Frequently Asked Questions

Your advisor

Who is my advisor? +

When you become a Bethel student, you’ll be paired with an academic advisor who is an expert in your area of study. If you’ve already selected a major, you will have an advisor in your major’s academic department. If you are exploring majors, your advisor will be someone who can help you think about different options.

No matter how sure you are about your major, your advisor will help you reflect on your interests, develop your academic and career goals, and choose good classes and activities as you pursue those goals.

To find your advisor and their contact info, go to the My Advisor channel in MyBethel.

Can I change my advisor? +

You canrequest a change to your major or a new advisor from the registrar’s office. If you change your major, you’ll be assigned to a new advisor within the department of your new major. If you have two majors, you can use this form to request advisors in both your first and second major.

It's important to keep your official records up to date with your planned major. This will keep you connected to your department’s advising and other resources.

When should I meet with my advisor? +

You will be required to meet with your advisor at least once every semester before registering for the upcoming term, but you can talk to your advisor at other times as well. During Welcome Week, you can meet your advisor at an Academic Connections session or during advisor office hours.

Building a strong relationship with your advisor will help you with more than just choosing classes. Your advisor is an experienced, thoughtful person who can help you make the most out of college and learn about God’s calling on your life at every step along your path. If you have a question about your academic plan, your interests, your major, or any other academic concern, feel free to reach out to your advisor and request a meeting.

What should I expect when I meet with my advisor? +

Every advising session looks slightly different. Your major, your personality, your advisor’s personality, your preferences for how to organize information—all these factors affect what happens before, in, and after an advising session. But the fundamental purpose of all advising sessions is to have a conversation about your interests, your plan for what courses to take next semester, and your long-term academic and career goals.

Together, you and your advisor create (or review) a plan for how you will accomplish your goals and complete all your academic requirements by your goal graduation date. Then, before the end of the session, your advisor needs to remove the advising hold from your student record so that you can register yourself for your next semester of classes.

You should receive an email from your advisor sometime before registration begins each semester with instructions for how to set up an appointment. Some advisors use Google calendar sign-ups, some use paper sign-ups on their office door, and others may ask you to meet with a peer advisor or attend a group advising session before your individual appointment. Read your advisor’s email carefully to understand what you need to do to set up a meeting and what tasks you may need to complete before the meeting in order to be prepared.

Even if your advisor doesn’t tell you to prepare anything specific, it’s always a good idea to review the registration information on the registrar’s office site. This will be updated with information about the upcoming terms in mid-late October (for interim and spring registration) or late March (for summer and fall registration). You should also check your degree evaluation to see what courses you need to complete before you can graduate and review your major requirements in the academic catalog for the year you entered Bethel.

What if I am nervous to meet with my advisor? +

Meeting with your advisor can seem a little intimidating sometimes, but the first thing to remember about advising at Bethel is this: Don’t be afraid! Your advisor cares about you and knows a lot about a subject you’re interested in. Talking to your advisor is a great way to find inspiration, define your goals, and get to know one of Bethel’s amazing staff or faculty on a personal level. Even if you want to talk to your advisor about changing your major, your advisor cares about your success, wants to help you, and will not be upset or hurt that you are thinking about choosing a major in a different department.

Course registration

When will I register for classes? +

Registration for Interim and Spring terms opens in early-mid November. Registration for Summer and Fall terms opens in April. View the registration schedule from the Registrar's Office for details. 

Before registering, you must meet with your academic advisor to have your advising hold removed. Your academic advisor will contact you and let you know how to sign up for an appointment. 

How do I know which classes will be offered next term? +

You’ll receive an email from the registrar’s office at cas-registrar@bethel.edu at least a week before Advising Day. The title of the email will be something like, “Advising and Registration Information for Summer and Fall 2018,” and it will include registration instructions as well as a PDF of all classes that will be offered in the upcoming term(s).

Once an upcoming term’s schedule is published, you can also look up courses through the Registration channel in MyBethel.

How do I know which classes to take? +

You'll be able to talk to your advisor about which courses to select before each registration cycle. Together, you and your advisor can look at the academic requirements for your major(s), minor(s), and general education (see the Academic and Degree Planning section of this website). The Academic Advising Specialist (located in CC314A) is also available for any additional questions relating to which courses you should take.

Special consideration should be given to registration for January Session courses. Find more information on January Session courses.

If you are planning to take courses from a program that is being eliminated, give special attention to the teach out information for these programs.

What format are my courses in? +

Bethel continues to offer classes in a variety of formats. You must take the course in the given format, so be sure to check the format of your classes before registering.

You can see which format your course is offered in by looking at the schedule if a class is face to face, online (synchronous), online (asynchronous), or hybrid. When using "Look up Classes" in MyBethel, course names, day(s) and times are listed. Underneath the title of the course, additional information related to the mode of the course is given (for example "Lecture," "Lab," or "Distance Education").

Face-to-face

The majority of classes will be in person and face to face.

