Academic Advising

 

Academic advising is important for any student, but especially as you start a program at Garrett. It gives you the guidance you need to navigate seminary, make informed decisions about your education, and succeed in your program. For an overview of how advising can help you and why it's so important to your seminary journey, see the Advising Quick Guide. 

 

Your Advising Team

 

• Academic Advisor – After acceptance, you’ll meet with an academic advisor who will guide you in course planning and registration, connect you to important resources, help you prepare for the start of the semester. In year one, the academic advisor for master’s students is Dr. Melanie Baffes. For DMin and PhD students, the first-year academic advisor is Emily Rosales.

 

• Dean of Students – The Dean of Students (DoS) plays an advising role by creating a culture of learning and engagement that promotes your academic success and holistic wellness. The DoS provides opportunities for spiritual formation, civic engagement, emotional and physical wellness, fellowship, and community building. The dean of students is Thehil Russelliah Singh.

 

• Faculty Advisor – Faculty advisors assist you starting in year two, making sure your planned course of study meets your ministry goals and offering assistance with vocational discernment and professional development. Visit the Garrett website to see all faculty members.

 

• Program Directors – Each director helps students understand the specifics of their degree program and connects them with program-specific resources.
  
  

Dr. Mark Teasdale   MDiv Director

Dr. Julie Duncan     MTS Director

Dr. AHyun Lee    MAPCC Director

Dr. Brian Bantum      MAPM/MATM Director

Dr. Kate Ott  PhD Director

Dr. Esther Acolatse DMin Director

 

Advising Resources

 

• Spring 2026 Group Advising Presentation
• Advising Syllabus
• Advising Quick Guide
• Curriculum Guides
• Course Schedules
• Program Completion Plan Worksheet
• Student Guide to Technology
• Quick Guide to Technology
• Catalog 2025-26
• Advising and Registration FAQs

 

Course Planning

 

Not only are there specific course requirements for each degree program, but there also is a recommended degree path – the order in which courses should be taken. Your advisor will work with you in your first year to develop a course plan so you’ll know what courses to take when and so you know you’ll complete the program when you want. It’s important to have a roadmap so you achieve your academic and vocational goals.

 

Program and Course Information

 

Several different types of courses make up your degree program.

 

• Foundational courses – In all degree programs, students are encouraged to take foundational courses before other program-related or concentration courses. Foundational courses are often prerequisites for higher-level courses; they also are required before beginning a field-education (internship) or other contextual-education placement. 

 

• Concentration/specialization courses – Programs like MTS or MAPCC include concentration courses that give students the chance to focus in on their specific area of study. MDiv students also have the option to declare a concentration by completing a minimum of five courses in a field (including the pre-requisite courses), plus a portfolio focused in that area. 

 

• Required elective and general elective courses – All programs have required electives; in the MDiv, for example, students are required to take courses in worship or preaching, and in the MTS, students must take theology and ethics courses. In addition, most degree programs also include general electives, and students are free to choose any course for those.

 

• ACTS Courses – Students may take courses from any of the ACTS (Association of Chicago Theological Schools) seminaries. Check out the ACTS course page to find a course that interests you. If you hope to fulfill a required elective with a cross-registration course, be sure to seek approval from the Garrett faculty member in that field first. If you are interested in taking an ACTS course, please be sure to check the specific institution’s website (and contact the registrar, if necessary) to confirm course schedules, modality, and requirements. Complete and submit the ACTS Cross-Registration Form to the Registrar.

 

• Co-curricular requirements – All incoming students are required to complete a Plagiarism Tutorial in their first semester; the tutorial is a self-guided, asynchronous course. In addition, before starting field education, CPE, or an internship/practicum, students must complete a Sexual Boundaries and Ethics Workshop, which is asynchronous, not for credit, and consists of independent readings and one half-day online session. Finally, all students have a Program Evaluation, usually midway through the degree or after a certain number of hours is completed. The evaluation is a collaboration between students and faculty as a means of reviewing student progress, understanding student goals, and recommending areas of improvement. 

 

• Formation opportunities – All first-year master’s students are invited to join a Story Circle, a voluntary small formation group that meets regularly over the course of the academic year. The purpose of Story Circles is to help students develop their vocational identity and call by exploring spiritual formation,  cultural context, and religious and public leadership. Students have an opportunity to join a Story Circle during New Student Orientation.    

 

Contextual Education

 

Contextual education is a critical component of all degree programs, giving students the chance to develop their competence in the practice of ministry, teaching, or chaplaincy in a real-world setting. In your first semester, you’ll meet with Director of Contextual Education, Rev. Dr. Lisl Paul to explore possibilities for your contextual-education placement and determine the best timing.

 

• Field education (MDiv) – Field education is a required six-credit-hour internship that supports MDiv students in vocational and professional formation through ministry practice “in the field.” Students work in an approved learning site (approximately 10 hours a week) with an experienced site supervisor and participate in a facilitated peer group as they learn and practice ministry work. The director of contextual education works with each student to find a placement that meets their vocational goals; it may be one in which you are already doing ministry, or it can be a new placement you and the director of contextual education identify together. To learn more, see the Introduction to Field Education for New Students on Canvas.

 

• Educational practicum (MAPM) – Students in the MAPM program complete 10 hours a week of ministry practice in a ministry site, meet with a mentor regularly for theological and vocational reflection, and participate in a facilitator-led peer group with fellow students.

