Course Selection 

Academic advisors help students plan their course of study for upcoming semesters. During walk-in hours or by appointment, advisors will run Degree Audits and help students decide upon courses that fulfill requirements for their major and course of study. Advisors help undecided students select Global Miami Plan (GMP) Foundation courses that interest them and may help them decide on a major. Advisors also will check schedules for students who wish to register for classes on their own to ensure students are not duplicating GMP requirements. 

Schedule Planning

Academic advisors help students register for semester's classes using BannerWeb. Students are welcome to come in by appointment or during walk-in hours and sit with an advisor to schedule classes. Advisors help students plan their schedule, which can be especially helpful for students who take classes on two or more Regional campuses. 

Professional academic advisors are an excellent resource when you don't know who to go to at Miami University to help you solve problems, find resources or get involved.  Academic advisors will meet with you and help you identify what university, campus and community resources can be of most help to you, and can give you referrals for campus, university and community resources to help you. Resources may include: 

Course Withdrawal

After 60 percent of the course is complete, a student may no longer withdraw from a course, unless a petition is approved by the Interdivisional Committee of Advisors. The petition must describe and document the extenuating circumstances (usually beyond the student's control) that form the grounds of the petition. If the petition for withdrawal is approved, the student will be withdrawn from the course with a grade of W. If the petition is not approved, the student will be expected to remain in the course (see Student Handbook, Exceptions to the Scholastic Regulations).

If a student requests to withdraw from more than one course, a separate petition must be submitted for each course. A formal withdrawal from all courses is a different procedureand is an option for students until the final Friday of classes during each term. Please make an appointment with an academic advisor on the Hamilton or Middletown campus to prepare a petition to withdraw from a course after the deadline.

Appealing Suspension

Students with verifiable extenuating circumstances who want to appeal an academic suspension should contact the Hamilton or Middletown academic advising office to make an appointment with an advisor about preparing a petition. During this appointment, the advisor will outline the petition process and timeline; discuss the necessary information and documentation required to complete a thorough petition; and help construct an appropriate academic plan for future semesters. In some instances, the advisor may recommend foregoing the petition process until the extenuating circumstances have been addressed.The Interdivisional Committee of Advisors has final authority to grant exceptions to academic regulations and may approve a petition to waive the period of academic suspension. Notification of the final decision will be sent to your Miami email account.

Petition to Hold Academic Dismissal in Abeyance

Academic dismissal occurs when there has been a previous academic suspension, and is considered a permanent action. However, a petition for readmission following dismissal can be considered after a minimum period of two calendar years. 

The Interdivisional Committee of advisors (I.D. Committee) has final authority to grant exceptions to academic regulations and may approve a petition to hold academic dismissal in abeyance only if there are exceptional circumstances. The student is required to submit a written statement outlining the exceptional circumstances, the effect on his or her academic performance, and how these issues have been addressed, as well as documentation substantiating the exceptional circumstances. If the petition is not approved, please contact your divisional office in the future regarding all academic and readmission matters.

Fresh Start

The Fresh Start Policy is designed to help Miami University students return to good academic standing after an absence of at least two calendar years. Students who left the University and who have a cumulative GPA below 2.00 may petition the divisional Committee of Advisors for Fresh Start after a two-year absence. Credit earned from other institutions during the two-year period, beginning with the student’s first term of non-enrollment at Miami, will be accepted for transfer credit.

Medical Leave of Absence (MLOA)

A student may request a medical leave of absence from the university if, during the course of a semester, she/he suffers from a diagnosable physical, emotional or psychological condition that significantly interferes with her/his ability to complete the academic responsibilities. Withdrawal from one or more classes, but not all classes, must be done through consultation with each specific faculty member. More information about Medical Leave of Absence (MLOA) is available in the Miami University Policy Library.

Initiating an Academic Petition

If you want to petition any of these listed academic policies at Miami University, please self-enroll in this Regional Undergraduate Petitions Canvas course to learn more about the student process for academic policy petitions. 

Professional academic advisors help transfer students understand the evaluation of their transfer credit by the University Registrar, and help students submit petitions to modify the requirements of the Global Miami Plan to the Liberal Education website.  Academic advisors also help students make contact with faculty and departmental advisors to petition transfer credit to meet the requirements of their major. 

Evaluating Transfer Credit

Transfer students starting Summer or Fall 2023 should wait to submit Office of Liberal Education or Miami Plan petitions until late summer after the new petition forms are available. Please contact us at RegAdvising@MiamiOH.edu for more information. 

Transfer students should have their official (unopened) transcripts sent to Records and Registration Office. Coursework can take several weeks to be evaluated, during which time advisors often view unofficial transcripts from the previous schools and/or may utilize web sites such as www.transferology.com to make educated guesses on what courses MIGHT transfer to Miami, in order to schedule appropriate courses. The responsibility rests with the student to double check their DAR once their course work has been formally evaluated. Remember that courses may be evaluated as "T" credit, and then be petitioned to meet Miami Plan Foundation requirements. Transfer courses may also be petitioned to meet the requirements of majors, minors and Thematic Sequences. Students should make an appointment with an academic advisor to initiate this process.

Petitioning the Miami Plan

In some cases, students may take a course or courses that incorporate Miami Plan principles but have not been approved as Miami Plan Foundation courses, courses for a Thematic Sequence, or a Senior Capstone course. These may be courses transferred from another institution, study abroad experiences, or courses taken at Miami that have not yet received Miami Plan Foundation, Thematic Sequence, or Senior Capstone designation.

Students may submit a petition to the Office of Liberal Education to receive credit for these courses. Petitions are reviewed by the Director of Liberal Education. An academic advisor can help students formulate petitions to modify the Miami Plan requirements, including giving feedback on the required Statement of Explanation. If the course was completed at another institution, a course syllabus must be attached to your petition. A catalog course description is not sufficient.

Initiating a Miami Plan Petition

If you want to petition your credit for use in the Miami Plan, please follow these instructions to submit your Miami Plan petition. If you have questions about petitioning, please schedule an appointment with an academic advisor.