Academic advising for online students

The Online program offers academic advising to degree seeking students who are not associated with a physical campus - such as students who have chosen to become solely online students.

Nationwide students: If you are taking online courses and are still associated with a physical venue, you will receive academic advising plus all other services through your local venue. Contact your location.

CougarMail

Because of federal privacy laws, all official communication sent to you must go to your college-assigned CougarMail account. It is very important that you check your CougarMail account frequently to avoid missing important notices or updates. You can access your CougarMail account through CougarTrack.

The transfer credit evaluation process

Once all of your transcripts are submitted, the Office of the Registrar will complete the evaluation process to show how all of your previous credit transfers to Columbia College. This generally takes two to three weeks after your last transcript is received. When the evaluation is complete, your degree plan will be sent to your CougarMail account. The degree plan includes your degree audit, transfer equivalencies (if applicable), and advising sheet that summarizes what courses are still needed to complete your degree.

You may also want to take a look at the Office of the Registrar website. There, you'll find a list of transfer equivalencies for some schools, and this may help you get an idea of how your credit may transfer. Though it does not list every school, it does include the ones we see most often. Visit the Office of the Registrar site for more information on transfer equivalencies.

Military students

If you are, or have ever been, in the military, you will also need to send us a Joint Services Transcript (JST). Students affiliated with the Air Force will submit transcripts from Community College of the Air Force.

For details on what we will accept, please visit the Military Credit page.

Non-degree students

If you were admitted as non-degree seeking with Columbia College, you are not required to submit official transcripts for evaluation, although you may be asked to submit unofficial transcripts as proof of a prerequisite class. However, if you were admitted as non-degree seeking and you then decide to pursue a degree with us, you will be required to submit all official transcripts for evaluation.

Closing comments

You are not required to work with an advisor each session, but we encourage you to contact us when you have any questions. We are here to help you complete your degree and meet your educational goals.

Questions?

Read through frequently asked questions about the Online program.