Frequently Asked Questions (University Park)

TBD. Appointments can be scheduled by logging into Starfish (http://sites.psu.edu/starfishinfo/).

Advising appointments for current BBH majors can be scheduled online through Starfish. Visit the Student User Guide for details.

Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors (already in BBH):

• Go to the LionPath Launch page and click on Undergraduate Students. (Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome recommended.)
• Under Academic Advising, click Starfish.
• Log in to Starfish.
• If this is your first log in, click “Schedule An Appointment.”
• On the left, click “My Success Network.”
• Find your BBH advisor’s information within your “My Success Network.” Click “Schedule Appointment.”
• Use the calendar on the left to identify an available APPOINTMENT time. When you find a time you wish to book, click the green circle.
• Enter the appropriate information. Click Submit.
• Check your email for a confirmation message. You can set up a reminder email to be sent prior to the appointment.
• A video tutorial made by the Smeal College of Business may be helpful as you learn the system.

First-Year BBH Students (pre-major):

Pre-Major/First-Year students whose intended major is BBH will be advised by a pre-major adviser in the College of Health and Human Development’s Student Services Center. Your adviser’s information can be found by clicking the Academics tab on LionPath. If you have difficulty determining who your adviser is or how to schedule an appointment, please call the HHD Student Services Center at call (814) 865-2156.

Change-of-Major Students:

Students considering a change-of-major to BBH should discuss their interest with an exploratory adviser in the College of Health and Human Development’s Student Services Center. To make an appointment with a HHD exploratory adviser, call (814) 865-2156.

Your Enrollment Date can be found on LionPath.

• At the top, within the black banner, select the Academics Tab.
• Scroll down to and open the Academics Menu.
• Select Enrollment.
• Select Enrollment Dates.
• Select the semester and click Continue.
• Scroll down to view your Enrollment Appointments, which are the dates you can enroll into courses saved in your Shopping Cart.

An explanation of the different tools available to track your progress can be found on the  BBH Degree Requirements page.

Several sections of the curriculum offer flexibility for students to choose courses in line with their career/graduate school goals.  See BBH Degree Requirements for details.

Advisers do not have the authority to add students to restricted or full courses.

Restricted Courses:

• On LionPath, restricted courses will have stated “Enrollment Requirements.” You can find the Enrollment Requirements by clicking on the 5-digit class number associated with the course.
• Some courses also have detailed explanations or instructions under the “Class Notes” section so be sure to review and take action on any details in this section.
• If you do meet the criteria under the Enrollment Requirements but cannot schedule the course, call the department offering the course. See the Penn State Department Directory for department phone numbers.

Full Courses:

• Some courses on LionPath have a waitlist, some do not. Add the course to your waitlist if there is one.
• For courses without a waitlist, keep checking the enrollment to see if a space opens up. Many courses will have space available within the first week of classes. If it’s okay with the instructor, attend the class, even if you can’t add it at that point. That way you’ll be sure you really want the course, and you won’t have missed anything if the course opens up.
• Advisers do not have the authority to get students into full courses. However, if you are a graduating senior in need of a required BBH course, please reach out to your adviser to discuss your options.

Possibly, but that is up to World Campus or, in some cases, the department offering the course

• In some circumstances, World Campus may open registration to University Park students if space is still available one week before the semester begins.
• In the summers, World Campus courses may be less restricted than in the fall or spring semesters.
• For fall/spring or controlled Psychology courses on World Campus, please see the World Campus Psych Course Enrollment Policy.
• For other fall/spring or controlled courses, including BBH courses, World Campus may open enrollment to University Park students if space is still available one week before the semester begins. Questions about enrollment should be directed to World Campus at (800) 252-3592.
• If World Campus requires your BBH adviser to initiate your enrollment request or if the course has prerequisites, please complete the World Campus Enrollment Request Form and return it to your adviser as an email attachment.

Though a minor is not required for BBH majors, if you decide to pursue a minor, you should seek advising through the department offering the minor to understand the requirements, sequencing or other nuances. The University Bulletin typically lists contacts for each minor. Students cannot officially add a minor until they are in a major.

Once a student is in a major, a minor can be added or removed using the Update Academics section of LionPath following these steps:

• At the top, within the black banner, select the Academics Tab.
• Scroll down to and open the Academics Menu (on the right).
• Click Academic Records.
• Click Update Academics.
• Follow additional steps as directed to identify, submit, and confirm your selection.

Several resources for finding such information are available on the BBH Advising Website. See Grad School & Career Information.

A helpful tool for calculating your GPA for specific courses can be found here. Though this calculator is designed for pre-med sciences, you can use it for any specific calculation (e.g., science GPA, major GPA, prerequisite GPA) based on which coursework you enter into the fields.

Possibly, but there are several steps to take before scheduling a transfer course.

• Will the Course Count? Make sure a transfer course will count toward your degree requirements the way you anticipate. The Guide for Taking Transfer Courses provides details.
• Approval Letter from Adviser: Some schools require a letter from your adviser indicating approval to take their course. We don’t really grant approval (we do not have that authority), but instead have a standard letter we can provide. Contact your adviser for a copy of the standard letter.
• To get the credits sent to Penn State: Arrange for the other school’s registrar or records office to mail an official transcript to: Penn State Undergraduate Admissions, 201 Shields Building, University Park, PA 16802.  Allow several weeks for processing by both the school from which you are transferring credits and by Penn State.

For an OFFICIAL transcript:

• At the top of LionPath, within the black banner, select the Academics Tab.
• Scroll down to and open the Academics Menu (on the right).
• Click Academic Records.
• Click Request Official Transcript.
• You will be taken to the Penn State Transcript Ordering Service page. Official transcripts are $10 each. Additional information is available on the Registrar’s Office website.

For an UNOFFICIAL transcript:

• At the top of LionPath, within the black banner, select the Academics Tab.
• Scroll down to and open the Academics Menu (on the right).
• Click Academic Records.
• Click View Unofficial Transcript.
• On the next screen, in the Report Type drop-down menu, select Advising Undergrad Transcript (last choice listed).
• Click View Report.
• Click View Report next to the appropriate request date.
• Depending on your browser, the transcript will pop up as a PDF in a new window or will be in your downloads.

Details about preparing for graduation can be found at commencement.psu.edu and registrar.psu.edu.  Please also see our Graduation Information Handout.

• Can I attend a commencement ceremony before completing all graduation requirements? You may seek approval to “walk” in a commencement ceremony if you have fewer than 8 credits or 2 or fewer courses remaining to complete your degree requirements.  If you fall within these parameters, please submit a Commencement – Walk Request at least one month prior to the desired commencement ceremony.