General Education

What you need to satisfy your General Education requirement

In order to fulfill your General Education requirement for graduation you must complete at least one course in each of the following 10 categories and reach 40 credits:

• Arts
• Foreign Language and Culture
• Global Perspective
• Literature
• Natural Science and Technology
• Formal Reasoning
• Social Science
• Western Civilization
• Writing Foundations - Composition II (2.0 GPA)
• Knowledge Application (outside of major)

Note: The courses must be on the approved courses list. Click here to see all of the General Education courses offered at Oakland University. 

Community College Equivalency Guides

Are you transferring to OU? Do you know if your credits transfer?

Here are some ways you can check to see if the courses you took at your community college transfer as Oakland courses:

• Click on the Transfer College Equivalencies or visit oakland.edu/transfers

 Here are some ways you can check to see if the courses you took at a Michigan university or college transfer as Oakland courses:

• Click on Michigan Transfer Network or visit michigantransfernetwork.org

Letters of Recommendation

Meaningful Letters of Recommendation 

Letters of Recommendation are essential assets when applying for jobs or graduate school. 

Here are some ways to ensure your Letters of Recommendation are the best they can be!

• Obtain letters from multiple faculty members who are familiar with you

• Obtain letters from an administrator or supervisor who is familiar with you
• could be from student organizations, internships, volunteering, Honors College, or an off-campus organization etc. 

• Ask those you are obtaining letters from in-person

•  Identify the key things you want the letter to say
• providing a general outline of the letter is great!

• Provide a copy of the job description, desired qualities for the position, a copy of your resume, and a copy of your transcript 
• Always send a thank you letter or email!

Need more information about Letters of Recommendation? Then contact Career Services! 

Preparing for Graduate School

Preparing for Graduate School

Considering going to Graduate School? 

Here are some of the best ways to prepare:

•  Explore different Graduate Programs. 
• Make sure to look at:
• admissions info
• The 12-Month Admission Plan
• cost
• how the program will forward your career

•  Talk to your professors. 
• They can help:
• suggest programs
• give advice
• write letters of recommendation

• Prepare for and take the GRE (Graduate Record Exam) 

• Talk to your CAS Adviser to ensure your transcript is accurate and you have met all major requirements
• Call (248) 370-4567 or visit 221 Varner Hall

• Make sure you are financially ready  

 For more information about how to prepare for Graduate School, check out Career Services 
 To find out more information about Graduate School, contact c

OU Career Cycle

OU Career Cycle

Here's a breakdown of the OU Career Cycle to ensure that you're are the fast-track to a successful career.

1. Self-Assessment

To ensure that you find the major that is right for you, it is good to determine your interests, skills, personality type, and values. This will help you narrow down the fields you are interested in.

2. Researching Options

Finding out information about different majors and the careers they lead to will help you narrow does your major selection even more. Things to focus on are the pay rate and tasks required in different careers, the education required for different careers, and what the future of different careers is.

3. Decision Making/Goal Setting

Now that you have all the information you need, it is time to make a decision on what major you want. It is recommended that you schedule an appointment with your CAS adviser by calling (248) 370-4567 or visiting 221 Varner Hall to develop a degree plan of study to ensure the successful completion of your degree.

4. Career Readiness

Meet with a Career Services Coordinator for resume reviews, interview preparation and job search strategies. Then gain work experience through internships to see if the field you chose is truly the right field for you. Check out OUCareerlink!

5. Explore and Gain Relevant Work Experience

Continue to do internships and co-ops. Attend career fairs and workshops to build awareness of you field and gain contacts. Do 2 to 3 internships or coops to identify career direction.

6. Implement Job Search Strategies

Develop a tracking system for your job search while networking with employers, alumni, family, and friends. Proactively pursue job posting online and in-person. Join associations, organizations, groups and affiliations related you your field.

Check out OU's Interactive Career Cycle!

Internships

Experiential Learning - Internships

An internship is an excellent way to get a taste of a specific career. They allow students to apply their skills in a work setting, pick up new skills, and learn the corporate culture of a business. Not to mention the fact that they look great on a resume!

What kinds of internships are there?
Internships can be paid or unpaid and may also count for credit towards your degree. There are internships in almost every field, you just have to find them!

How do I get an internship?
You can apply for internships, on-campus and off-campus, paid and unpaid, at OUCareerlink. You can also talk to your Faculty Adviser or network with Professors to find other opportunities. Career Services is great for finding opportunities, perfecting your resume, or practicing your interview skills! Check out their information in internships!

Here's more information on the benefits of internships.

Connecting with Professors

When I think back on my college days, I remember viewing many of my professors as larger than life figures.  They were these lofty adults that seemingly had nothing in common with a young college student like me.  I remember even joking with some of my friends as we imagined them doing common everyday tasks like getting trays from the cafeteria and using the common area bathrooms.  It seemed funny to us that these so-called giants of academia would have to wrestle with such mundane tasks.

And that image remained with me for many of my professors during my entire undergraduate experience.  However, for a few of my professors that image quickly changed.  The professors that I got a chance to talk to both inside and outside the classroom suddenly didn’t seem so scary anymore.  After talking with them, I quickly realized that these were real and interesting people just like me.  Not only that, but most of them were eager to share their knowledge and expertise with students.  My youth and inexperience wasn’t an annoyance to them.  They were actually excited to share their thoughts with someone willing to listen and soak it all in.  What a great resource at my fingertips!

Most professors at Oakland have specific office hours dedicated to meeting with students and enjoy making that connection.  So even if you are doing well in a course, take advantage of these hours and meet with your professor.  You might be surprised at how good the experience can be, and the connections you make can be helpful down the line by providing help in future courses, research opportunities within the department, or possible letters of recommendation for jobs or graduate work after college. 

Every major in the College of Arts & Sciences here at Oakland also has a Faculty Adviser that is specifically assigned to meet with students in that major.  So take advantage of that opportunity as well and meet with your designated adviser today! 

(Go to oakland.edu/casadvising/academicadvisers and scroll down to the Faculty Advisers pdf.)

Who knows what doors that meeting could open?