Academic Plan

A critical component of degree completion is having a clear academic plan.

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Each semester, students navigate the registration process and select classes as part of completing the major of their choice. Start with the end in mind. Creating a map of courses required for the major, which general educations courses best compliment your interests and career goals, and opportunities for lab experiences, independent studies and internships is part of embracing the range of possibilities available within your major.

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In addition to planning for next semester's classes, an academic plan can include study abroad opportunities, co-curricular ambitions, and community service possibilities.

 

Looking at the next four years, then creating a plan of when you will complete your minor or accomplish a particular goal is a smart way to pack the most into your college experience.

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For example, one student double majoring in Spanish and Biology decided she wanted to travel overseas on for cultural enrichment; later she wants to spend a semester studying at a university overseas. To make sure she can fit these dreams into her academic plan, she scheduled the cultural enrichment trip for the summer of her Sophomore year and the study abroad semester for Spring of her Junior year. This will give her time to work to save money for each trip. In the meantime, she volunteers at the Immigrant Welcome Center as a Spanish translator for immigration lawyers. This volunteer experience allows her to hear a variety of Spanish dialects and meet people from around the world in preparation for her overseas study experiences. She feels that experiences like these will help her be a more caring medical professional once she graduates from medical school.

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Another student volunteers as a translator at Eskenazi Hospital. She works with patients who request assistance with during the check-in process or who have billing questions.

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Another student added a Life Health Sciences summer internship to his academic plan. He found out that he needed to apply for the program in January and began talking with professors to get a reference in support of his candidacy.  

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There are hundreds of opportunities for internships, labs, study abroad programs, seminars, conventions, clubs, organizations, and employment across the IUPUI campus. Finding open doors and positioning yourself for these opportunities is part of planning for success.

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For the Engineering TLC ePortfolio, please share the following in your academic plan area:

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• Your declared major and why + when you plan to apply for admission to major.

• Your schedule of classes for next semester.

• A reflection on the registration process and how you will navigate registration wisely each semester.

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