Frequently Asked Questions

Eligibility

TRiO-Student Support Services offers free academic support services to students enrolled at UT Arlington.  Participants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident who meet eligibility requirements; priority is given to students who meet two of the following:

• Low-income college student: Students may be required  to furnish documentation of income (i.e. tax returns, W2 form, FAFSA, etc.).
• First generation college student: This means that neither of your parents (or guardians) have completed a 4-year college degree.
• Individual with a disability: SSS program staff will confirm registration with the UT Arlington Office for Students with Disabilities.

Visit our office in Ransom Hall, Suite 206 to fill out an application, or request one by email at triosss@uta.edu.  All new applicants are interviewed by program staff.

To receive the most benefits from program services it is recommended that new participants sign up at the beginning of a semester. The program may admit students year-round, however, it is strongly recommended that students enroll with the first four weeks of the semester.

You can participate in our program until you graduate with your first bachelor’s degree.

WHAT DEGREE WILL I GRADUATE WITH IF I CHANGE MY MAJOR TO UNIVERSITY STUDIES?

• Students who major in the University Studies program graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in University Studies. Like other degree programs at UTA, the University Studies degree plan consists of the core curriculum, the major, and electives.

I HAVE A LOT OF CREDITS IN A SUBJECT THAT IS NOT ON THIS LIST OF CONTENT AREAS. COULD I MAKE THIS ONE OF MY CONTENT AREAS INSTEAD?

• The University Studies degree plan is designed to be flexible and to accommodate varying areas of interest. Your academic advisor has your best interests in mind when creating a degree plan that will help you complete your degree in a timely manner. Although there may be limitations on the number of credits a student can take in certain disciplines, your academic advisor will work with you to help you understand any limitations that might apply.

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT CONTENT AREAS ARE RIGHT FOR ME? DO I CHOOSE THEM MYSELF/NEED TO DECIDE ON THEM AHEAD OF TIME?

• Your academic advisor will create a degree plan that uses as many of your previous credits as possible to provide the fastest route for you to graduate. Many students, particularly those who come into the program with substantially more than the 60, may already have 2 content areas underway or completed.  A student may still choose from any of the three content areas that interest them, or that they feel would be beneficial to them in their career. In those situations, your academic advisor will work with you to determine the 2 content areas that are the best fit.

CAN I TAKE ANY ONLINE COURSES THAT ARE OFFERED?

• Many academic departments at UTA offer online courses that are not restricted to students in particular programs, but are offered generally to undergraduate students across disciplines. As a University Studies student, you may be eligible to take these courses. Be aware, these online courses are subject to availability and are often in high demand.

I RECENTLY APPLIED TO UTA (OR I HAVE JUST BEEN ADMITTED TO UTA). WHAT IS NEXT?

• University Studies academic advisors can provide their best service to you if all of your transcripts have been evaluated and are posted in MyMav (UTA’s Student Information System). Once you are notified by Admissions that you have been admitted and that your transfer credit evaluation has been posted, please schedule an appointment with an academic advisor here. All questions about transfer credits must be directed to Admissions.

I AM INTERESTED IN THE UNIVERSITY STUDIES AND HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF PRIOR PROFESSIONAL AND LIFE EXPERIENCE. DO YOU OFFER ACADEMIC CREDIT FOR THIS? OR I HAVE MANY COLLEGE CREDITS ALREADY. HOW MANY OF THEM WILL COUNT, AND HOW MANY CREDITS WILL I HAVE LEFT?

• Please see the following link for information from the Office of Admissions regarding the type of credit that can be accepted for transfer into UTA. Additionally, please visit UTA’s Testing Center for information regarding credit by examination.

I WAS PREVIOUSLY ADMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY STUDIES PROGRAM, BUT DID NOT ENROLL IN CLASSES AT THE TIME. I AM INTENDING TO RETURN TO UTA TO COMPLETE MY UNIVERSITY STUDIES DEGREE IN A FUTURE SEMESTER. CAN AN ADVISOR ASSIST ME IN DETERMINING WHAT CLASSES I SHOULD BE TAKING ELSEWHERE THAT WILL WORK ON MY DEGREE PLAN WHEN I RETURN?

• Yes, please schedule an appointment with an academic advisor who can help answer these general questions. Other helpful information can be found by reviewing UTA’s core requirements and UTA’s course equivalency guide.

I HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS NOT ANSWERED HERE. HOW CAN I MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO SPEAK WITH AN ADVISOR?

