Academic Advising Services

All students in the college are strongly encouraged to meet regularly with an academic adviser. Faculty and staff advisers are available in each department to assist students with questions or concerns that they have as they progress through their academic careers. This includes advice on course selection; departmental, college, and university requirements; career guidance; assistance with academic problems; enriching opportunities; and referral information about other services.

Each department in the college has a chief undergraduate adviser who facilitates advising to students concerning the major (https://www.cns.umass.edu/advising/head-advisor-by-major). Students who are in the Exploratory Track in Natural Sciences and have not yet declared a major are advised by dedicated advisors in the College of Natural Sciences Advising Center.  Exploratory Track advisors provide comprehensive academic advising to students and assist students in entering a major either within the College of Natural Sciences or elsewhere at the university.  The CNS Advising Center also includes an Office of Student Success and Diversity (https://www.cns.umass.edu/students/student-success-and-diversity) providing advising and other opportunities to broaden and enrich students' experience at UMass.  The CNS Career and Professional Development Center (https://www.cns.umass.edu/advising/cns-career-center) provides career preparation advice to all CNS students.  The College of Natural Sciences also provides specialized advising services for students preparing for professional programs in medicine, dentistry, or other health professions while these students complete a major of their choice and receive major advising through their major department (https://www.cns.umass.edu/advising/pre-med-pre-health).

Advising for all College of Natural Sciences students regarding college requirements, university requirements, and information concerning other academic matters (e.g., course repeat options, repeat course substitutions, late course adds, late course drops, academic discipline) and programs within the college are also handled through the College of Natural Sciences Advising Center (220 Morrill II; https://www.cns.umass.edu/advising/cns-advising-center).