Academic Advising Prospective Students Pre-Health Program Choosing a Major/Minor How do I change my major Core Curriculum Requirements Transfer Credit/Transient Info Scholarships/Financial Aid Undergraduate Research Grades/GAP/GPA Registration Academic Help/ Resources Veteran Educational Benefits General Campus Info/Helpful Resources COSAM Career Services

Academic Advising

Your academic advisor serves as a guide and a resource during your time in COSAM.  Your academic advisor can help answer questions you may have about your degree progress, major requirements, academic policies and procedures, and academic resources available for student success.

All academic advisor offices are in 239 Sciences Center Classrooms Building (SCC). We are on the 2nd floor right off the elevator to your left through the double doors. Feel free to stop by anytime Monday-Friday from 7:45-11:45am or 12:45-4:45pm.

You will have the chance to meet with your academic advisor at least once a semester, prior to registration.  We encourage you to meet with your academic advisor whenever you have questions or concerns – we are here for you!

The COSAM Peer Advisors are a select group of COSAM juniors and seniors that serve the students of the College of Sciences and Mathematics.

You will often be reminded of important deadlines via email, so be sure to check your email on a daily basis. Other important deadlines can be found on the academic calendar each semester. Some of the most common deadlines are:
  • 5th class day - last day to add classes on your own on AU Access; $100 fee enforcement begins tomorrow for each course you drop and runs through the 15th class day.
  • 15th class day- last day to drop a course with no grade assignment.
  • Final Drop Date (http://www.auburn.edu/main/auweb_calendar.php) - last day to withdraw from a course with no grade penalty. A "W" will be assigned.

Prospective Students

Please visit aub.ie/visitcosam to register for a tour of COSAM, an individual academic meeting, or a group information session. You can also arrange a campus tour through Admissions, auburn.edu/admissions.

A list of majors as well as what courses are required for each major in COSAM can be found via the Auburn Bulletin here.

Auburn's AP credit table is here. You can see what credit you will receive according to which test you took and the score you earned. Current students with questions about AP or IB credit can contact their academic advisor while prospective students can reach out to Mr. Will Blakeley at web0020@auburn.edu.

A list of transferrable courses can be found on our Transfer Equivalency Table. If you are unable to find the specific institution or course you'd like to take, you should contact your academic advisor for further help.

Yes, with approval, course credit from another institution can apply towards your degree progress at AU as long as transferred credits do not exceed the following:
  • No more than ½ of your degree can be from a 2-year institution 
  • No more than ¾ of your degree can be transfer work 
  • No more than ½ of your major courses can be transfer work 

Pre-Health Program

Our offices are in Sciences Center Classrooms Building, Suite 239.

Pre-Health Programs office serves students interested in becoming anesthesiologist assistants, dentists, doctors, occupational therapists, physical therapists, optometrists, pharmacists, physician assistants, and veterinarians.

No, Pre-Health Programs is an opt-in service.

Students who are interested in receiving services from Pre-Health Programs can opt-in by visiting aub.ie/prehealth and completing the Qualtrics survey.

Appointments are not required during walk-ins on Wednesdays from 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Appointments are required outside of these times and can be scheduled in AdviseAssist. Students can schedule an appointment by following the steps below: 
  • Click “Make an Appointment.” 
  • Choose “Academic Advising & Student Services” from the first drop-down. 
  • In the second drop-down, scroll down to Pre-Health Programs and choose the appropriate appointment type. 
  1. Pre-Health Exploration – Choose this appointment type to learn more about a health profession or professional school. 
  2. Pre-Health Preparation – Choose this appointment type to discuss how you can prepare for professional school including pre-requisites, timeline, shadowing, and more. 
  3. Pre-Health Application Assistance – Choose this appointment type for help with a professional school application, including essay review. 
  4. Pre-Health Interview Preparation – Choose this appointment type to get help preparing for a professional school interview. This is not a mock interview. 
  • The date will automatically populate. Click “Find Available Appointments.” 
  • Choose your preferred date and time or search by staff. 

No, students needing assistance with class schedules must contact their academic advisor.

It can be difficult to find shadowing opportunities. We encourage you to reach out to healthcare providers in your hometown. Use your resources. Ask family, friends or your family’s healthcare providers if you can observe them while they work.

Yes! Keep a record of any experiences (shadowing, volunteering, clinical, clubs/organizations, hobbies, etc.) that you have participated in since you have graduated from high school. Use our pre-health experience tracker to organize your information.