If a class has a physical face-to-face component, you must plan to be physically present in class at the scheduled times unless you have an accommodation that has been requested and approved by the Office of Accessibility and Resource Services (OARS) to attend remotely due to your own disability or medical condition.

Online

Online classes are offered in two different forms:

• Synchronous: Under the title of the course, it says “Distance Education.” Day(s) and times of the class are listed. 
• Asynchronous: Under the title of the course, it says “Distance Education.” No day(s) or times are listed. You may engage in learning at times that best meet your schedule. There are no scheduled class times. There are specific dates by which assignments must be submitted.

Hybrid

Hybrid means some classes are offered in-person face-to-face learning and some are online. Under the title of the course, it says “Lecture/Web.” Day(s) and times of the required in-person face-to-face (physical) classes are listed.

How do I register for classes? +

The registrar’s office website has step-by-step instructions for how to register through MyBethel. Before registering, you must meet with your academic advisor to have your advising hold removed. You will not be able to register for classes if your academic advisor has not removed your advising hold. 

Make sure you check prerequisites for courses, particularly any placement requirements for math and language courses.

Degree evaluation

What is a degree evaluation? +

Your degree evaluation is where the registrar’s office records which requirements you have completed for your degree and which you still need to fulfill. Check your degree evaluation regularly to make sure you’re on track to graduate.

How do I check my degree evaluation? +

Access your degree evaluation online through the Student Records channel in MyBethel (click "DegreeWorks").

Transcripts

How do I check my transcript? +

Your academic transcript is Bethel’s record of the courses you’ve taken at Bethel, the courses you’ve transferred from other institutions, and your grades. 

• Access your unofficial transcript online through the Student Records channel in MyBethel (click "Transcript", then "Submit").
• Access your official transcript by requesting it from the registrar's office.

How do I read my transcript? +

1. Review your student information

   Make sure you review your major(s) for accuracy—this is important for advising and department communications.

   • You can change your declared major by filling out the change of major, minor, or advisor form.

2. Review transfer credit accepted by institution

   Check to make sure all of your previous college-level coursework appears in this section.

   • Transfer courses are grouped by term and institution
   • The formatting for transfer course listings is [how Bethel counts your transfer course]/[how the course was listed at the school where you completed it or the name of the test you took]

3. Review your institution credit

   Bethel counts and lists transfer courses in several ways:

   • Courses that count as specific Bethel courses are listed with a full course number: “GES 110".
   • Courses that count as electives within a certain department are listed with the department code and a single number: “HIS 1”. The number indicates whether the class is a 100-, 200-, 300-, or 400-level course.
   • Courses that count as general credit, but do not fit into a department and do not transfer as one of Bethel’s general education courses are listed with “GES” and a single number: “GES 2”.
   • Courses that fulfill one of Bethel’s general education category requirements are listed with an additional letter after the course number. This could be attached either to a particular Bethel course, a department, or a general elective: “ENJ 1-A”, “GES 2-G”.

4. Review your transcript totals

   This section lists your total institutional, transfer, and combined credit totals, as well as your overall GPA.

What if a course is missing? +

If a course you completed appears to be missing, it is probably due to one of the following reasons (see Bethel’s transfer policies for details):

• You did not request official transcripts with your final grades from the course.
• Your requested transcripts have not yet reached Bethel.
• You did not receive the required “C” or higher in the course.
• The course is a vocational/technical course and does not count for credit at Bethel.

How do I find the total number of credits I've transferred to Bethel? +

Your total number of transfer credits are listed at the bottom of your transcript under "Transcript Totals".

The number of credits you complete before starting at Bethel determines your entry standing, which could give you certain course exemptions. For details, compare your total transfer credit to the entry standing table for the year you entered Bethel. If you transfer credits completed after you became a Bethel student (such as summer term courses), those credits will not change your entry standing, but they will be included in your total transfer earned hours and will count toward graduation.

What if my transcript is incorrect? +

1. Check on transcripts from other schools
   • Make sure you have requested all transcripts from the colleges/universities where you took coursework.
   • Make sure you have requested score reports from CollegeBoard for AP and CLEP exams you have taken.
   • Make sure your final grades have been assigned—transcripts must include final grades in order for a course to transfer to Bethel. Sometimes transcripts are sent before final grades are assigned, so the grade may be listed as “in progress.” If this is the case, please request an updated official transcript to be sent to the Bethel University Office of the Registrar.
2. Contact the registrar's office. If you have requested the transcript(s) after final grades were listed and the courses still don’t appear, email cas-registrar@bethel.edu. Include the following information in the e-mail:
   • your name
   • your student ID number
   • the name of any missing courses with the name of the college/university where you took them
   • the approximate date when you requested the transcript to be sent to Bethel
   • how you requested the transcript be sent to Bethel (e.g., electronically/via email or by paper mail)

If a course shows up, but didn’t transfer to Bethel the way you think it should have, you can fill out a petition to have the course reviewed.