Prospective Art & Design Students

Seven Steps to Getting Started

1. Get Admitted to Wichita State University

Your first step to joining the School of Art & Design is being admitted to WSU. Find out more about submitting an application for admission at the Admissions web site, or call their office at 316-978-3085.

2. Apply for Financial Aid

If you want to apply for Financial Aid, you can do so once you have been admitted. To apply, you will need to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid at the FAFSA web site. For assistance with your FAFSA, visit the Wichita State University Office of Financial Aid web site or call their office at 316-978-3430.

3. Apply for Housing

WSU requires incoming freshmen to live in Fairmount Towers or Brennan Hall their first two semesters. Exceptions are made for freshmen who are 21 or older; married; living with a parent, legal guardian, grandparent, aunt or uncle in Sedgwick County; taking fewer than nine credit hours; or living in official Greek housing. All freshmen who do not plan to live on campus–-including those who fall into one of the above categories–-are required to complete and submit a Freshman Exemption Form which is found on the Housing and Residence Life web site. You must submit your housing contract and pre-payment or have an approved exemption form on file before scheduling a Shocker Connection appointment with Brenda Khan in the School of Art and Design.

4. Enroll for Classes

All students are required to meet with an academic advisor in order to register for classes. If you are interested in majoring in Art & Design, you can contact Brenda Khan by e-mail or call her at 316-978-7701 to set up a Shocker Connection appointment. Enrollment for Summer and Fall 2009 classes begins in April. Please make sure you have a scheduled appointment, as registering is not on a walk-in basis. Brenda's office is located on the third floor of the Ulrich Art Museum, which is located in section B6 (near 17th and Hillside) on the WSU Campus Map. Each Shocker Connection appointment usually lasts 45-60 minutes. Brenda will cover a lot of information, including what your first four semesters will look like, transfer guidelines for those students who have transfer work from other colleges and how to enroll for classes online using your myWSU account.

5. Complete Orientation

All new students with fewer than 24 credit hours are required to attend Orientation prior to beginning their first semester at Wichita State University. The mission of Orientation is to excite new students about being a part of the Shocker community and aid in their academic and social transition to Wichita State. Orientation will provide information to help prepare you for life on campus and teach you about the services and resources available to you as a WSU student. You will also obtain your Shocker ID card and attend sessions of interest to you. Visit the Orientation web site for options and dates. Some programs are designed specifically for transfer and returning adult students.

6. Pay for Classes

If you are enrolled before the July deadline listed on your semester calendar in the Schedule of Courses, you will be sent a tuition and fees bill in the mail. You can view and pay your bill any time after enrolling by logging in to your myWSU account and clicking on the “Student Records” tab and then “Student Account Suite”. You do not have to wait for your tuition and fees bill to come in the mail to make payment using myWSU. Remember to check your Schedule of Courses for the deadline to pay for classes! If you don’t pay by the deadline, you will be dropped from your classes. If you have questions, visit the Tuition and Fees web site or call their office at 316-978-3333.

7. Buy Textbooks

Check out the University Bookstore (located on the first floor of the Rhatigan Student Center) to find the reading materials for your classes. There are a lot of very helpful people there to assist you. Here’s a time-saving tip--order your books on the University Bookstore web site! They will pull them together for you so all you have to do is go to the front desk, pick them up and pay for them.