This webpage serves as a guideline to assist undergraduate students in understanding the advising process and the associated policies and procedures for registering for classes.

Currently enrolled students can pre-register for classes for the next semester, which takes place in late October for winter classes and mid-March for summer and fall classes.

Re-entry Students need to re-activate their admissions application before they can register for classes.

Loss Prevention Management students are traditionally considered online students, therefore, please comply with the LPM information as it may differ slightly from the information for on-campus students.

  • Academic probation: If you are on academic probation you need to meet with Dr. Mesloh to have your adviser hold removed before you can register for classes. If you are a freshmen probation student, you need to meet with your adviser in the Academic and Career Advisement Center.

  • Adding CJ courses that are full - Department Policy: Students who want to be added to a course that is already full must comply with the Adding CJ Courses Department Policy.

  • Adviser: Find who your adviser is so he/she can assist you with the advising and registration process.

  • Adviser meeting: Find your adviser contact information and set up an appointment to assist you with the advising and registration process.

    • Additional meeting times will be set aside for two weeks, beginning the week prior to the pre-registration period and the beginning of the registration week. This is usually late-October for the winter semester classes and mid- to late-March for summer and fall semester classes. Regular faculty office hours will be suspended during this period. 

    • Schedule an appointment with your adviser by contacting the CJ department secretary 906-227-2660. LPM students please contact Robert Hanson, loss prevention coordinator, at bhanson@nmu.edu or (906) 227-1783.

    • Bring a list of questions and advising sheet with you to the meeting so your adviser can assist you. LPM students should e-mail your updated advising sheet prior to your meeting with Professor Hanson.

  • Advising sheet: Department policy requires you to use the respective criminal justice advising sheet and make it available to your adviser for review when discussing your degree requirements. Use of other general advising sheets, such as those from ACAC, are not acceptable. Click on the Forms tab at the top of this page, download the appropriate CJ advising sheet, and fill in all of the blanks (sem/yr, grade, credits) with the information for the courses you have completed. Also include the courses you are currently enrolled in. Save the form to your computer for future reference.

    • Review Instructions For Filling Out Your Advising Sheet. If you attended other colleges be sure to include your transfer courses and their transfer equivalencies. Bring the updated sheet with you for your adviser appointment.

    • Throughout the years, early 80s to early 2000s, the CJ Department went through different course identification structures.  The department name was changed to Justice Studies Department and then later changed back to Criminal Justice.  In the process the courses were renamed, JS-Justice Studies, CR-Corrections, and LE-Law Enforcement, and then back to CJ-Criminal Justice.  If you attended NMU during the transition, you may need to refer to the Course Equivalencies page to see how the older class is equivalent to the current CJ course.  Previous courses not included in the current curriculum can be counted in the general elective area.

    • Sample course sequence plan: To further assist you in filling out your advising sheet, please refer to the Sample Course Sequence plan that is appropriate for your degree. This plan shows a strategic method for selecting courses to enroll in each semester. This plan will ensure you do not box yourself into one area and are unable to complete your program on a timely basis.

  • Bulletin: The Bulletin used on the academics toolbar is for the current academic year. If you entered NMU under an older bulletin and intend to graduate using that curriculum, be sure you check the requirements for your major and minor.

  • Career options: Thinking about working in a specific criminal justice field? Find out what it takes to work in some of the possible criminal justice careers.

  • Course selection: Prepare to register for courses by reviewing the course listing for the upcoming semester. Work out a tentative schedule with other possible options in case courses are closed. Remember, you are responsible for your degree completion and knowing what is required for the degree. This means you need to review the degree requirements like you review your course materials in preparation for an exam. Advisers will assist you in checking your advising sheet and recommending possible alternatives when you run into difficulties.

  • Degree evaluation: A degree evaluation tracks your progress toward earning a degree at NMU. It is intended to assist you and your adviser monitor your academic degree requirements, NOT to replace the advising process. The evaluation you run has not been checked for errors and omissions and should not be considered official. Your degree evaluation should mirror the courses you have completed on your advising sheet. Discuss any discrepancies with your adviser so the appropriate paperwork can be submitted to have corrections made.
    (NOTE: The CAPP Degree Evaluation only lists courses from fall 1993 to present and degree programs from fall 2004 to present.)

  • Double counting: Students can use one course to meet more than one requirement between their major and minor requirements, which is called double-counting credits.

    Students cannot use the same course to fulfill a requirement in more than one major, or a major and a minor, or in more than one minor. Double counting courses are usually used in the liberal studies area.

  • Drop class? If you are not doing well in a course and are contemplating dropping the course to avoid a failing grade, now is the time to make a decision. Refer to the add/drop schedule to see what is the last day to receive a "W" grade. Keep in mind that each course you drop could affect your financial aid continuance if you exceed the maximum number of credits allowable to be paid with financial aid monies. Check with your financial aid representative if you have any concerns.

  • Earn your associate degree first: Consider earning your associate degree in criminal justice while working towards your Bachelor's in Criminal Justice.  If for any reason you are unable to complete your bachelor degree, earning your associate degree first will put you at a better advantage for employment purposes. Discuss your options with your adviser.
  • Graduation: Even if you are not marching in commencement ceremonies, you still need to register for CA 000 Graduation. This ensures that your degree audit is reviewed to determine your eligibility to graduate. Registration for graduation must occur not later than the first four (4) days of the beginning of the semester.