 

• Clinical Pastoral Education (MAPCC Chaplaincy Track) – Clinical Pastoral Education is an accredited program of pastoral-care training and theological reflection based in a medical or non-profit setting. Students in the MAPCC Chaplaincy Track are required to complete two units of CPE. For MDiv students, CPE is not required but can be used as partial fulfillment of the field education requirement; students in other programs can complete CPE as an elective. Before applying for CPE, students should review the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Information page on Canvas and then contact the director of contextual education to discuss the process for completing CPE.

 

• Clinical Internship and Practicum (MAPCC Clinical Track) – As part of the program, MAPCC Clinical Track students secure a clinical counseling role in a parish, school, retreat center, hospital, social-service agency, or other site selected for the student’s professional development. Following one academic year of course work, the two-year practicum / internship allows students to integrate theory and practice in a supervised clinical setting. The director of contextual education works with MAPCC Clinical Track students to identify the most appropriate practicum/internship placement for their vocational goals, guides them through the application process, and helps them prepare for the placement-site interview. For more information, please see the MAPCC Clinical Track Information page on Canvas.

 

 

Registration

 

Registration can sometimes be overwhelming when you're doing it for the first time at a new institution. Here, you'll find course schedules, videos and tips on how to register, important student forms you’ll use frequently, steps for requesting transfer credits, and guidelines for dealing with student account holds. 

 

Course Schedules

 

Course offerings for the entire academic year are posted on the Course Schedule page on myGETS. There you will find courses offered during upcoming semesters.

Registration Process

 

Please note that students must register themselves; advisors are not able to register on your behalf. See Registration Reminders on myGETS for tips to guide you through the process. For a brief video that explains the registration process, see Registration Overview.

 

• Registration Portal – To register, go to Registration and Schedules on myGETS (see “Student Registration” at the bottom of the page), or navigate to your Student Information page and look for “Registration” in the panel on the right side.

 

• Transfer Credits – To request transfer credits for courses completed in previous graduate-level programs (including programs at Garrett), contact the Registrar and ask them to review your transcript for potential transfer credits. If the registrar determines that you can receive credit, they will ask you to download and complete the Transfer Credit/Advanced Standing Petition Form on the Student Forms page of myGETS. You’ll submit the form to the Registrar, along with course syllabi, and faculty members will evaluate the syllabi.

 

• Student Account Holds – If you have a hold on your student account, you will not be able to register for the upcoming semester. For tuition-related holds, please contact Vu Huynh or the Bursar; for student-loan related holds, contact Financial Aid or Ashley Schreiner, and for academic holds, contact the Registrar.

 

Important Reminders

 

Here are reminders for important resources you’ll access throughout your time at Garrett.

 

• Student Forms – At Garrett, we use forms to keep track of almost everything from leave to absences, to extensions to cross registrations. To access and download any form you might need throughout your program, visit the Student Forms page on myGETS.
  
  
• Academic Calendar – To see the academic year at a glance, visit the Academic Calendar on myGETS. You’ll also find important deadlines you’ll need to be aware of for the upcoming year.

 

• Enrollment Verification – Students sometimes need verification of enrollment for scholarship applications or other purposes. If you need proof of enrollment, please contact the Registrar. If you have a form, please include that; if not, the registrar will generate a letter once you provide all the necessary information.

 

• Adding a Course (before the drop/add period ends) – Students are able to add a course to their schedules until the end of the first week of class. To add a course, please use the Schedule Change Request Form on the Student Forms page of myGETS (complete Part II only) and submit the form to the registrar (registrar@garrett.edu). The registrar will then ask permission from the instructor to add you to the class. If the instructor agrees, the registrar will enroll you in the course. 

 

• Dropping a Course (before the drop-add period ends) – You can drop a course until the end of the second week of class. You do this yourself in myGETS (using the Registration Portal you used when you registered for the course). The course is then removed from your transcript and you are not responsible for the tuition.

 

• Course Withdrawals (after the drop-add period ends) – You can withdraw from a course after the add/drop period ends until the last day of the term. You receive a neutral "W" for a grade, and it does not affect your GPA. If it's a required course, you'll have to take it again, and the grade you earn the second time replaces the "W." There are no tuition refunds when withdrawing from a course after the drop/period ends. Please use the Schedule Change Request Form on the Student Forms page of myGETS (complete Part III only) and submit the form to the registrar (registrar@garrett.edu). Before making any changes to your schedule, it’s important to consult with your assigned advisor to discuss academic or financial implications.  

 

• Changing Degree Programs – Sometimes, after beginning a program, a student may decide to change their degree program. If you decide you want to change degrees, please follow these steps: 

1. • Download the "Degree/Program Change Application" (found on the Student Forms page of myGETS).
   • Complete the top half of the form, indicating the degree program you want to change to.
   • Write a one-page statement about your rationale for wanting to switch degrees.
   • Send an email with the form and the statement to all of these individuals at the same time. 
   • Current advisor
   • Director of current program
   • Director of new program
   • Advisor in new program
   • Director of contextual education — Dr. Lisl Paul (lisl.paul@garrett.edu)
   • Registrar (registrar@garrett.edu) 
   • Each person will respond using "reply all" so the registrar can record their approval.
   • Once the registrar receives an approval from each individual on the list, they will officially switch you to the new program. 

Please note that a change to the MTS program requires two written faculty recommendations, one of which must be from the potential new advisor. 

 

• Adding a Degree/Pursuing a Dual Degree – To pursue a dual degree, you need to apply for the second degree, just as you did when you were admitted to Garrett. Use the application you used when you first applied. You’ll be asked to write a one-page statement of purpose that details your vocational goals and your reason for changing degrees.