ODU puts an academic block or hold on registering for classes each semester until the student has been in contact with his/her advisor in person, by phone or by email if the latter are more convenient for the student.(For humanities please schedule an appointment with Dr. Dana Heller.)Students should think about intended course(s) of study (or theme(s)) BEFORE attending these sessions to receive the best possible advice.Whenever possible, students should investigate course registration schedules to ascertain whether courses are scheduled which facilitate the preferred area or if contact needs to be made with professors for seminars/topics courses.After this appointment, the advisor block will be removed and students may register for classes through Leo Online or in person at the Registrar’s Office in Rollins Hall (provided no other blocks exist on their account).

ODU puts an academic block on registering for classes each semester until removed by the student’s academic advisor.Additionally, holds may be placed on a student’s account by the:

The campus bookstore is located inside Webb Center.It is accessible through the ODU website as well.Students can search course listings for book lists by semester as well as order delivery or reserve materials online. Some materials may only be available forpurchase in person at ODU bookstore.Dominion Bookstore also provides bookstore services at a comparable price just off campus on 48th St.Many students prefer to order at least some of their books online from providers such as Half.com after accessing the book lists or attending the first day of class to see which materials are needed immediately and which are less urgent.

The ODU catalog is generally out of print by the time it is published.Students are advised to acquire the semester schedule of courses as soon as possible in order to plan.Students should contact specific departments (for example English) in order to know what special topics courses will be offered.These classes are generally not repeated whereas upper level 400/500 level courses are often offered each spring.400/500 level classes are generally programmed for a small number of graduate students with a larger number of undergraduate students.Often paper length or number of papers due is increased for graduate students in these courses. Students may only apply 12 hours of 500 level graduate level coursework toward their degree.While students can continue to register for 500 level classes after they have reached the 12 hour limit for personal pleasure and edification, these courses WILL NOT be credited toward their program of study.

Students should consider coursework at the 600 level or above before coursework at the 500 level.600 level courses are divided according to which department is offering them.600 level courses offered by the English (Linguistics, Creative Writing, Literature, or Professional Writing), History, International Studies and Sociology Departments (which support their own graduate programs as well as Art courses which fall under the Visual Studies program) appear more frequently but may require the signature of the professor for entrance.600 level courses offered by the Communication, Foreign Languages and Literatures, Philosophy, and Theatre Arts Departments may only be offered once every 3 or 4 years (and then only if a sufficient number of students register for the class to “make”).The latter group depends almost entirely on Humanities student enrollment.If a student is interested in one of these courses s/he is advised to register as early as possible.

Computer Labs are available in the first floor of BAL as well as the library.While remote access to the library system is available at all times, the computer labs are generally not accessible during break or summer periods.Additionally, the library is not set up for outside laptops to be linked via modem to the university system.Most computers are PCs with Microsoft software packages.

It is essential that students register for classes as early as possible since classes can be cancelled due to poor or late response. Nine semester hours are considered fulltime during fall and spring semesters; although students may register for up to twelve semester hours, it is not recommended.Summer coursework is available in several different sessions (the longest being a month and a half in duration).Six semester hours are considered full-time during the summer session.

Students should try to register for coursework at the 600 level or above.Students may only apply 12 hours of 500 level graduate level coursework toward their degree.While students can continue to register for 500 level classes after they have reached the 12 hour limit, these courses WILL NOT be credited toward their program of study. Students should register for a humanities course most (full-time) semesters.In some cases, these courses may be taken out of sequence as available.

If you are having difficulties registering for classes or applying financial aid for example, the best thing to do is to show up in person to straighten out the situation.

Every student enrolled at ODU receives an ODU email account and password.The address is generally your first initial and the first four letters of your last name followed by 001@odu.edu.Professors receive these addresses on their registration lists and have been known to send assignments to these accounts before the first class meeting.For students to be able to access these messages (once they are aware the account exists) they must activate the account with the computer services.At activation, students are assigned passwords (which can be changed to something more memorable by the student later).There is a lapse of 36 hours or more from the time of activation until the student is able to access their account for the first time.Some classes require students to participate in online discussions through the Blackboard software.Students email accounts must be activated to be able to complete this type of assignment.(In other words, the user name and password for Blackboard student discussions through ODU are the same as the user name and password for their ODU email account.)

There is a Starbucks coffee counter with warm and cold beverages as well as sandwiches in the lobby of BAL.Also there are soft drink/bottled water and snack item (candy, chips, cookies, crackers) vending machines located near the stairwell on the first, second and third floors.At Webb Center, vending machines are also available.Additionally, the university bookstore has a snack shop and there are counters for Taco Bell, Chick-Fil-A, and sushi.Off campus there are eateries available in nearby Ghent and fast food restaurants dot Hampton Boulevard.

The Admissions offices are located in Rollins Hall. Lisa Hankieson is the person who processes all graduate applications for last names beginning with A through L.She can be reached at (757) 683-5285.Cynthia Bryant is the person who processes all graduate applications for last names beginning M-Z.She can be reached at (757) 683-3644.Often students are contacted by the department to whom they applied before they hear from the university at large.Students should feel free to contact these individuals as well as the Humanities Department to check on their application status.

Graduate work from other universities

The humanities program may be petitioned to accept up to, but not exceeding, 12 hours of graduate level coursework in the area of study from other accredited institutions.Many state and regional schools accept students at the ODU tuition rate.