• Please schedule an appointment with an academic advisor here. Advisors are available to see students on Wednesday evenings and the University Advising Center is also open on Saturday from 9am-1pm.

HOW MANY HOURS CAN I TAKE IN MY FIRST SEMESTER?

• 15 hours is recommended for a first-semester freshman, while some students may take as many as 17 hours.

Note: The maximum enrollment for any student in good academic standing is 19 credit hours for Fall and Spring.

I WANT TO TAKE A SPECIFIC COURSE, WHY CAN’T I?

• You will only be advised for courses that are on your degree plan. Any course that is not on your degree plan must have prior approval by your academic advisor or the academic department.

I DON’T WANT TO TAKE MATH OR ENGLISH RIGHT NOW--DO I HAVE TO?

• We advise all first-year students to take Math and English in their first semester, unless credit has been previously earned.

HOW CAN I CONTACT MY ADVISOR AFTER ORIENTATION?

• The best way to contact your advisor is via email. Be sure to include your 10-digit Maverick ID number in all email correspondence.

I WANT TO KNOW ALL OF THE CLASSES THAT I NEED FOR MY DEGREE – CAN I HAVE A DEGREE PLAN?

• Degree requirements are listed in the UTA catalog by major and most academic departments post degree plans on their website. It is important to become familiar with the catalog and department website for information on University policies, procedures, and degree requirements.

HAVE TEST CREDIT, BUT MY SCORES HAVEN’T BEEN SENT YET. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

• You must request any test scores to be sent to UTA directly from the test company. We can advise for courses based on your reported credit, however you may be restricted from enrollment into certain classes until you show proof of any completed prerequisite(s). We will accept a copy of your score report for advising purposes, but we are unable to process any course overrides.

I HAVEN’T RECEIVED MY AP/IB/CLEP/SAT II SCORES YET – WHAT DO I DO?

• You will be advised for courses as if you do not have that test credit. Once your scores are available, be sure to have these submitted to UTA via College Board or IBO. You must follow up with your advisor via email to make any necessary adjustments to your schedule.

HOW DO I GET CREDIT FOR MY TEST SCORES AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED THROUGH COLLEGE BOARD?

• You will need to claim your credit in MyMav. In MyMav, go to Main Menu --> UTA Customizations --> UTA Testing Services --> Petition for Credit. Select the credit you want to claim, then click “submit.”

SHOULD I CLAIM MY TEST CREDIT OR TAKE THE COURSE? CAN I DO BOTH?

• You cannot claim your credit and take the course; that would be considered an illegal repeat. However, you can choose to take a course without claiming the credit.

I SENT IN MY HIGH SCHOOL TRANSCRIPT WITH MY DUAL CREDIT ON IT - WHY IS IT NOT IN YOUR SYSTEM?

• Your dual credit transcript must be sent to UTA from the college where you took the credit.

HOW CAN I SHOW PROOF OF DUAL CREDIT I HAVE EARNED?

• Please give transcripts to your advisor on Day 1 or Day 2 of orientation. Credit may take several days to show up in MyMav, so your advisor can process any course overrides on Day 2 as needed. Acceptable proof of dual credit can be an official or unofficial transcript issued by the institution. We will not be able to accept printouts, pictures, or screenshots. After orientation, you must submit your transcripts to the Office of Admissions. 

I NOTICED THAT I AM ALREADY ENROLLED IN FALL CLASSES, BUT I DON’T LIKE THE TIMES. CAN I MAKE CHANGES TO MY SCHEDULE?

• You will be given a schedule of classes related to your Learning Community on the morning of Day 2 during advising at New Maverick Orientation. In the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to enroll in additional classes that you were advised for during your advising session. If you want to change a specific course after orientation, please contact your advisor for approval.

I NOTICED THAT I AM ENROLLED IN A CLASS I HAVE CREDIT FOR. CAN THIS BE CHANGED?

• Your advisor has pre-enrolled you into courses for your major based on any existing credit you have on file. Please email your designated advisor after orientation to make any necessary adjustments to your schedule once you can provide evidence that you have successfully completed your course(s).

I AM INTERESTED IN PURSUING TWO MAJORS. HOW DO I GO ABOUT DOING THAT?

• During your time as a University College student, your advisement is focused on your primary major of choice. Additionally, many degrees do not recommend dual majors due to course sequencing. Once you have transitioned to your major department, you can discuss a second major with your academic department.

