Students who have been accepted will receive a registration communication from the Academic Records Office.  The communication will contain information about preparing for registration including setting up a new student registration appointment. Communications will be sent to accepted students starting in March for the fall semester and October for the Spring semester.

Answers to these types of questions can be found at the BSC Student Finance website.

When a student does not meet the required scores for a specific program or course, they can take the ACCUPLACER Placement exam to improve on their placement scores. ACCUPLACER is a computerized adaptive placement exam, it's purpose is to provide students with useful information about their academic skills. It is not pass/fail; instead, scores will be used to help place students in the level where they will find the most success. Students will have their scores screened for proper placement in English (Writing), Math, and Reading. With no time limit, typically students will spend around 1 1/2 - 2 hours to complete the full exam. Even though the placement exam is computerized, computer skills are not necessary. Schedule an appointment to take the exam, and visit Testing Services for more information regarding placement testing.

An academic advisor is assigned to each student enrolled at BSC based on their program of study. This advisor may be a faculty or a professional staff member. Students can find their advisor's name and contact information in CampusConnection.
 

Academic advising is an important step towards achieving academic success. A relationship with an academic advisor provides students with an educational plan that fits life goals and objectives. Most of all, an advisor helps students select appropriate courses for the degree selected.

Students should bring a list of courses they would like to enroll in as well as a list of questions or topics they would like to discuss with their advisor. The advisor should be able to answer questions relating to services available to assist students in being successful in college. They will have answers to questions relating to the career your student is interested in pursuing.

Yes. They will need to complete a Program/Advisor Change Form to request the change. 

The college catalog is full of pertinent information including degree plans for all degrees offered at Bismarck State College. Students can also schedule an appointment with their academic advisor to go over the degree plans and develop a plan to complete a degree. Students can find the name of their advisor in Campus Connection.

 

Yes. Counseling and Career Services offers free counseling for students who are uncertain about their academic goals. The office is located in the Mystic Advising and Counseling Center (MACC) located in the lower level of the Student Union, across from the bookstore. A variety of assessment tests and occupational information are available. Students should begin career planning early in the academic year.

To be considered a full-time student, a student must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester. However, an average course load for a full-time student is usually 14-16 credits per semester. If a student has a weak academic background, or is working part-time for 15-20 hours a week, or is involved in time consuming extra-curricular activities, they will be advised to take a reduced load. A student should expect to spend at least 40 hours a week for class time and studying when taking 15 credits per semester.

There is no simple answer to this question. Much depends on the student's credit load, financial need, involvement in extracurricular activities and family responsibilities. Being a full-time student is the equivalent of working full time. To do well academically, students must get plenty of rest in order to be alert and receptive during class and studying. The more outside work a student has, the less time is available for academic study. If a student must work 40 hours a week, then it would be best to take only one or two courses per semester. If a student must work while maintaining full-time student status, he/she should not work more than 20 hours a week.

The Financial Aid office assists students in securing adequate funding for their educational related college expenses from a variety of sources. Financial Aid and Scholarship information is available in the Financial Aid office located in Schafer Hall. Additional financial aid information

The student will need to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at www.studentaid.gov. Both parent and student will need to create a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID on the FAFSA website. When completing the FAFSA form we recommend for the student and parent to utilize the IRS Data Retrieval Tool that is available on the income part of the FAFSA. Bismarck State College's School Code is 002988. Visit step by step instructions to applying for financial aid.

If a student has decided not to attend Bismarck State College, it is the student's responsibility to withdraw to zero credits prior to the deadline. For more information visit Withdraw to Zero Credits and the Dates and Deadline Schedule.

Students can view which textbooks are needed for each course by searching CampusConnection (textbook viewing helpsheet). The Academic Calendar will list the first date, per term, when students can begin to view the list.

Students can access this list, and check various sources for pricing information prior to purchasing the books at the BSC Bookstore on the second floor of the Student Union or online from the BSC Bookstore website. Some textbooks are available for rental through the BSC Bookstore or they can be charged to excess financial aid or third parties usually starting the Thursday before classes begin.

Students MUST have a student ID and class schedule in order to purchase textbooks at the BSC Bookstore.

Students have access to all their academic records information through CampusConnection.  Click here for CampusConnection help sheets.

Mystic Cards are printed at the Information Desk in the Student Union between 8 am and 4 pm Monday-Friday. Students will need to bring their EMPL ID number (same as the student ID number) as well as their class schedule from CampusConnection (proof that you are enrolled in BSC courses for the current semester) and photo ID. The first ID card is free, but $10 is charged for replacement of a lost or stolen card. For further information, visit the Mystic ID Card webpage.

If a student has decided not to attend Bismarck State College, it is the student's responsibility to withdraw from a class or withdraw to zero credits prior to the deadline. For more information visit Withdraw to Zero Credits and the Dates and Deadline Schedule.

We encourage parents to be supportive of students and to talk with their daughter or son about their academic progress. We also recognize that college is an important time for students to realize their independence and sense of personal responsibility. Due to confidentiality laws, we are unable to share personal academic information with parents unless the student has formally instructed us to do so.

Students can view which textbooks are needed for each course by searching CampusConnection (helpsheet below). The Academic Calendar will list the first date, per term, when students can begin to view the list. Students can access this list, and check various sources for pricing information prior to purchasing the books at the BSC Bookstore. Some textbooks are available for rental through the BSC Bookstore as well.

 

It is the responsibility of all students to remain in contact with their instructors regarding progress in enrolled courses. Only final grades are posted in CampusConnection.

For student records purposes, the college assumes that all students are independent. Students who would like to release educational records to a 3rd party must complete the FERPA Release Form or delegate access within CampusConnection. The completed form must be submitted to the Academic Records office for processing. The release remains in effect until the student revokes such consent in writing.  However, faculty and staff are still limited in the amount of information they can share with you.

Many first-year students are not sure about a major. The college experience is an important time for students to explore and discover new interests, strengths and possibilities. Career Counseling Services personnel offer assistance to help BSC students make informed decisions about career and educational goals, using a variety of resources to explore possible careers.

Tutoring services are available on a walk-in basis in the Sykes Student Success Center/Tutoring Room located in Jack Science Center room 022. The room is in the section of the building that connects the 3^rd floor of Jack Science Center to the Leach Music Center. There is also an outside entrance from the sidewalk between the Jack Science Center and Schafer Hall. 

A student who has been on an IEP or 504 Plan in high school, should contact the Student Accessibility Office (701-224-2496) for accommodation services that may be available. An individualized education program (IEP) or Section 504 plan, if you have one, may help identify services that have been effective for you. However, this is generally not sufficient documentation because of the differences between postsecondary education and high school education. Additional information is available on our accessibility page.