Academic Advising

If you plan to seek a degree, diploma, or certificate, using academic advising will help you make informed decisions, feel confident about your plans, make the most of your education, and complete your degree as efficiently as possible. Below are information, tools, and tips for your academic planning, as well as contact information of your advisor. You my contact him or her by email or phone to answer your questions.

Planning Strategies

It is recommended that students plan how they will complete their degrees as soon as they become accepted to the college. Full-time students and Part-time students, as well as those transferring in courses, should discuss a completion strategy with their advisor. Be aware that many courses have prerequisites, so taking more advanced courses before the recommended prerequisites would damage a student's success.

How do I do this?

  1. Read your acceptance letter. Identify the program to which you have been accepted and the degree you are pursuing.
  2. Carefully examine your degree's requirements as identified on the program plan. Print.
  3. All technical courses are required unless you have verifiable certifications or can test out of a course. Discuss this option with your advisor.
  4. If you have transferred any credits, you may be able to remove certain course requirements or electives if you have written verification that you have met these requirements from Southeast Technical's Registrar. If so, cross out accepted transfer courses.
  5. Determine which General Education courses you must take.
    1. AAS degree seekers: 2000-level courses are REQUIRED for graduation--State policy (look at course number).
    2. Diploma and Certificate seekers: 1000-level courses (minimum) are required for graduation (look at course number), but 2000-level will transfer.
    3. If your Accuplacer placement scores for Arithmetic, Elementary Algebra, and English reveal that you are not prepared for the required course/s, you will need to take one or more prerequisite courses.
  6. Identify the technical electives you wish to take.
  7. Determine the order in which technical courses should be taken by looking at the course descriptions in the program plan.
  8. Determine how many classes you plan to take each term. Develop a schedule (avoiding summer unless advised by your advisor to include summer) identifying which courses you want to take each term in the order you need to take them.
  9. Present resulting plan to your advisor for consideration and approval.

Advisors (for programs offered online)


Program Advisors Phone
Microcomputers Neva Burdick 651-385-6342
Computer Programming Mark Swanson 651-385-6342
Web Design & Development Mark Swanson 651-385-6342
Medical Secretary Patty Watson 507-453-2746
Professional Nanny/Child Care Sara Hoffman 507-453-6348
Note: All email addresses are FirstInitialLastName@southeastmn.edu
(e.g., mswanson@southeastmn.edu)

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