For transfer students starting in the fall
August Summer Orientation
Welcome to the Truman Family! We are excited to welcome you to campus this August for the start of the Fall 2026 semester. Our August Orientation session is for new transfer students and any new freshmen who were unable to attend June Orientation.
Orientation session registration opens on March 4, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. (CT). Incoming students can register through the "Accepted Student" tab in TruView account. Please note: Students who plan to live on-campus and attend August Orientation will move-in the morning of orientation. This orientation session is a half-day event. On-campus accommodations are not provided. For information about local accommodations, visit the Kirksville Tourism Website.
Course Registration
Building Your Fall Schedule
All students attending August Orientation will have course recommendations prepared in advance by academic advisors from the Center for Academic Excellence. These recommendations are developed using admission materials, placement results, transfer credit evaluations, and information submitted in your pre-Orientation materials. Once you have completed your pre-Orientation materials, an academic advisor will contact you to schedule a time to review your recommended courses and officially register for classes. This meeting may take place either via Zoom or in-person. Use the tabs below to explore how to prepare for your advising meeting and what to do before Orientation.
New student schedules are typically made up of a combination of major-specific courses, required support courses within the major, the first-year seminar, and courses from Truman’s Dialogues Curriculum. Our philosophy as academic advisors is to ensure students stay on track within their major, have room for exploration, and remain on a clear path toward timely graduation.
The Dialogues is one of the foundations of our Liberal Arts & Sciences curriculum. All students must complete the Dialogues requirements prior to graduation. Learn more about Truman’s Dialogues in this short video:
Questions about transfer credit?
When you complete the Pre-Orientation Questionnaire (see “Before Orientation”) we ask you to detail any transfer credit you are anticipating.
For transfer students, academic advisors will utilize your Transfer Credit Evaluation from the Registrar’s Office to confirm which courses you will be transferring to Truman from your prior institution(s). If you have not submitted all official transcripts from prior institutions, please do so as soon as possible to ensure we develop the most accurate course recommendations.
For freshmen, please be sure to includes any dual credit, AP, IB, or CLEP credit you have in your pre-Orientation Questionnaire.
If you would like to explore how your credits are likely to transfer to Truman before arriving at Orientation, check out the following guides.
AP/IB/CLEP Brochure Course Equivalency Guide
NOTE: Truman typically receives official AP and IB scores in mid-July. Therefore, academic advisors will assume you received the highest score possible when developing your course recommendations. At your advising session during Summer Orientation, please let the advisor know if you do not believe you received the highest score. Adjustments to your schedule will be made accordingly.
All new students, including transfer students without an AA degree, are required to take the First-Year Seminar. This course is taught by faculty throughout our various disciplines, and offers students both a community of fellow new students and a platform to learn about what it takes to be a successful student at Truman.
2026 First-Year Seminar Options
NOTE: Students entering Truman with a conferred Associate of Arts degree are not required to complete the First-Year Seminar course, but may choose to if they wish.
Want a preview of the kinds of courses you’ll be taking? Each major has a Sample Academic Plan showing how students could complete their major within a 4-year or transfer-friendly timeframe. These Sample Plans are not prescriptive since each student’s academic background and trajectory is slightly different.
Think of the University Catalog as our guidebook on academic programs, policies, and course options. If you want an even deeper understanding of your major(s) or minor(s), including their requirements and course options, check out the University Catalog.
An academic advisor from the Center for Academic Excellence will use your completed pre-Orientation materials (detailed below), as well as your admission application information, to prepare a list of course recommendations. Once a suggested schedule has been developed, you will be contacted directly (via email or phone) about scheduling an advising meeting. During this meeting, you will register in courses.
Our academic advisors will begin new student registration in early April. Therefore, the sooner you complete the following pre-Orientation materials in TruView the sooner an academic advisor will reach out to enroll you in courses. Completing these steps in a timely manner ensures our advisors have sufficient time to prepare accurate course recommendations and ensure you have a complete schedule by the time you arrive for August Orientation.
TruView Pre-Orientation Checklist
Read and acknowledge that you will pay all university tuition and fees when due. Per University policy, students who do not sign the Registration Agreement are not allowed to enroll in classes. If you are under 17 years of age, you should complete this agreement with a parent/guardian present.
This questionnaire confirms your selected major (which may be different from when you first applied to Truman), your incoming college credits, and other information that is important for academic advisors to know prior to creating your course recommendations.
Note, if your major(s), minor(s), or pre-professional interests have changed since you applied to Truman, you will have the option to complete a Major Update Form that is linked within the Questionnaire.
Your Math Placement Exam results help ensure you are placed into the correct level of math. All students at Truman are required to complete the equivalent of Algebra-level math, although some majors require higher-level math.
Answers to common questions:
- There is no need to study for the placement exam.
- If you have college-level math transfer credits (including dual credit, AP, IB, etc.), those credits will supersede your math placement score if your placement is lower than the math course you have college credit for.
- If you have incoming college credit for a college-level Calculus I course or higher, you are not required to complete the Math Placement Exam. To waive this requirement, you must contact academic advising at advise@truman.edu.
