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BSPH New Student Academic Advising & Course Registration

BSPH Graduation 2022

Welcome to Public Health!

We look forward to welcoming you as a Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) degree student!

The virtual academic advising & course registration period is a vital part of your transition to Virginia Tech. All new first year students and all transfer BSPH students are required to attend a virtual academic advising meeting with their Public Health academic advisor. At this meeting, you will discuss your class schedule, obtain critical information for your success and be provided key take-aways about new student transition events.

The information below details how Virtual Academic Advising and Course Registration will occur. In addition, we have outlined steps that need to be taken in order to prepare for and sign up for your virtual academic advising appointment.

It is extremely important that you keep checking your Virginia Tech email for important updates and announcements including information about the university virtual orientation modules and for additional information from your Public Health academic advisor.

To prepare for Virtual Academic Advising & Course Registration, please review and complete the action items listed below. The Public Health Advising Team is looking forward to meeting you and helping you make a smooth transition to Virginia Tech! 

Questions? Email phadvising@vt.edu 

Virtual Academic Advising & Course Registration Timeline

December 4:

  • Review the welcome email from Public Health with important advising information. This will be sent to your Virginia Tech email address.
  • Prepare for your advising session by completing the University required modules for virtual orientation
  • Complete University advising checklist action items
  • Complete the PHS Pre-Advising Form.

December 6:

  • Review the second email from your Public Health academic advisor. This email will be sent December 6 and will contain information on the advising process, including how to schedule your individual academic advising appointment. Advising sessions will take place over Zoom and will not require students to attend an in-person session.
  • You will also be added to the Public Health New Student Canvas site which will provide you with additional information on how to select and register for classes along with additional important student information. Canvas is the learning management system used by your advisor and many of your professors.

December 11-15:

  • The course registration system is open for all new incoming students. Upon admission to Virginia Tech, students are able to add and register for classes. Students should reference the instructions provided in the Canvas site on how to register for classes. We recommend students register early as classes will fill up.
  • Sign up and attend your virtual academic advising appointment with your assigned academic advisor. Students should register for classes before attending your advising session. During your session your advisor will review any transfer or AP credit, review your schedule and answer any questions you may have. 
  • Complete your Health Immunization form by December 31, 2023 to avoid a $100.00 fine. For more information visit the Health Center's New Students Website. 

Your Public Health Advising Experience

You will receive an email from your Public Health academic advisor in early December. This email will contain information on how to schedule your virtual academic advising appointment and will be sent to your Virginia Tech email address. All advising appointments will take place over ZOOM between December 11-15.  

You will also receive an invitation to join the Public Health Academic Advising and Course Registration Canvas site.  You will be required to accept the invitation to join the Canvas site, review important information about the BSPH curriculum and how to create your schedule before meeting with your advisor.

Check out the information below for what you should be doing before, during, and after your academic advising session.

  • Students will be sent an email by their Public Health academic advisor in early December. This email will contain information on how to schedule your virtual academic advising appointment. This email will be sent to your Virginia Tech email.
  • All advising appointments will take place over Zoom and will not require students to attend an in-person session. 
  • Prior to meeting with your advisor please complete the following:
  1. Complete the University Virtual Orientations Modules
  2. Complete the University advising checklist action items
  3. Complete the PHS Pre-Advising Form and include all sources of anticipated credits (AP, IB, dual enrollment, etc.)
  4. Have copies of any credit information (transcripts, AP/IB scores, etc.)  with you during your advising appointment (if possible)
  5. Complete the modules on the Public Health Academic Advising and Course Registration Canvas site
  6. Follow the directions on Canvas to register for the courses we have pre-loaded onto your Hokie Scheduler.
  • Make sure you have all these items available when you meet with your academic advisor:
  • You will use Hokie Schedule to create your schedule and register for your classes. For registration instructions, please refer back to the Canvas site and Hokie Scheduler videos to review how to use Hokie Scheduler.
  • When you attend your virtual advising session, your advisor will discuss course recommendations with you and answer any questions you may have about registration and degree requirements.
 
  • All advising appointments will take place over Zoom and will not require students to attend an in-person session.                                                      
  • Prior to meeting with your advisor, students should have registered for classes and explored how to use Hokiescheduler to register for courses recommended for Public Health majors. 
  • When you attend your virtual advising meeting, your advisor will:
    • review your schedule
    • assist you in making necessary changes
    • will discuss any additional course recommendations 
    • will answer any questions you may have about registration and degree requirements. 
  • Once you have met with an advisor, you will be able to make any additional changes to your schedule through Hokie Scheduler.
  • Make sure you have all these items available when you meet with your academic advisor:

After your virtual advising session, you will be able to make changes to your schedule. However, it is highly recommended that you do NOT make changes to first-year classes such as ENGL 1105, BIOL 1105, MATH 1014 or MATH 1025. These classes are in high demand and if you drop one of them, even accidentally, you may not get back in and will then risk falling behind in your program of study. If you have questions and feel a change to your schedule is needed, please contact your advisor.

Before you come to campus for move-in, make sure you review all information about where to go and where to check in, as well as how to access campus maps.

Frequently Asked Questions

The earliest students are able to schedule an appointment with an advisor will be December 7th. Your advisor will email you with a link to register for an appointment.  Students will be able to pick a day and time that works best with their schedule. 

At the beginning of December your Public Health academic advisor will email you (at your VT email) with information on how to schedule an academic advising appointment. If you are unable to find that email, we will also share advising appointment instructions on the Public Health Advising and Course Registration Canvas page.

Students can begin to register for classes sooner rahter than later. We recommend you register early as classes will fill up! Students are able to review schedule options using Hokie Scheduler once they are admitted. You do not need to wait for your advising appointment to register for classes. In fact, we ask you register for the courses we have pre-loaded onto your Hokie Scheduler prior to your academic advising meeting. Please note our advising staff will be out of the office for the holiday break starting Dec. 16th and will not return until after the new year.

Please review the instructions on the Public Health Advising and Course Registration Canvas page on how to register for classes.

Students should pay careful attention to the detail instructions provided in the Public Health Advising and Course Registration Canvas page along with the emails they have received. If you have questions about course registration, please email your advisor. Your advisor’s information is listed in canvas but students can also contact phadvising@vt.edu.

Students can also save their questions for their individual advising appointment. During your advising appointment your advisor will review the courses you have registered for, assist you with any needed schedule adjustments and answer any questions you may have.

Canvas is the student learning management system that most of your faculty will use. View the Student Tech Tools page provided by VT Advising and you can watch this handy Canvas Tutorial video to learn more and see how Canvas is used in your classes. 

You will receive an invitation to join the New Student Canvas site. This invitation will be sent to your VT email address. You will be required to accept the invitation to join the Canvas site. Look for the course in your Canvas Dashboard at http:/canvas.vt.edu.

The Public Health New Student canvas site which will provide you with additional information on how to select and register for classes along with additional important student information. Students should complete all the modules on the Public Health New Student canvas site prior to their advising appointment and should register for the courses that have been pre-loaded to Hokie Scheduler prior to meeting with their academic advisor.

Should you have missed the email from  your advisor on how to schedule a virtual appointment, this information will also be shared on the Canvas site.

The Canvas site will open a week before course registration starts, please be sure you have completed the all the Public Health New Student modules prior to attending your advising appointment.

Undergraduate Public Health Programs Contact Information:

Email: phadvising@vt.edu

Phone: (540) 231-3945

Mailing Address:
Public Health Program
262 Wallace Hall (0395)
295 West Campus Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24061