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The Reed College of Media and College of Creative Arts will merge to form the new WVU College of Creative Arts and Media as of July 1, 2024. Get details.

Frequently Asked Questions

You've got questions. We've got answers. Browse through some frequently asked questions below, but don't hesitate to reach out directly by calling 304-293-3505 or emailing mediacollegeadvising@mail.wvu.edu.

Advising

  • How do I know who my Advisor is?
    Your advisor will be listed in your DegreeWorks. You will receive an e-mail from your advisor each term giving a list of dates when you can make an appointment with them and when you need to schedule your classes.
  • How do I keep track of my degree requirements?
    DegreeWorks is the online advising and degree auditing tool at WVU. All undergraduate students should have a completed audit for graduation. Students can access DegreeWorks through their WVU Portal account. Please refer to this system regularly. More information is available at http://registrar.wvu.edu/dw. While DegreeWorks is the University’s official degree auditing tool, it is not the final determinant for degree clearance. All degree requirements must be verified by the student's college or school prior to graduation. Students are responsible for complying with all academic policies published in the University catalog. If students have any questions about the information presented in this audit, they are encouraged to contact their advisor.
  • I have a hold on my account, what should I do?
    If the hold is an Advising Hold you will need to see your advisor. Any other type of hold will require you to contact the department originating the hold (ex. Student Accounts, Parking, Judicial).
  • Can my parents speak to my advisor or professors about my grades or other student records information?
    Students at West Virginia University benefit from the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. University officials, including advisors and professors, do not disclose confidential academic information without written consent from students. In the event students would like to allow University officials to discuss this information with a third party (which includes parents), students must complete the FERPA release.
  • How do I change my major and/or minor?
    Complete the Major/Minor Update form.