It’s never too early to start shadowing (observing) professionals who work in the field you are interested in. You can also find a place to volunteer on a weekly basis with people in need. Last, make connections with your science professors and other mentors.

Yes. Pre-Health Programs works with Auburn alumni who want to pursue professional school.

Choosing a Major/Minor

A list of majors as well as what courses are required for each major in COSAM can be found on our Curriculum Models page.

COSAM offers minors in Biology, Chemistry, Geography, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, and Statistics. For the full list of minors and their requirements please see our AU Bulletin.

Schedule a “Major + Career Exploration” appointment via Advise Assist with a COSAM Career Coach.  During the appointment, receive tailored career exploration advice based on interests and values that align with partnered employers.

How do I change my major

In order to change your major to another college, visit aub.ie/majorchange to complete the process.

Core Curriculum Requirements

A list of acceptable CORE courses is available here.

Transfer Credit/Transient Info

A list of transferrable courses can be found on our Transfer Equivalency Table. If you are unable to find the specific institution or course you'd like to take, you should contact your academic advisor based on your last name and major for further help.

Yes, you can take courses at other institutions while at Auburn as long as you complete a transient form on AU Access and do not exceed the following:
  • No more than ½ of your degree can be from a 2-year institution 
  • No more than ¾ of your degree can be transfer credit 
  • No more than ½ of your major can be transfer work 

In order to receive credit for coursework taken from another institution, you must have your official transcript sent from that institution. This is not an automatic process- you must request that it be sent. If you are an undergraduate student at Auburn, please have your transcripts sent to the following address:  Auburn Office of the Registrar, 152 South College St. Auburn, AL 36849. You can also have them emailed to transfer@auburn.edu.  If you have not yet attended Auburn as an undergraduate or are an incoming student, please have your transcripts sent to the following address: Office of Admissions, 1550 East Glenn Ave, Suite 1210 Auburn, AL 36849

Scholarships/Financial Aid

Yes, COSAM does offer scholarships.

Student Financial Services is located in Mary Martin Hall and they can answer questions regarding Financial Aid.  You can also visit their website.

The Office of University Scholarship is located in Mary Martin Hall.  You can also visit their website. If your scholarship is from COSAM, you need to speak with Mr. Will Blakeley, 239 SCC or web0020@auburn.edu.

Undergraduate Research

Before you delve into undergraduate research, you should figure out what you are interested in. Have you taken a class that sparked your curiosity? Is there a professor whose research sounds fascinating to you? Special topics courses or upper-division seminars can provide insight into an area of research and may help you connect with possible research mentors. COSAM’s undergraduate research blog is continuously updated with current research opportunities on campus: https://www.auburn.edu/cosam/departments/student-services/career-services/cs-blog/index1.html

Absolutely not! You can start research as early as your freshman year. Start approaching professors asking if you can assist in their labs or on their projects - you might start by performing basic lab techniques or researching articles, but you'll learn how to research early and make valuable connections with possible research mentors.

There are plenty of ways to get involved in research on Auburn University's campus. First, subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated about research opportunities and events. You can also take a research course, reach out to your professors and peers to find a research project, join SGA's Undergraduate Research Board, attend a research event.

No, you do not! There are options outside of COSAM that you may pursue but be sure to discuss this with your assigned academic advisor first.

You will be expected to work 2-3 hours per week for every 1 hour of credit.  Generally the hours that you work will be quite flexible.   Some COSAM majors require undergraduate research hours for their degree – check your curriculum model for your degree requirements.

Grades/GAP/GPA

Your AU GPA is determined strictly by courses taken while at AU. Your transfer GPA is determined solely by courses taken outside of AU. An adjusted GPA reflects some type of adjustment, such as a GAP. Your cumulative GPA is combination of both your transfer and your AU GPA.

GAP stands for Grade Adjustment Policy and this adjustment can be used on D, F, or FA grades. You have 3 GAPs available and if you GAP a course that is required for your major, you must repeat it at AU. GAP does not erase a grade from your transcript and is often not accepted by financial aid, scholarship and professional/graduate schools.  See your academic advisor for additional information.

Registration

Typically, registration for the summer and fall semester is during April and registration for the spring semester is during November. Each semester, immediately preceding registration, the peer advisors hold a registration workshop to answer any questions you may have about registration and help you with completing your registration worksheet. Specific details are announced via email. Additional information about COSAM registration is available here.

We encourage you to first come directly to our office in room 239 Sciences Center Classrooms Building to speak with a peer advisor for one-on-one help with adding and dropping classes.

