Catalog 2020-2021

Contact Your Advisor

Advising_Counselor

The heart of advising at Indian River State College is "student success." From application to enrollment, then enrollment to completion of a certificate or degree program, all students at IRSC receive comprehensive advising from staff who study each student's specific set of circumstances to provide each of them with a Guided Pathway to success.

All new degree-seeking students and all new Dual Enrollment students at Indian River State College are assigned and meet with an advisor upon completion of New Student Orientation to discuss academic and career goals and developmental education options. Each advisor works with their students to develop a Guided Pathway which provides them with a plan to complete a degree or certificate.  A Guided Pathway must be developed within the student's first term of enrollment.  Students may use their completed Guided Pathway to select classes and register for subsequent terms at www.irsc.edu.

Students who are undecided about academic or career choices will be advised of meta-majors related to a general area of interest.  A meta-major is a collection of academic programs that have common or related content. The following meta-major academic pathways are established for the purposes of advising Florida College System Associate degree-seeking students of the gateway courses that are aligned with their intended academic and career goals.

  • Arts, Humanities, Communication, and Design
  • Business
  • Education
  • Health Sciences
  • Industry/Manufacturing and Construction
  • Public Safety
  • Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM)
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences and Human Services

All students will be advised of developmental education options available at IRSC, including accelerated, compressed, modularized, and contextualized English, math, and reading courses. Students may use the free tutoring services provided by IRSC's Academic Support Centers, located at each campus, to aid them with their developmental or gateway courses. IRSC also provides free online tutoring through "Smarthinking."

Students who graduated from a Florida public high school since 2007 and students who are serving as an active duty member of any branch of the United States armed services are exempt from mandatory placement testing and developmental course requirements. Students will be advised of the gateway courses tied to their major and/or meta-major and the developmental education options available to them.

Once advised of their options, exempt students will have the opportunity to either opt-in or opt-out from developmental education.  Students will not be able to register for classes until developmental advising options are discussed.   

Non-exempt students will be advised of the developmental education requirements they must meet prior to entering the gateway courses associated with their major and/or meta-major.