfilled through specifically designated classes toward Compass and degree requirements.
Academic Major
Students must select a specific subject to study more in-depth for their degree. You can explore all of Texas Lutheran’s majors and minors through the Course Catalog.
Majors are divided into three parts. The first part is core courses (ranging from 24-54 hours), which are almost holistic within your chosen field. The second part consists of supporting courses (ranging from 9 to 30 hours) that develop skills used in upper-division core major courses. The last part is electives, which vary in quantity by major to complete the 124 total hours required to graduate. Minors are not required for graduation, but enable students to augment their major with additional courses from other academic disciplines.
Student Advising
Incoming Students
Students will work directly with their assigned faculty advisor when continuing from one semester to the next until graduation. Students changing their major will work with a staff advisor to place them appropriately in a new major and connect with a new faculty advisor.
All incoming students complete the NSRF, which captures their plans, goals, and aspirations to inform a whole-person advising plan that helps them become the best versions of themselves. This information seeks to balance a student’s interests, skills, and desired lifestyle to determine the best courses, experiences, and co-curricular activities for students to complete while at Texas Lutheran University.
Applicants can submit multiple test options to determine their appropriate first Math course. TLU accepts Texas Success Initiative (TSI), Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), American College Test (ACT), or Classic Learning Test (CLT). Test scores are not used for admissions decisions, but help ensure students are placed in the appropriate first Math course in the absence of any previous college equivalent Math courses. Students without any of these other options can take a local test in their place for free.
The Spanish Placement Test provides immediate results after finishing the exam indicating the appropriate first SPAN class. If you get at least a B in this higher class, then you will receive TLU institutional credit for all the lower-level classes you bypassed. For example, if you place into SPAN 375 and get at least a B when you take the class, then you will receive 12 credits for the first four Spanish classes!
These institutional credits can be applied to a Spanish minor or major simultaneously (SPAI do not count toward General Education requirements). Language skills are increasingly in demand in the workplace. These exams will help maximize your opportunities. Native or advanced speakers may almost fulfill a minor after your first class.
Some students are understandably nervous about how much they remember from high school or whether they know or remember correct or formal grammar. Remember: The test is designed to find the class you will have the best chance of succeeding in and the score does not impact you GPA or future class grades.
Students will receive their first semester of classes and a connection with a Faculty Advisor from their selected major, while the Office of Advising supports all undeclared majors.
Students who remain in the same major continue to develop a personal and professional relationship with their assigned Faculty Advisor. Students who decide to change majors or minors will review previously completed work with the Office of Advising to determine how it applies to the desired new degree plan before being assigned a new faculty advisor.
Advisors will review holds, prerequisites, and previously completed courses or tests to ensure students take appropriate courses within their degree plan while balancing co-curricular activities like athletics, ensembles, student organizations, or jobs. Many individuals on campus assist students in making decisions and accomplishing goals; however, the assigned advisor has formal university authority to approve students’ degree plans and assist in progressing toward graduation. Students will be cleared to register by their Faculty Advisor, then select their courses through the Student tab on the MyTLU portal.
Continuing Students
Every student is assigned a faculty advisor within their chosen major to guide them through academic requirements.
- Have a knowledge and understanding of General Education & major requirements
- Encourage and support students as they gain the skills to develop clear and attainable educational plans
- Provide students with information about and strategies for utilizing available resources and services on campus
Students are responsible for registering themselves for subsequent semesters after consulting with their assigned faculty advisor.
- Be involved in the advising process, be prepared to discuss plans, and bring materials
- Accept responsibility for decisions and actions (or inactions) which affect your educational progress and goals
- Ask questions if you do not understand an issue or have a specific concern
Students will submit degree audits after completing 75 hours to the Registrar. These will review all courses completed to verify a student remains on track for graduation. Any remaining requirements for the last two semesters will be written for the student and faculty advisor to reference in the final year of study.
Earn Your Diploma
#15 to Finish
- Want to graduate on time?
- Get better grades?
- There’s substantial data showing that taking 15 credits a semester (or 30 credits each school year) dramatically increases on-time graduation, leads to higher grade point averages (GPAs), and lowers dropout rates!
Here are a few reminders to help you stay on track to graduate on time:
- Attend class at the scheduled times, review and follow the course syllabus requirements, and seek out tutoring before you receive bad grades.
- Meet with your academic advisor if you have questions or need help understanding your degree plan. Schedule meetings with your Faculty Advisor or the Office of Advising as needed.
- Don’t be afraid to talk with course instructors, staff members, Peer Mentors, or family if you feel like you’re struggling inside or outside the classroom. There’s a world of resources and support networks available to resolve most issues.
- Conduct a degree audit with the Office of Registration and Records after completing 90 hours, then finish any identified requirements in your last year.
- Work with our career services office to prepare your resume and interview skills.
- In four years or less, you can find yourself walking our graduation stage as a new college graduate ready to excel in entry-level positions within your desired field.