Students must file an "Application for Graduation" with the Office of the Registrar by the published deadline, the semester prior to the semester of intended graduation. There are three graduation dates each year: May, August or December. A student's name will not appear in the Commencement Program whose application for graduation does not reach the Office of the University Registrar by the priority deadline. A graduation specialist in the Office of the University Registrar will audit your academic record, including final semester grades. Your degree is not actually conferred until this process has been completed.

Old Dominion University has developed an institution-wide plan to assess the quality of its graduate academic degree programs. In addition, students are asked to assess their experiences with support services, University administration, and other aspects of their University experience. All graduate students must complete an assessment during the semester in which they complete their master's, certificate of advanced study, or doctoral degrees. Neither the final transcript nor the diploma will be issued until a graduate student has completed her/his assessment. Information regarding the assessment will be mailed to graduate students after they apply for graduation. When graduate students apply for graduation, they are added to the assessment database, enabling them to take their assessment online via the Web.

Diplomas are distributed within 8 - 9 weeks following the official date of graduation. Graduates who attended the Norfolk or in-region campuses will be notified by mail of the dates when diplomas will be available for pick up. Diplomas will be mailed the week following the last date to pickup. Diplomas, transcripts and verifications/certifications are not processed for students who have a delinquent account with the University.

All ODU undergraduate and graduate students are required to provide the university health services (located in the Webb Center) with a complete medical history form and complete immunization/inoculation record.Students must pass a tuberculosis skin test each year.In addition students (especially international students) must have proof of insurance. Students are recommended to receive hepatitis and meningococcal shots.Students are assessed a health services fee each semester.This fee covers general health services (i.e. appointments) but does not include prescriptions.

For security reasons, all students are required to obtain a university ID card.Students may be asked to produce this identification by authorities at any time.Equally important, student ID cards are needed in order to check out materials from the university library.After registering for the first semester, go to the card center on the first floor of Webb Center Mon. to Thurs. 9 to 6 or Fri. 9 to 5 with photo ID and proof of registration.Students might also consider taking cash or credit cards to place funds on the ID card for use at ODU vending and photocopying machines.

Perry Library is the main library on campus.(There is also a separate art library on campus.)Perry Library participates in a state-wide public library reciprocal privilege agreement. Applications to participate in this program (to be able to check out materials in libraries across the state) are available at the library once the student has obtained a university ID card. Some students lower education costs by checking out required texts rather than purchasing them. These texts can be recalled by the library should another student also wish to use them.Students are able to access the catalog as well as electronic texts, search engines and area library catalogs online.

Reserve materials are kept/posted by the library by course and professor.Some classes use few texts but supplement with reserve materials which the student is able to print at no personal expense for the first 500 pages in the computer labs onsite.The core classes of the humanities each provide a specialized orientation to the library for students.

Much of the coursework (particularly for humanities courses) will be completed in the Batten Arts and Letters building (BAL) at the corner of Hampton Boulevard and 43rd Street.The Perry library is nearby.Online or Teletechnet courses may be available through other departments as part of the student’s individual program of study but are not currently available for the Humanities core courses.

Students are required to purchase a parking permit (either by semester or year, 24 hour or evenings only) from the parking services office at the parking garage located at the corner of43rd St. and Elkhorn Avenue.Near BAL are several (8) commuter parking lots.Until students have purchased parking permits metered parking spaces are available along Hampton Boulevard as well as at the parking lot directly outside Rollins Hall and in the lot immediately behind the library. (It is also possible to obtain a 24 hour visitor parking pass from the parking services office.)Students should avoid parking along side streets near the university.These streets are patrolled regularly and fines can be quite expensive.

Required Courses
All humanities students are required to successfully complete Humanities 601 and 602.While these courses are chronological in nature (601 deals with topics from mythology to the 19th century whereas 602 focuses on modernity and postmodernity), they may be taken “out of order” at the advisor’s discretion.That is to say, students should not hesitate to enter the Humanities Institute during the spring semester. One need not wait until fall; there is no set order of completion.Thesis track students need to register for a Humanities class each semester (i.e. follow the introductory Hum courses with HUM 698 & 699).HUM698 and 699 are sequenced, and thesis track students may register for either of them fall, spring, or summer.However, non-thesis track students should be aware that the capstone HUM694 course is only offered in the spring semester.At this time, all Humanities courses are conducted in a traditional classroom environment at Batten Arts and Letters Building; these courses are not available online or as teletechnet courses.

Students must inform the Director of the Humanities Institute of their intention to follow a thesis or non-thesis track by the end of the first year of their studies at ODU.This is particularly important for thesis track students who must complete numerous forms regarding their research intentions and assemble an advisory board.

Many graduate courses are scheduled once a week from 4:20 to 7 or from 7:10 to 9:50.Traffic is often quite heavy along Hampton Boulevard (as well as I-64 and 264) from 3:30pm until after rush hour (due to the end of the workday at the nearby naval base at 4 pm).Students should leave in plenty of time to reach the university.

Tuition is due by the first week of classes each semester.Students can pay through Leo online or in person on the second floor of Rollins Hall.Out of state tuition is roughly double the cost of in state tuition.Military members/dependents are eligible for in state tuition costs after residing in state for a year without being required to change their residency.Payment plans are available to spread payments over 4 months instead of paying up front in bulk.There is a $40 charge for this program.

Next to BAL and the Perry Library, Webb Center may be the most important building on campus for humanities students.As previously mentioned it houses the student ID card office as well as the campus bookstore, student health services, the cafeteria and numerous eateries.Students are welcome to use copying services located next to the campus bookstore.Lockers of varying sizes are available for rent here.