In order to find out prerequisites and corequisites for courses, you must look at the course description for that individual course, which can be found in the University Bulletin at auburn.edu/bulletin or http://bulletin.auburn.edu/

Typically this error means that you have not taken/received credit for a course that is a prerequisite or corequisite for the course you are attempting to register for. Check http://bulletin.auburn.edu/ to see if you have the prerequisite/corequisite course(s).  If you have the required course(s), you must call the department that houses the specific course for additional assistance.

In order to register for additional credit hours, you must complete a course overload form to be approved by your academic advisor and Assistant Director of Academic Advising.  This form is available in 239 Sciences Center Classrooms Building.

COSAM offers a Long Range Schedule (aub.ie/cosamlrs) that is helpful in planning your sciences and mathematics courses in advance.

Academic Help/ Resources

You have a number of options available to you. Meet with your instructor. All instructors offer office hours and will answer questions and provide you with course-related feedback, so take advantage. Individual departments keep a list of private tutors for hire if you are interested as well.  Lastly, Supplemental Instruction(SI), Study Smart, Study Partners and Academic Coachingare all resources available through Academic Support at no additional cost.

Schedule a “Major + Career Exploration” appointment via Advise Assist with a COSAM Career Coach.  During the appointment, receive tailored career exploration advice based on interests and values that align with partnered employers.

You will often be reminded of important deadlines via email, so be sure to check your email on a daily basis. Other important deadlines can be found on the academic calendar each semester.  Some of the most common deadlines are: 
  • 5th class day- last day to add classes on your own on AU Access; $100 fee enforcement begins tomorrow for each course you drop and runs through the 15th class day 
  • 15th class day- last day to drop a course with no grade assignment 
  • Final Day to Drop (Auburn Academic Calendar) - last day to withdraw from a course with no grade penalty. A “W” will be assigned. 

Veteran Educational Benefits

You will need to meet with a VA School Certifying Official at the Veterans Resource Center (217 Foy) in order to begin the process. Then, contact your academic advisor in order to determine which classes you need.

You can email the VA academic advisor letter to your academic advisor.  Please make sure you have the top part filled out with your VA benefit information before you send it to your advisor.  Your academic advisor will submit your VA paperwork to the VA office and copy you on the email.   

General Campus Info/Helpful Resources

People Finder on the Auburn University website is a great resource to find on-campus locations and phone numbers. Common COSAM contacts are available here.

You will often be reminded of important deadlines via email, so be sure to check your email on a daily basis. Other important deadlines can be found on the academic calendar each semester.  Some of the most common deadlines are: 
  • 5th class day- last day to add classes on your own on AU Access; $100 fee enforcement begins tomorrow for each course you drop and runs through the 15th class day 
  • 15th class day- last day to drop a course with no grade assignment 
  • Final Day to Drop (Auburn Academic Calendar) - last day to withdraw from a course with no grade penalty. A “W” will be assigned. 

Below are some of the commonly used abbreviations you will see used by the College of Sciences and Mathematics (COSAM) as well as Auburn University:

COSAM Career Services

Yes. You can make an appointment to meet virtually with a Career Advisor via Advise Assist. If you need assistance, please email cosamcareer@auburn.edu and we will assist you in scheduling an appointment.

Many employers visit campus throughout fall and spring semesters to interact with students. Their activities include attending career fairs, coffee chats, virtual info sessions, and interview schedules. Employers who schedule on-campus interviews post their positions on Handshake, where students can view the job descriptions and, if qualified, submit their resumes to be considered. Our Calendar of Events also lists on-campus recruiting opportunities.

All fairs are free to attend and open to all Auburn University students and recent alumni. Students who are still exploring career paths and opportunities are welcome to come to any career fair to explore career interests, employers and become familiar in participating in a career fair. We encourage students to attend early in their time at Auburn to be familiar with the career fair setting early.

Students can begin exploring internship opportunities in Handshake at any time. Internships posted to Handshake will often state the employer’s preference for school year. Some employers are open to recruiting rising sophomores, while others will focus their recruiting efforts on third and fourth year students. Many employers recruit interns 8-10 months prior to the internship start date. For example, most employers will recruit for summer interns in fall semester.

Yes! Book a Campus Career Closet appointment in Handshake. The Campus Career Closet is located in Mary Martin Hall.

All Auburn University alumni can utilize Career Services Resources. If you graduated in 2017 or later, you can make an appointment via Advise Assist. If you graduated before 2017, please email cosamcareer@auburn.edu to make an appointment.