Registration

  • How do I register for classes?
    Follow these instructions to register for classes.
  • How many credits can I take each term?
    Typically students take 15 credit hours in fall and 15 credit hours in spring. The maximum number of credit hours allowed is 20 during the fall/spring term and 14 during the summer terms (all terms summer terms combined). Students who wish to exceed these credit limits must see their advisor to request a course overload approval. Typically, course overloads are only permitted in exceptional cases and should be justified. Students may have a lower credit maximum based on a variety of other factors and attributes (e.g. first-time freshman, probationary student).
  • What do I do if a College of Media class is full?
    Students who experience difficulty registering for a College of Media course should complete and submit the Course Registration Permit Request. If a class is full and it is a non-College of Media class, students will need to see the advising center in that department. If a College of Media course is full, students will need to contact their College of Media advisor.
  • Degree Requirements
    To review all College of Media degree requirements, please visit WVU’s Undergraduate Catalog.
  • Can I major in one College of Media program and minor in another?
    Students must choose a minor outside of the College. The only minors in the College of Media that majors can choose are: the Interactive Media Design minor (offered jointly with the College of Creative Arts) and the Sport Communication minor (offered jointly with the College of Physical Activity and Sport Science). Other popular minors include Business Administration, Political Science and Foreign Languages. Students may choose Event Planning or Strategic Social Media minors as an optional second minor (a primary minor must be earned from a unit outside of the College of Media to be eligible to graduate). If you choose Sports Communication, Event Planning, or Strategic Social Media you will need to fill out a contract with your advisor acknowledging that you will need to take online summer courses to complete these minors.
  • Can I “double major” in two College of Media programs?
    No, students may only choose one major within the College of Media.
  • Can I “double major” with one program from the College of Media and a major from another college?
    Students must complete a minimum of 150 credit hours and fulfill all degree requirements for both colleges.
  • What are the requirements to remain a College of Media major?
    Undergraduate students must maintain a 2.0 overall GPA and earn at least a “C-” grade in all major courses in the College of Media. Click here to see the requirements.
  • I made a D in a JRL or STCM course. Why is it in my insufficient block?
    You must earn a C or higher in all College of Media courses in order to count them towards your degree. You will not be able to graduate until you have earned a C or better in your JRL or STCM courses.
  • What is the D/F repeat policy?
    WVU has a D/F repeat policy for undergraduate students who have not received their initial baccalaureate degree. The new grade becomes the grade that counts toward the student’s cumulative GPA and credit hours for graduation, even if the repeated course grade is lower than the original grade in the course.
  • What grades are required in my minor?
    Requirements for a minor are set by the academic unit offering the minor. Units offering a minor may require specific courses and/or may require a minimum performance standard for courses taken to fulfill minor requirements (e.g., "a GPA of 2.0 across courses counted toward the minor is required" or "a grade of ‘C’ or higher must be earned in all courses counted toward the minor"). Get more information.
  • Can I withdraw from a course after the add/drop deadline?
    You can drop courses after the deadline. Doing so will result in a ‘W’ on your transcript for that course. Click here for more information on withdrawal policies.
  • I have transfer credits or AP/IB courses I took before coming to WVU. Is there a way to see if they are counting towards my degree?
    Check your DegreeWorks. If they do not appear as counting towards requirements, they may be present at the bottom of your DegreeWorks page under “Fallthrough courses”. You can also check your academic transcript through STAR. You may do this by going to: WVU Portal > STAR > Click here to enter STAR > Student Services & Housing > Student Records > Academic Transcript.
  • Can I take courses during the summer at a school other than WVU?
    Current College of Media students who wish to take courses at another institution should visit the Transfer Equivalency System website to obtain the transient application form and review the Transient Approval process. Once students have completed the Transient Application Form they should contact their academic advisor. Students often are able to find GEC/GEF or Non-JRL Requirements offered at other institutions that are equivalent to WVU courses. Please discuss with your advisor before enrolling in classes somewhere else to make sure the classes will transfer in to meet requirements. Also, you must make sure you won’t break the residency requirement of either 90 hours earned at WVU or your last 30 hours earned at WVU. If students have questions about how previous coursework has transferred to WVU, they should contact their advisor. If anticipated courses do not appear or do not appear as expected, contact the Office of Admissions.
  • Will doing Study Abroad for a semester or a year put me behind?
    If you plan to study abroad please let your advisor know as soon as you think you might be interested. If you plan ahead with your advisor you can stay on track with degree requirements. GEC/GEF & Non-JRL requirements are fairly easy to transfer back in from abroad. If you are studying in a non-English speaking country for an entire semester you may count that experience as one of your Foreign Language requirements. Upper division major specific classes typically can’t be taken while abroad.

    You will need to check with your Minor department to see if they will allow any courses to be taken abroad. The College of Media and the Study Abroad Office offer trips during the summer term that are usually 2-6 weeks in length.

Graduation

  • What are the graduation requirements?
    Click here to view graduation requirements.
  • How do I apply to graduate?
    Graduation applications can be submitted online during the term in which the student expects to graduate. Application deadlines are firm and will be communicated to students via the College of Media website, WVU Reed College of Media eNews and email throughout each semester. YOU MUST ALSO REGISTER TO ATTEND THE CEREMONY. This is a separate process than applying to graduate.

    To apply for graduation, complete the following steps:
    1. Log into the WVU Portal at http://portal.wvu.edu
    2. Click on the STAR tab
    3. Click on the link “Click here to log into Degree Works”
    4. Verify major(s), minor(s), and area of emphasis (if applicable) are correct

    If you find an error:
    1. Email Brenda Sisler at brenda.sisler@mail.wvu.edu with details about what is incorrect in Degree Works.
    2. Do not apply for graduation. If information in Degree Works is incorrect, your application will have to be denied.
    3. If you have already applied and the information in Degree Works is wrong, please contact Brenda immediately.

    If everything is correct:
    1. Log into your WVU Portal
    2. Click on the STAR Tab
    3. Locate the “DegreeWorks” section
    4. Click on the link “Click here to log into DegreeWorks”
    5. Locate the “Graduation Application” field in the top information block
    6. Click the “Apply to Graduate” link