I WANT TO PURSUE A MINOR. AM I ABLE TO DO THIS? 

• Minor requirements vary by program and degree, so we typically do not advise students for minors in the first year. While some degrees have a minor built in, others do not and any minor will be added to the total number of hours required to complete your degree program. This can be discussed with your academic department once you have transitioned to your major department.

CAN I GRADUATE IN 3 YEARS?

• Your graduation date primarily depends on your major course sequencing and your general class loads throughout your semesters, plus summer enrollment.

CAN I CHANGE MY MAJOR AFTER ORIENTATION?

• Yes, if you are unsure of your major, we recommend consultation with an academic advisor who will provide information on how to access the Major Exploration exercise via Blackboard. 

WHERE DO I ACCESS MAVPLANNER?

• MavPlanner is accessible at UTA mymav! Click the "Manage Classes" title, once you've logged in and then click MavPlanner on the left navigation menu.  

Can Graduate Students use MavPlanner?

• Yes! once logged into MyMav, click the "manage classes" table and then check MavPlanner at the left navigation menu.

 

• Please make sure you are using your NetID and password.

 

• Please visit https://netidss.uta.edu/sspr/private/login, email helpdesk@uta.edu or call 817-272-2208. 

• Yes, all students can use the MavPlanner and MavScheduler.

 

• Begin planning your courses! Students can plan their courses from the course catalog or their degree requirements. Click on the appropriate link located at the top of the page.

• MavPlanner will improve class scheduling
• Assist communication between you and your academic advisor to:
  • Avoid unadvised course combinations
  • Avoid issues with transferring credits
• Keep your degree plan up to date
• Improve degree completion by helping you with the following:
  • Track degree requirements
  • Avoid taking the wrong courses

• Once you plan courses for the term, MavScheduler will auto-generate class schedule suggestions based on the classes you want to take next semester.

• Yes! Once you have planned your courses for the next semester, you can create the schedule you want in MavScheduler and enroll right from there (once registration has opened for the term).

• Yes! Once you have planned your courses for the upcoming semester(s), you can click Print Report located at the top of the page.

• Leading up to registration, it is suggested that students review their MavPlanner as they begin the registration process with their advisor. You will see a message when you open the student planner that your advisor has made changes. You can acknowledge these changes.

• To see what courses you have left, click Add from My Requirements at the top of the page. All classes that are not collapsed under each subject category are still required. Please contact your academic advisor if you have questions about courses you think you may have completed.

 

• All courses planned from the catalog or your degree requirements will appear in the Unassigned Courses matrix.
• Below this matrix, you will see a box labeled Move Selected Courses to Term. Select courses by checking the box next to each course that you wish to move.
• Click on the arrow inside the Move Selected Courses to Term box and choose the term that you want to move the selected courses.
• Once moved, a new matrix is created for this new term.
• You can click on the description of the course to get more information.
• Once all courses have been added to the term you want to register, click the MavSchedule button to move your courses into the MavScheduler.

• When you have completed planning your courses, click MavScheduler. Once in MavScheduler, select the enrollment term. The courses that you planned on the previous page will appear in the respective term(s). Select each course that you wish to enroll in and click Next in the top right corner.
• Next, plan or update any breaks you’d like to consider when creating a schedule for the term. Example: You work every day from 3-5pm. You can create a Work break with a start time of 3:00pm and an end time of 5:00pm. You can then select the days of the week that you wish to include the break by sliding the corresponding selection to Yes. Click the plus sign “+” if you want to add more breaks. Once done, click Next in the top right corner.
• You will now see Step 4 of 4: Create Schedule Options. Click on the Generate Schedules button in the top right corner.

• The MavScheduler will create multiple schedule options with the courses you planned for the semester and your breaks. If you are not seeing optimum results, you may need to modify or remove a break, or a course may be closed.

• Below each matrix, you will see a box labeled Move Selected Courses to Term. Select courses by checking the box next to each course that you wish to move.
• Click on the arrow inside the Move Selected Courses to Term box and choose the term that you want to move the selected courses.
• Once moved, a new matrix is created for this new term.
• Always check with your advisor for additional assistance.

• To delete a planned course from a term, move the course into the unassigned matrix. Once there, find the course you want to remove and click the trash can icon (under the delete column), and it will delete the course from the planner.

1.  
   • You can print a copy of your planned courses by clicking the Print Report link at the top of the page. It will take a short time to create the PDF report file.