Pre-Advising Guide for Entrants (Science)
Pre-Advising is when you choose your modules for the next academic year and enter those choices online. You must complete Pre-Advising before you see your Adviser at Advising in Orientation Week to have your module choices officially approved ("validated").
When you meet your Adviser during Advising you can discuss your module choices and options. Once you and your Adviser are satisfied with the selection, your Adviser will validate your choices. This validation is an essential part of the matriculation process. Only once matriculated are you officially a student of the University of St Andrews.
How many credits do I have to take?
Full-time students should normally take 120 credits of modules per year, 60 credits per semester. A student embarking upon a standard First Year should select only modules at 1000 level (e.g. PS1001). Most 1000 level modules are 20 credits each. This means that you will be studying three modules each semester.
Which modules are available to me in my first year?
The particular degree programme to which you have been admitted will determine some of your module choices. Programme requirements for each degree can be found in the Course Catalogue and a guidance document is also available on the right of this page. You must take the appropriate 1000 level modules in the subject(s) you have been admitted to study.
Provided there is no timetable clash and you meet any pre-requisites, you are free to choose any other 1000 level modules once you have chosen the required modules for your course. In principle you can study any subject for which you are qualified.
The structure at St Andrews is very flexible and you should endeavour to select modules that provide you with options for more than one degree programme. Students often choose a subject or subjects which they might like to continue towards a Joint Honours degree. Some students switch in their second year from their original choices into other subjects and complete a degree in those. You should think about this and fill in some choices that you may be interested in studying thoroughout your degree. Use the University website to get more information about subjects, academic schools and departments.
If you have been granted direct entry to second year, there will be a document on the right-hand side of this page with further guidance for you.
Note: Please do not select any modules at 1900 level (e.g. GG1901 or PS1901) as these are for part-time Evening Degree students only.
Here are some examples of module choices
Example 1 (Single Honours)
You have been admitted to the BSc Psychology degree programme. To pursue this programme you must take module PS1001 (20 credits) in semester 1 and PS1002 (20 credits) in semester 2. This leaves 80 credits (40 per semester) to be selected from other subjects.
Example 2 (Single Honours)
You have been admitted to the BSc Biology degree programme. As in example 1, to pursue this programme you must take module BL1101 (20 credits) in semester 1 and BL1102 (20 credits) in semester 2. This leaves 80 credits (40 per semester) to be selected from other subjects.
Example 3 (Joint Honours)
You have been admitted to the BSc Joint Honours Biology and Psychology degree programme. You need to fulfil the conditions of both Biology and Psychology, as illustrated in examples 1 and 2, by selecting BL1101 and PS1001 in semester 1 and BL1102 and PS1002 in semester 2. This leaves 40 credits to be selected from other modules in other subjects.
Example 4 (Joint Honours)
You have been admitted to the BSc Joint Honours Mathematics and Physics degree programme and intend to enter at first year level . You should select PH1011 (20 credits) in semester 1 and PH1012 (20 credits) in semester 2 with a pair of Mathematics modules (either MT1001 in semester 1 and MT1002 in semester 2, or MT1002 in semester 1 and MT1003 in semester 2, depending upon your school mathematics qualification). That leaves two further modules to be selected and these could be in Astronomy and Mathematics or in some other subject.
How to complete online Pre-Advising
- View the Course Catalogue to find detailed information about all the modules that are available and about the requirements for your degree programme. Identify which modules you must take as part of your degree programme and choose other modules to make up the right credit total
- Log in to iSaint. In iSaint, hover over the 'Academic' tab and select 'Advising' from the drop-down menu that will appear. Click on the link to 'Advising facility'. If you do not have the 'Academic' tab yet, you can get to the Advising facility by clicking on the 'Online Advising' link on the right of this page
- In the Advising facility click on the relevant link in the bulleted list to view instructions on entering your module choices
- In the Advising facility click on 'Modules choices' on the left-hand side to get to the page where you will enter your module choices
- Choose your modules from the drop-down lists ('Semester 1', 'Semester 2', 'Whole Year') in the Advising facility and press the green "+" button after selecting each module. Please note that first year students do not take Whole Year modules, so you do not have to select any choices from that list
- If you wish to remove one of the modules you have selected press the red "x" button next to that module
- When you are happy with your choices press the "Submit" button
- If you wish to make further changes to your modules before Advising in September, you should be able to do so by logging in to iSaint and accessing your Modules Choices page again. A status of 'submitted' will allow you to do this. You can see your status on the Advising facility page and your Modules choices page. If your status is 'provisonally valid' it means an Adviser has provisionally approved your choices and you will not be able to make further changes until Advising in September
Making changes to your module choices
You will be given a further opportunity to discuss and change your module choices when you see your Adviser in September. You must complete the online Pre-Advising process and attend Advising in Orientation Week before you can matriculate.
You may also contact your Adviser to request changes to your module choices during the Re-Advising periods, which is the first week of each semester. Note that you can also request changes to your second semester modules from the start of January.