Academic Advising and Tutoring

Students who have declared majors within the College of Arts and Sciences are advised by experienced faculty in their chosen academic departments within the College. This faculty adviser assists the student in the determination of educational objectives commensurate with his/her interests, talents and abilities. Course selection, particularly the sequencing of courses, is also accomplished in these advising sessions. Appropriate advising is a shared responsibility; both the faculty person and the student are engaged to seek the best possible experience for the student. As adults, it is the responsibility of each student to familiarize themselves with all academic policies and to understand all academic requirements. Included in these discussions is information about academic policies and procedures, curricular and co- curricular programs, and exposure to the full range of services and opportunities available for all Seton Hall students. Students follow the requirements listed in the Undergraduate Catalogue for the year in which they entered Seton Hall University.

Please note: It is the responsibility of each student to know and meet graduation and other requirements, and to make every reasonable effort to obtain adequate academic advising. It is recommended that students declare their majors by the time they complete 60 credits. Any student in the College of Arts and Sciences who has not declared a major and who has completed 75 or more credits prior to October 15 preceding a Spring Semester, or prior to March 1 preceding a Fall Semester, shall not be allowed to register or pre-register for any further courses at Seton Hall University without formally declaring an academic major. A hold will be placed on the student’s record, which can only be removed with permission of the dean and by filing a declaration of major. 

Health Professions/Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental Advisory Committee

Seton Hall graduates have been successful as doctors, dentists, physical therapists, physician assistants, athletic trainers, optometrists, occupational therapists, podiatrists, speech-language pathologists, veterinarians and chiropractors. Admission to medical, dental or other health professional schools is a highly selective matter based generally on scholarship, character and overall fitness. Although the majority of health professional schools prefer applicants with a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree, occasionally an exceptional student is admitted after completion of three full years of college work. Traditionally, health profession students have selected a science concentration. However, health professional schools encourage applicants to select major fields of concentration that reflect their interests and require some depth of learning within a given discipline.

While there is some variation of practice, most health professional schools require the following undergraduate studies: two years of chemistry, one year of biology, one year of physics, one year of English and one year of mathematics. Normally medical and dental schools require an aptitude examination (MCAT, DAT). The MCAT is administered January through September of the prospective students’ junior year in college. The DAT is given year-round.

The health professions committee at Seton Hall aids students in selecting appropriate courses. Committee members get to know each student personally and consider all the variables in a student’s academic and personality profile in order to advise the student/applicant in his/her choice of a health profession.

The University participates in several dual degree programs (Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, Athletic Training, Occupational Therapy, and Speech-Language Pathology) and in the early admission program, Access Med with Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Interested students should contact the director of health professions for details about these programs. For additional information, visit www.shu.edu/pre-professional-advising/.

Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Plus Program

The Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Plus Program (PMPDPP) is a four-year undergraduate degree program for students pursuing a science major in the College of Arts and Sciences. The program provides a supportive environment for historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students to prepare for study in a medical, dental, or other health related field. PMPDPP provides students with the necessary tools and resources required for a smooth transition to medical, dental or graduate study in an allied health field.

Potential candidates must be full-time residents of New Jersey, demonstrate the desire to pursue a career in the sciences and satisfy academic and need-based financial criteria. Financial assistance is offered through New Jersey’s Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF). University scholarships are also available to eligible students.

Entering freshmen attend a six-week summer program offering courses in college-level chemistry, mathematics and writing to help them make the transition to studying at the college level. Students earn up to six undergraduate credits during the summer program.

Pre-Med/Pre-Dental Plus students receive academic, career, and personal counseling as well. They work with the university’s health adviser to plan course work in preparation for advanced level science courses as well as the student’s own academic interests. Tutoring in key science disciplines is offered at least two times a week. A sense of community is fostered through meetings with the PMPDPP student counselor and monthly student meetings.

Access-Med is an articulated BA/MD or BS/MD program between Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and Seton Hall University. It was established as a pipeline program to increase the number of underrepresented and disadvantaged students in medicine. The program offers academic support, career counseling, guidance with the medical school application process and biannual pre-medical conferences.

For additional information visit the program’s website at www.shu.edu/pre-medical-pre-dental-plus/index.cfm or call (973) 761-9648.

Pre-Law Advising

Admission to law school is highly competitive. The selection of applicants for admission rests with the admissions committees of the various law schools and is generally based on an acceptable level of performance at the undergraduate level, an acceptable score on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) and other criteria that may be set by the individual institutions.

There are no mandatory requirements for specific courses or majors that must be taken in preparation for entrance into law school; students from a wide variety of undergraduate major programs are regularly accepted by the various schools. Prospective law students most commonly major in such disciplines as political science, history, English, philosophy and economics, but admission to law school has often been granted to students who have majored in other areas.

Of far more importance to the prospective law student than the choice of major or of specific courses is attention to the development of skills in the expression and comprehension of the English language, and to the cultivation of the ability to think creatively and critically, with thoroughness and intellectual curiosity. As noted in the Pre-Law Handbook, the official guide to American Bar Association-approved law schools, the development of these capacities “is not the monopoly of any one subject-matter area, department or division.” Students interested in pursuing a career in law should work closely with the University’s pre-law adviser.

The St. Thomas More Pre-Law Society is an organization for students interested in pursuing a career in law.

For additional information, visit www.shu.edu/pre-law/index.cfm or contact Geoffrey Upton, J.D., Ph.D., pre-law adviser, at geoffrey.upton@shu.edu.