  • Liberal  studies: All of the CJ department degree programs require a certain amount of liberal studies.  It's important that you follow the specific requirements for the respective degree program. Choose wisely when selecting courses so you also satisfy the graduation requirements for a course with a lab, world culture, and upper-division course. Some courses will satisfy one, two or three requirements.  For example, EN 311Z will satisfy a humanities division, upper-division, and world culture.  Upper division courses cannot be taken until you have completed the composition courses EN 111 and EN 211

    • The Associate's degree- additional options to complete liberal studies: In the Criminal Justice Associate degree, students can also satisfy the Divsion II Humanities, by also taking a course from Division VI.  To satisfy the Division III Natural Science/math, students can also take a MA, CIS, CS and IS course from division V.

  • Minor: If you have not selected a minor, now is the time to get advice from your adviser or review the suggestions on What To Consider When Choosing a Minor. If your minor is not correct on your Degree Evaluation, you need to officially change or declare your minor.

  • Police academy: Students who plan to attend the Police Academy must be aware that in addition to the minimum requirements for an Associate's Degree, a separate application process is required by the Public Safety Institute. This application process should be completed several months in advance of the beginning of the academy, which is usually held in the summer semester. Students who complete the Police Academy can also use the 12 credits toward their bachelor's degree as part of their general elective credits. Students who are completing the Law Enforcement Associate Degree will use the 12 credits as part of the degree program.

    • Degree completion verification letter: Students who have not completed the minimum two-year degree at the beginning of the academy are required to follow the instructions for obtaining a letter to verify eligibility for degree from the Criminal Justice department. This letter states that the student will obtain a degree (associate or bachelor's) upon successful completion of the academy.

  • Questions: If you have questions concerning your degree requirements, contact your CJ adviser. They are the professionals who understand the intricacies of the degree and are here to assist you. General advisors, friends, and co-workers, although helpful, do not always have answers to the in-depth information critical to completing your degree requirements.

  • Register for Courses: After you have met with your adviser and you have had your registration holds (if any) removed, you can register for courses on your specified registration date/time.

  • Registration date/time: Your registration date/time for classes is based on the number of credits you have completed to date. This does not include the courses which you are currently enrolled. 

  • Registration holds: You will be prevented from registering for courses if you have any registration holds (academic, adviser, disciplinary, financial, medical, transcript). Contact the appropriate office to have it removed. You can check your holds on your MyNMU page.

  • Residency requirement: Only on-campus and web courses are considered to meet the residency requirement. Courses transferred to NMU at the end of your degree must not conflict with the stated Residency Requirements below. You must meet one of the following two Residency Requirements:
    1. Students must be enrolled at Northern Michigan University for their last 8 credit hours preceding the awarding of their degree
    2. Students must complete 20 of their last 30 credits at NMU. To qualify for this option students must:
      • have a minimum NMU cumulative GPA of 2.00
      • meet the minimum GPAs as established by their major and minor departments
      • obtain written approval from their department head as well as the Registrar's office
      • have all courses approved prior to enrollment at another institution
      • have processed a Guest Student Application form through the Registrar's office
      • enroll in no more than 10 credits at guest institution

  • Tuition and fees/payments: Be sure to check your e-bill after you have registered for your courses and pay your tuition bill before the deadline to ensure your classes are not dropped.

  • Tutoring or support services: If you are having difficultly with any of your current classes and are concerned about a passing grade, it's not too late to rethink your study habits. Check out the services provided for you by the Tutoring Services or Student Support Services. Both offices can assist you with improving your studying habits. Perhaps your  instructor has a teaching assistant that can help you; and/or you may want to consider starting or getting involved in a study group. In addition, the Writing Center provides excellent help with term papers. Don't wait until it is too late to seek help. If life in general is bringing you down and you are experiencing depression or stress and anxiety, check out some ideas from Counseling and Consultation Services to help you cope with everyday life problems.

  • Undergraduate bulletin Index: Please utilize the Undergraduate Bulletin Index page to obtain better clarification of the most often used topics associated with degree completions.

  • Web course offerings: One easy way to search for Web courses is by selecting all departments and selecting "Web" for the session field. It will provide you with a list of all departments (in alpha order) that are offering Web courses in the particular semester. You just need to scroll through the offerings to see what is available. Keep in mind that not all Web courses are considered true online courses. Pay close attention to the notes for the course offerings information on MyNMU. Additional on-campus instruction and proctors may be required and this information should also be included in the course syllabus. Things you may notice in the notes description are explained below:
    • Hybrid courses: Some courses are considered hybrid courses which require you to meet on campus for a portion of the class.
    • Proctor's required: Some Web and hybrid courses require you to have a proctor for some or all of the exams.
    • LPM Web courses are true online Web courses and do not require any on campus instruction and/or proctors.

  • Where do I go from here? If you have read the above material, have prepared yourself for discussions with your adviser, and completed all of the issues pertinent to your degree requirements, you will be ready to progress through your degree with ease.