Anna Gong, a master's in marketing student at DePaul, receives guidance on her degree plan from advisor Rikki Eul at the Kellstadt Academic Success Office.What graduate business degree is right for me? What courses should I take? What credits can I waive or transfer? How can I complete my business degree while juggling career and family responsibilities?
These are just some of the many questions business students ask while earning their degrees at the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. For answers, they rely on the highly experienced team of academic advisors at the Kellstadt Academic Success Office (KASO). This fall, students can find the KASO team in new offices in Suite 8300 of the DePaul Center, adjacent to the Kellstadt student lounge.
KASO helps graduate business students succeed "from registration to graduation," explains Felicia Richardson-McGee, KASO director.
"Our mission is to enhance the student experience and engagement by providing knowledgeable advising services and connections to university resources that enable learning and the successful completion of students' degrees," Richardson-McGee says.
Those services include:
- New student registration and introduction to student resources, including financial aid
- Guidance on degree requirements and referrals to faculty program directors for advice on degree choices that align with career goals
- Evaluation and approval of course waivers, course substitutions and transfer credits.
- Tutoring to support academic success
- Degree plan audits to track a student's progress toward graduation
Alumnus Tanner Krause says Kellstadt's advisors helped him get the most out of his DePaul MBA program experience.
"We worked from my life goals to select the right courses and professors to prepare me to succeed in both the classroom and the business world," says Krause (MBA '16).
For international students, like Ying Zheng from China, academic advice from the KASO team is particularly valuable. "My advisor gave me suggestions on which courses I should pick based on my schedule and my marketing and graphic design background," recalls Zheng (BUS MS '16). "They also connected me to career center resources, which helped me find jobs that match my interests and goals, and professors, who offered me LinkedIn network and internship help."
Student Anna Gong agrees. "I couldn't have achieved what I have done at Kellstadt without the advisor's help," says Gong, an MS in Marketing candidate.
"No matter what kind of questions I have — career planning, class selection, professor recommendation, or even personal advice — they are always there for me, and ready with all the resources to help me advance to the next level."
KASO advisors are available for students via walk-in consultation, by appointment, by phone at (312) 362-1219 and email at KASO@depaul.edu.