All students at Truman are required to have at least an elementary proficiency in a foreign language. Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) need intermediate proficiency in a foreign language. Your Foreign Language Placement Exam results help ensure you are placed into the correct level of foreign language.
Answers to common questions:
- You only need to complete the placement test for the language(s) you are interested in taking courses for while at Truman. There is no need to study for the placement exam.
- If you have incoming college credit for foreign language, we still recommend you complete the placement exam to ensure that you are placed at the correct course level. A faculty member from the Department of Modern Languages reviews all students’ placement exam results and transcripts to provide an accurate placement level.
- Even if you do not plan to complete a foreign language course in your first semester, these placement exam results are used by the Department of Modern Languages to ensure you are placed in the correct course level when you do enroll in a foreign language course in the future.
- If you have a Missouri Seal of Biliteracy, learn more about transferability here.
Once you have completed your pre-Orientation materials, an academic advisor will be reaching out via email or phone to schedule an advising meeting with you via Zoom. If you are in the local area or plan to be on campus, we can also arrange an in-person advising meeting. Advising and registration meetings are conducted directly between you and our advisors to support your growth, confidence, and independent decision-making.
Here’s what to expect at your academic advising meeting.
You Are a Partner in the Registration Process
Your schedule is not created for you — it is created with you, in partnership with advisors and faculty. During you advising meeting, you will:
- talk through your academic interests, goals, and questions
- learn how degree requirements work
- explore course options that fit your academic path
- work alongside the academic advisor to build a balanced schedule
This is one of your first steps in taking ownership of your Truman experience, and we want you to feel confident and supported as you do it.
We Encourage Students to Meet With an Advisor One-on-One
While family can join in the conversation about course enrollment, we encourage you to work directly with the academic advisor.
This approach allows you to:
- begin forming a relationship with your academic advisor
- build confidence in making academic decisions
- ask questions openly
- begin developing independence as a college student
Please know that you will not be navigating this registration process alone. Our goal is for you to leave the advising meeting with a schedule that aligns with what is needed to stay on track in your major(s) and with a clear understanding of how and why it was built.
For students attending August Orientation, you will most likely be meeting with your academic advisor via Zoom. The following are suggested ways to prepare for that meeting so it is the most productive it can be.
Have your TruView login ready
- To make registration run smoothly, have your TruView login and password available. If you do not remember your username and password, contact the IT help desk at (660) 785-4544.
Join the meeting using a computer, not a phone
- Students will be expected to access the registration portal, share their screen, and review various webpages with the academic advisor. For this reason, joining from a phone is not conducive to a successful advising session. Please join your advising meeting call from a computer that has a camera, such as a desktop, laptop, or tablet.
Be prepared to have your camera on
- Your academic advisor is part of a team of professionals who want to get to know you and your personal goals. We want to build a relationship with you, and for that reason we ask that you have your camera on and prepare to engage in the conversation.
We love questions, so don’t be afraid to ask!
- We want you to feel ownership of your schedule and have a clear understanding of what you are enrolled in and how it progresses you in your degree. So don’t be afraid to ask questions! We want you to feel comfortable advocating for yourself and building that confidence as a new Truman student.
Congrats, you’re registered for your first semester of college courses! Below are steps to ensure you are first-day ready once August gets here. Having these steps completed before arriving for Orientation will help you feel more at ease.
Now that you’re enrolled in classes, you have access to your student email via TruView!
Truman’s official form of communication is email, so checking your email frequently will become second nature once you begin classes. We recommend setting up your student email and DUO app now so you can begin getting in the habit of checking your email over the summer.
Issues with accessing your email? Contact our IT Services Desk at (660) 785-4544.
If you have earned college credit prior to starting at Truman—such as AP, IB, dual credit, or Missouri Seal of Biliteracy—official documentation must be sent to Truman.
You should request an official transcript be sent directly from every college or university where you have earned credit. Truman’s Registrar’s Office must receive the original transcript from each institution to ensure your credits are properly applied to your academic record. For example, if you took a course through a local community college while in high school, you must request that your official transcript be sent directly from that community college to Truman. Even if the course appears on your high school transcript, Truman must receive the official transcript from the college that awarded the credit. Nearly all schools have a digital platform on their Registrar’s website where you can request transcripts.
If you requested your most recent AP or IB score(s) be sent to Truman, those will be arriving to us in mid-July. At that time, our academic advisors will review your score(s) and contact you about making course adjustments (if necessary).
Important: All college coursework attempted must be disclosed. Failing to report prior college credit is considered academic dishonesty.
Note: Truman’s scholarship renewal is only based on credits earned at Truman, not transfer credits.
Being prepared with your textbooks by the end of the first week of classes helps set you up for academic success! Use this before classes begin to review your textbooks and consider whether you want to opt out of our First Day Complete program through Truman’s Bookstore.
As an enrolled college student, you are now under FERPA, which means Truman can no longer share your educational information with others unless you expressly give us permission to. If you would like to add a parent or guardian as an “authorized user,” allowing them to view your bill, you can learn more at the link below.
All new students will be assigned their official first-year academic advisor in early August. Until then, connect with the academic advising team at the Center for Academic Excellence at advise@truman.edu or (660) 785-7403.