New Student Academics
At Whitman, you’ll be challenged to think deeply, write clearly and speak confidently. With small classes and supportive faculty, you won’t just learn facts—you’ll explore ideas, make connections and grow as a thinker. Whitman’s liberal arts approach gives you the freedom to try new things—to dive into what interests you—and the tools to take on whatever comes next.
What To Expect: Registering for Classes
During Opening Week, you will meet with your academic advisor to register for your classes. In the meantime, here are a few things to complete so you’ll be ready. You should also check your Whitman email regularly and complete your To-Do Items in myWhitman.
What You Can Do Now
- Make sure to complete your Academic Advising Survey. This will help your advisor get to know you and your interests. Please note: You must be logged into your Whitman email to access the survey. Instructions on how to claim your Whitman account were sent to you in Dean Dunn’s first email.
- Review our First Year Seminar options. Later this summer, you’ll have the opportunity to choose your preferred learning communities. Based on your selection, you will be pre-enrolled before you arrive on campus. (More info below.)
- Plan on taking any chemistry, computer science, language and/or math courses at Whitman? Take all your academic placement tests online.
First Year Seminars
The First Year Seminars—Exploring Complex Questions (GENS 175) and Making Powerful Arguments (GENS 176)—combine a fall course that emphasizes inquiry, interdisciplinary exploration and intellectual community with a spring seminar that features in-depth investigation of a focused topic. Both seminars will help you improve the reading, writing and discussion skills you will rely on throughout your time at Whitman. Course descriptions for fall seminars will be sent to you over the summer. We will do our best to assign you based on your choices.
Transfer students with fewer than 58 credits will take GENS 175 but may receive equivalent credit for GENS 176 for a comparable course taken at another institution.
You will receive information about the required First Year Seminars and descriptions of the different learning communities in Dean Dunn’s Monday emails. You will need to submit your preferred learning communities. You will learn which course you have been assigned to in July.
Have Questions About Advising & Registration?
The Registrar’s Office and Associate Dean Helen Kim are available to answer your questions about registration, course selection and advising.
Registrar’s Office
509-527-5983
registrar@whitman.edu
Pre-Major Advising
Contact Helen Kim, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
509-527-5187
kimh2@whitman.edu
Other Resources
- Whitman College Catalog—your primary source of information about current courses, general college policies, and requirements for graduation, majors and special programs
- Placement Tests—for chemistry, computer science, foreign languages and math