Advising Guide

During your time at 69É«ÇéÊÓƵ, you will have the opportunity to explore new and existing areas of interest, to involve yourself in a concentrated program of study, and to take advantage of a variety of co-curricular activities and organizations. You may be able to experience the world through off-campus programs that provide new perspectives, and you will be encouraged to integrate your education and experiences into a meaningful whole. This document is meant to facilitate productive and progressive conversations with the many advisors (faculty members, staff, and fellow students) that you will have at DePauw.


Year One

Your first year at DePauw is a time to explore your academic interests, your personal values, and your career and life goals. It is a time to begin building a solid foundation of skills, methodologies, and approaches that extend across several intellectual disciplines. This is the purpose of the Distribution Requirements. The liberal-arts approach asks you to build mental bridges between points of information and experience so that your capacity to learn is constantly expanded.


Year Two

Your second year at DePauw is a time to choose or solidify a major or program of study—something that you are passionate about and that will help you achieve your academic, career, and life goals. Begin to cluster your academic and co-curricular activities. You will develop greater independence by making well-informed decisions on your own, such as planning for off-campus study, research, and/or internships.


Year Three

Your third year at DePauw is a time to delve into your major or program of study. It is also a time to gain international and off-campus experience—to activate the intellectual and practical skills you have developed so far and apply them to real-world challenges. 


Year Four

Your fourth year at DePauw is a time to synthesize the academic and co-curricular experiences. It is the proving ground for your college career on which you can demonstrate—to your professors, your peers, and yourself—what your university education has been about.