Department of Philosophy
Advising FAQ's
When and where can I see an advisor?
The Philosophy Department advising office is in 156B Dodd Hall. You can drop by any time during our scheduled office hours. Our walk-in hours for Fall 2007 are:
MWF 12:30pm - 2:00pm
TR 11:30am - 1:30pm
You can also make an appointment to meet outside scheduled advising hours by either emailing Heather or Tracie or by calling us at 850-645-2985. Since we are not always in the office, email is usually the fastest and most efficient way of reaching us.
What do you keep so few hours?
Since we have fewer majors than many other departments, the Philosophy Department employees two part-time advisors who combined advise for 10 hours/week. If you cannot come by during scheduled hours, then please send us an email and we will schedule an appointment with you outside of office hours.
What do undergraduate advisors do?
The responsibilities of advisors vary from department to department. In the Philosophy Department, our primary job is to advise students on the completion of the major or minor in Philosophy as well as the B.A./M.A. program. Our other duties include, but are not limited to, approval of major changes and addition of Philosophy as a second major, evaluation of philosophy courses from other schools for transfer credit, approval of transient requests, and general advice about applying for graduate school.
I can't make it to office hours. Can advisors answer questions over email?
We are happy to answer questions over email. Our email addresses are:
Tracie Mahaffey - tlmahaff@fsu.edu
Heather Perez - hjperez@fsu.edu
Please be as specific as possible with your questions and provide us with your first and last name as well as your FSU email address. This will help us if we need to look up any additional information before we answer your question. For your protection, do not include your social security number in your email.
Sometimes there are questions that we cannot answer. If that is the case, we will direct to the person or department that can help you.
What are the requirements for the Philosophy major?
Major requirements can be found at:
http://www.fsu.edu/~philo/new%20site/sub_category/degreereq.htm
What are the requirements for the minor in Philosophy or the minor in Political Philosophy?
Minor requirements can be found at:
http://www.fsu.edu/~philo/new%20site/sub_category/minor.htm
How do I know if I am taking the right classes and if I will graduate on time?
You can complete an unofficial grad check through "Secure Apps" on campus.fsu.edu You can also check your progress against the major/minor requirements on the Philosophy Department's web page. Philosophy department undergrad advisors can also complete an unofficial check of your major requirements.
What is Academic MAPping?
"MAPping" is an advising system that provides students with a recommended 8 semester academic plan to graduate in 4 years.
All incoming students are MAPped. The academic MAP for philosophy majors can be found at:
http://www.fsu.edu/~philo/new%20site/sub_category/academicmap.htm
As indicated on the MAP, students are required to meet certain milestones every semester. Students who do not meet this milestones are said to be "off course" and will have a hold placed on their registration. Students who are off course for two consecutive semesters are required to change majors.
Secondary majors (for double majoring students), second Bachelor's degrees, and part-time students are not subject to MAPping.
I have a MAP stop. What do I do?
If you have a MAP stop, then you should have received an email from the University Center Advising Office. If this is your first off track semester, then you should contact one of the advisors here in the Philosophy Department or come by Dodd Hall 156B during scheduled advising hours.
If you are off track for the second semester in a row, then you have a hard stop and you are required to change majors. To initiate the change, you should go see an advisor in the department that you would like to major in. Then you must take the major change request form to University Center Advising Office at A3200 UCA (for Basic Division students) or to your Dean's Office (for other students) for signature before taking the form to the Registrar's Office. Department advisors cannot lift hard stops.
What courses satisfy the computer literacy requirements for philosophy majors?
The following courses satisfy the computer literacy requirement for philosophy majors:
CGS 2060, CGS 2064, or CGS 2100
Do I have to complete a grad check and, if so, when?
All students must request a grad check from the Registrar's Office once they have completed 90 hours. If you do not request a grad check by time you have completed 110 hours, a hold will be placed on your registration.
Additionally, philosophy majors must request a grad check from the Dean of Arts & Sciences at least one (1) semester prior to the semester in which they plan to graduate.