Advising FAQs

The following are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions advisors hear from community members. The Advising Syllabus will answer many of those questions, and assist you with building that foundation for academic excellence and professional success.

Although the team in the office of Advising, Career & Transfer is happy to meet with any student at any time, some students may officially be assigned an advisor outside of ACT. Your advisor may be a faculty member or an advisor from one of our specialized teams. These advising teams often provide more in-depth support, which can further aid students in their academic success. You can look up your advisor in WebConnect.

Students can register two ways; with an advisor or online using iConnect. If you choose to register using iConnect, follow these instructions:

Log onto iConnect and click the DegreeWorks icon. You are now able to view which courses you still need to take, which count as electives, and which are still needed to graduate. While you are logged into iConnect, click the Search for Course button. Use the filter to narrow down your search. Select the semester, campus and subject areas you need and click search. This will allow you to see details about the course, and book or equipment requirements, and class availability. Finally, while logged into iConnect, click the Register for Classes button. Then, simply select the term you are registering for, click “add class” and enter the CRN numbers for the classes and click submit.

We offer three different types of classes to the community; in-person, hybrid, and online. Students mix and match options to create a schedule that fits for their needs. MWCC offers classes that meet as full semester or as 6 week “cycle” classes within the full semester.

Yes, students can choose classes at any of our campuses:

Gardner (Main Campus)
444 Green Street
Gardner, MA 01440
978-630-9447

Leominster 
100 Erdman Way
Leominster, MA 01453
978-630-9812

An Associate degree typically takes 60-68 credits to complete and is comprised of both major-specific courses as well as a certain number of Liberal Arts and Science courses. A traditional Associate degree is designed to be completed in two years (4 semesters) if a student attends full-time and enrolls in the required number of credits per semester.

A Certificate program usually consists of 24-30 credits and is designed to give students essential career skills in a specific area. A Certificate does not have the same Liberal Arts and Science requirements as the Associate degree, rather a focused career core. A Certificate is designed to be completed in one year (2 semesters) if a student attends full-time and enrolls in the required number of credits per semester.

Certain courses have specific requirements that you must take before you can enroll in them. These requirements are called “prerequisites”. For example, before you are allowed to take SPC 113 (Speech), you must have successfully completed ENG 101 (English Composition I). In other words, ENG 101 is a “prerequisite” for SPC 113.

You will also notice that many course descriptions state the following: “Prerequisites: ENG 098, RDG 098, FYE 101, MAT 092, or placement”. This means that you can fulfill these prerequisites by either taking the courses specified or by placing out of them via the placement test(s). Prerequisite rules are in place to ensure that you have the necessary reading, writing, and math skills in order to succeed in college-level courses.

Prerequisites usually exist because courses are sequential and build upon the skills developed in the previous course(s). For example, BIO 199 (Anatomy and Physiology I) requires that you satisfactorily complete BIO 109 (Biology I) or BIO 113 (Life Science for Allied Health) prior to enrollment. *Required grades for each prerequisite vary.

Sometimes a course may require another course as a co-requisite, which means you are allowed to take them at the same time.

Professors schedule time outside of class to meet with students, and these are referred to as “Office Hours.” This is an opportunity to meet with the professor and discuss material presented in class or other related interests you may have. Information about when a professor holds office hours is usually listed in the syllabus.

All change of program forms are processed through the Advising Center.

College policy allows students to freely add or drop courses throughout the first week of classes each semester. You will receive a 100% refund if you drop a class during the first week. If you drop a class during the second week you will receive a 50% refund. After the second week through the end of the withdrawal period, no refund is given. See the academic calendar for specific dates.

A student may formally withdraw from a course through the end of the ninth week of a full semester or fourth week of a cycle. A grade of “W” will be recorded on the student’s transcript. Students are required to speak to their instructor first, then financial aid and finally with their academic advisor before withdrawing from any course. Please be advised that ceasing to attend a class may result in an instructor initiating the withdrawal from a class prior to the end of the ninth/fourth week.

Course withdrawals will not be processed after the ninth/fourth week of classes. If you stop attending after the ninth/fourth week of class, you will receive an “F” grade. F’s are averaged into the GPA for all students.

Any withdrawal may affect progress toward a degree and future eligibility for financial aid.

** Administrative withdrawals may occur after the ninth/fourth week, only as a result of extenuating circumstances by following the Withdrawal from College policy.

Refer to your Degree Works audit and speak with your academic advisor to determine a schedule that works best for you. Sometimes students are required to take a minimum number of credits in order to receive the optimal amount of financial aid. There may also be a financial aid penalty for withdrawing from too many courses. Thus, if you drop or withdraw from a class, it could have a negative effect on your financial aid status. See financial aid for specific information.

If you are receiving health insurance benefits through your parents, it is often necessary for you to be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits. If you drop below the 12 credits, it is possible that your health insurance may be in jeopardy.

Finally, withdrawing from courses may delay your desired graduation date. This can be a complex issue and there can often be several things that you must consider before you drop a class. It is recommended that you meet with your advisor before dropping a course.

You can obtain your grades online through iConnect.

An official transcript is an MWCC watermarked sealed copy of your permanent academic record and includes courses taken, dates of attendance, major, your cumulative grade point average (GPA) and degree awarded (when applicable). You need to request an official transcript if you are transferring to another college. Sometimes, employers also request copies of official transcripts to verify the course(s), certificate(s) and, or degree(s) a student has earned. There is no fee required for official transcripts. Use this link to visit the page with instructions to obtain an official transcript.

An unofficial transcript is simply a copy of all the courses that you have taken. Its content is the same as you’d find on the official transcript, but it is printed on plain white paper and looks similar to what you can access via WebConnect.

Yes, you can, but you should discuss your desire to do so with your academic advisor first. Not all courses will transfer back to MWCC. We want to ensure you are taking the proper courses for your degree completion. Please visit our catalog for more details.

Speak with an academic advisor if you have questions regarding the graduation requirements and procedures. We will assist you in attaining your goal.