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Frequently Asked Questions

 

Advising Questions

  • How do I make an appointment?
    • To make an appointment with a BIMS academic advisor, you will need to call the front desk at 979-845-4941. You can set up your appointment with either a preferred advisor or a preferred time.
  • Where do I go for my advising appointment?
    • The BIMS academic advising office is located in Room 159 in the Reynolds Medical Sciences Building. The Reynolds Building is located on west campus next to the Wehner Building (Mays Business School) and the Medical Sciences Library.
  • What is academic warning vs. academic probation?
    • BIMS majors are required to maintain a certain GPA based on the number of cumulative credit hours earned. Students with 54 credit hours or less are required to maintain a 2.00 GPA while students with 55 credit hours or more are required to maintain a 2.50 GPA to remain in good standing with the major.
    • Academic Warning: A student's GPA is below the required GPA for BIMS majors and needs to work on improving his/her GPA. Students are placed on Academic Warning after fall semester grades post. Students will need to improve their GPA to good standing by the end of the following spring semester.
    • Academic Probation: A student's GPA is below the required GPA for BIMS majors. Students are placed on Academic Probation after spring semester grades post. It also means that the student is required to take classes during the following summer semester at TAMU to raise his/her GPA back to good standing or the student needs to change his/her major.

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Registration Questions

  • How do I find my registration time?
    • The Office of the Registrar's website provides a schedule of when the pre-registration period starts for each student classification. For your individual pre-registration start time, you can log into the Howdy portal and click on the "My Records" tab.
  • How do I register for classes?
    • Please click here for step-by-step instructions of how to register.
  • How do I register for BIMS 484/BIMS 485?
    • To qualify for either course, you must be a U3 and have all of your CBK's completed. Each course has a form that needs to completed and turned into the front desk of the BIMS academic advising office before you can be enrolled in the course.
    • To register for BIMS 484, you will need to complete a BIMS 484 request form. This form will require approval from Dr. Henry Huebner, who is located in Room 159 Reynolds Building.
    • To register for BIMS 485, you will need to complete a BIMS 485 request form. This form requires signatures from both the professor as well the professor's department chair.
  • What can I do if a course is closed?
    • If a course is closed, you will need to contact the department that the course is housed in to see if a force list is available. For all BIMS and V--- courses, the force list is located in the BIMS academic advising office. You will have to fill out a force request during your pre-registration period and turn in the request form to the front desk in Room 159 Reynolds Building.
  • Where can I find the Texas A&M Catalog?
    • The Texas A&M Catalog is no longer printed as a paperback book. It can be found online here. The website has online versions of past catalogs starting from the 2003-2004 catalog to the present.
  • Where do I find what courses count in the core curriculum?
    • You can find out what courses can count for the core curriculum requirements by searching the Texas A&M Catalog. Typically, the core curriculum courses can be found on pages 15-20 in the catalog.
  • Can a course count for both my Humanities elective and my Visual & Performing Arts elective?
    • No, a course can only count for one requirement. You need to have a unique course to fulfill each requirement.
  • How do I complete the Lab Safety Acknowledgement form?
    • Log into your Howdy portal and click on the "My Record" tab.
    • In the "My Schedule" box, click the "Lab Safety Acknowledgement" link.
    • Select the semester for which you wish to complete the Lab Safety Acknowledgement form.
    • Click the Accept button on the bottom of the screen.
  • Do I have to complete the Lab Safety Acknowledgement form each semester?
    • Yes, you will have to complete a new Lab Safety Acknowledgement form for each semester that you register for a lab course.

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Dropping Classes Questions

  • How do I drop a class?
    • Students are required to fill out a Q-Drop Request Form. You will then need to meet with an academic advisor to discuss how dropping the course will affect your degree progress. The form will then be processed by the BIMS academic advisor and sent to the Office of the Registrar.
  • How many Q-Drops are permitted?
    • Students are allowed three (3) Q-Drops during their undergraduate studies.
  • How do I dispute a grade?
    • For more information on disputing a grade, please see Part III: Student Grievance Procedures Rule 48 in the Student Rules.
  • What is a First Year Grade Exclusion (FYGE)?
    • First Year Grade Exclusion can be used by undergraduate students who applied and enrolled for the first time in college at Texas A&M. Student can exclude up to three (3) courses where grades of D, F, or U were earned during their first 12 months at Texas A&M. This form needs to be filled out by the student, their financial aid advisor, and their academic advisor.

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Transfer Questions

  • If I take a course at a community college, will it transfer to Texas A&M?
  • Where do I send a copy of my transcript for my transfer coursework?
    • Once you have completed your coursework and the grade has posted, you will need to submit an official transcript to Texas A&M. Transcripts must be received directly from the other institution via an electronic copy or sent in a sealed envelope to the Office of Admissions. The mailing address can be found here.

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Miscellaneous Questions

  • Why do I have a Bacterial Mengitis hold on my account?
    • Effective January 1, 2012, Texas Senate Bill 1107 requires all students under the age of 30 entering an institution of higher education to receive a vaccination against bacterial meningitis or meet certain criteria for declining the immunization before the first day of the semester. The Office of Admissions has more information about this requirement.
  • What can I do with my degree after graduation?
    • Click here for more information.
  • When do I apply for graduation?
    • The Office of the Registrar updates their website with details about when to apply for graduation and when the ceremony will take place. Typically, students apply for graduation at the beginning of the semester that they plan on graduating. To apply for graduation, you log into your Howdy portal.
  • Who do I talk to about a problem with a professor?
    • If you are having a problem with a professor, please come in and see one of the academic advisors in the BIMS academic advising office. For more information about the formal process of student grievances, please read Part III: Student Grievance Procedures in the Student Rules.
  • How do I apply for admissions to Texas A&M?
    • Please visit the Office of Admissions website for more information.
  • What is a NEO email account?
    • A NEO email account is assigned to every admitted student at Texas A&M. You can activate your NEO account by using your University Identification Number (UIN). You will receive important communications through this email account. It is recommended that you check your NEO email daily.
  • How do I pay my tuition?
    • You can pay online by logging into the Howdy portal, clicking on the "My Records" tab, and then clicking on "Pay Bill/Manage Account". You can also pay in person at the Student Business Services Cashier located in Suite 2801 in the General Services Complex. Payments can also be mailed. For more information, visit the Student Business Services website.
  • How do I declare a double major, minor, or certificate?
    • All double majors/double degrees, minors, or certificates need to be declared before you reach 75 credit hours.
    • Double major/double degree: You will need to meet with the department where the second major/degree is housed to seek their approval and complete the necessary paperwork. Once completed, you need to bring the paperwork to the BIMS academic advising office. For more infomation, please read Part I: Academic Rules Rule 14 in the Student Rules.
    • Minor: You will need to meet with the department where the minor is housed to seek approval. Once you have the department's approval form, you will need to bring the form to the BIMS academic advising office for one of the academic advisors to add the minor to your academic record. The exception to this is the Business minor - you only need to meet with a BIMS academic advisor to declare this minor.
    • Certificate: You will need to set up an advising appointment and meet with Anna Primiano or Dr. Elizabeth Crouch to declare the Spanish Certificate.
  • What is the excess credit hour rule?
    • For more information on this rule, please the Office of the Registrar's website.

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