Academic Advising

Undergraduate Academic Advising

Currently enrolled undergraduate students are advised in the Office of Student Affairs, College of Public Health. Students should initiate a meeting with an academic advisor at least once a semester.

CPH Office of Student Affairs

Undergraduate Academic Advising Mission Statement

Advisors support students in the transition from high school or a previous college to Mason, serve as a resource for students for all things related to student academic affairs, assist students in developing and pursuing academic and professional goals; encourage students to contribute to the community, and function successfully within the University.

Undergraduate CPH students, regardless of major, are welcome to meet with any academic advisor in the Office of Student Affairs, Peterson Hall Suite 1000. It is recommended students schedule and meet with an advisor well in advance of the date they are eligible to register for the next semester classes. Registration dates can be found on the Registrar's website and in your Patriot Web account.

Privacy

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law established to protect the privacy of student records. The CPH Office of Student Affairs, faculty, and staff abide by these privacy guidelines. Confidential student information will not be communicated to a third party, including immediate family members, without the expressed consent of the student, except when allowed under FERPA law.

Meet your Undergraduate Academic Advising Team

Brian Gillette
Brian Gillette, Director, Undergraduate Student Success

Maria Perez
Maria Perez, Associate Director, Undergraduate Student Success


Julio Diaz-Carroll, Academic Advisor



Dawn Kim, Academic Advisor

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Hem Sharma, Academic Advisor

 

Troy Lowery, Academic Advisor

Scheduling an Academic Advising Appointment

To meet with an advisor in the College of Public Health, please make an appointment through the NavigateMason scheduling system. Appointments can also be made by calling the Office of Student Affairs in the College of Public Health at 703-993-1901 or sending an email to advcph@gmu.edu. We appreciate your patience and will respond to your email as soon as possible. 

Navigate Mason

How to schedule an advising appointment through Navigate Mason

  1. Go to Navigate Mason: https://gmu.campus.eab.com/.
  2. Sign in using your Mason Net ID and password.
  3. Click the "Get Assistance" button.
  4. In the drop down menu, select, "Academic Advising", than select "My Major", and choose a date.
    • You may need to select "College of Public Health, Office of Student Affairs" as the location.
  5. Select "Find Available Time".
  6. Choose any advisor and a convenient day and time. 

Watch this short step-by-step video showing you how to schedule an appointment: Navigate Student Scheduler.

For questions, trouble logging in, or to provide feedback on your Navigate Mason user experience, please contact SSCHelp@gmu.edu.

Prepare for a Successful Advising Session

Academic advisors can assist you with selecting and changing majors, program planning, credit transfer issues, withdrawals, reviewing degree requirements, course substitutions and waivers, and requests to study elsewhere. Advisors are also available to discuss non-academic issues and may refer you to other university student support services for learning services, financial assistance, or personal counseling.

Advisor and Advisee Responsibilities

Advisor Responsibilities: 

  • Be available to answer your questions in a timely manner through individual appointments, walk-in hours, e-mail, and phone. Please allow up to two business days for a response to messages.
  • Support you in the process of exploring, evaluating, and selecting your academic program and career, and in creating an educational plan consistent with your goals.
  • Help you to assess your academic performance and strengths to ensure consistency with your goals.
  • Create an open, respectful, and inclusive environment for all students.
  • Communicate curriculum requirements, university policies, procedures, and deadlines.
  • Refer you to other university offices, resources, and services if appropriate.

Student Responsibilities and Email Etiquette: 

  • Schedule advising appointments at least once a semester. Additional appointments are expected if you are experiencing academic difficulty, personal challenges, or are feeling overwhelmed.
  • Create a Mason advising file folder where you will keep all advising notes and resources.
  • Check your Mason student email account at least once a day.
  • Be proactive and take responsibility in the advising process by researching college programs, academic policies and procedures, and participating in career exploration.
  • Become familiar with university policies, procedures, and resources.
  • Use university resources such as Counseling and Psychological Services, Learning Services, the Writing Center, the Math Tutoring Center, Financial Aid, and Career Services.

When emailing your advisor (or any faculty or staff member at Mason), always include your full name, program of study, and G#. Always use proper grammar and proofread your emails before sending. If you are emailing to request an advising appointment, you should offer several date/time options that work for you, or simply give your general availability for the week in which you are requesting an appointment. Please allow up to two business days for a response.

Here are some tips to help you make your advising session productive:

  1. Be early and be thoughtful

    • Review the Academic Calendar to find out registration priority dates.
    • Avoid the rush, and set up an advising appointment well before your scheduled date to register.
    • Notify your advisor and the front office staff if you have to cancel the appointment.
  2. Be prepared
    • Review the Mason catalog for program requirements and prerequisite courses.
    • Review the Program Planning and Advising Sheet for your major and catalog year.
    • Review your degree evaluation in Patriot Web. If you are planning to change your major, you will want to do a What-if Analysis. The What-If allows you to see how your credits will transfer into your new major and/or minor.
    • Review your Mason transcript to make sure all transfer credits appear on the transcript from all colleges and universities attended.
    • Create an advising folder to keep all of your advising notes while at Mason.
  3. Be informed
  4. What to take to your advising session
    • Degree evaluation
    • Preliminary course selection
    • List of questions

Program Planning and Advising Sheets

A student is bound to the course requirements described in the university catalog for the student’s term of admission to Mason known as a catalog year. However, due to change of major or curriculum changes, a student may be advised to change catalog years, which can be selected from any of the years the student is enrolled at Mason. The catalog is available online at http://catalog.gmu.edu.

For students with a catalog term of fall 2024 or spring 2025.

Community Health, BS

Health Administration, BS

Health Informatics, BS

Nursing, BSN

Social Work, BSW

For students with a catalog term of fall 2023 or spring 2024.

Community Health, BS

Health Administration, BS

Health Informatics, BS

Nursing, BSN

Social Work, BSW

For students with a catalog term of fall 2022 or spring 2023.

Community Health, BS

Health Administration, BS

Health Informatics, BS

Nursing, BSN

Social Work, BSW

For students with a catalog term of fall 2021 or spring 2022.

Community Health, BS

Health Administration, BS

Health Informatics, BS

Nursing, BSN

Social Work, BSW

Graduate Academic Advising

Currently enrolled graduate students in the College of Public Health (CPH) should contact the administrative coordinator to identify their advisor. Faculty advisors are assigned by program, either alphabetically by last name or by program concentration.

Program coordinators are available to provide academic advising to graduate students within CPH. The coordinators are listed below alphabetically by academic unit and program.

Department of Global and Community Health Advisors

Public Health, PhD
Isaac Chomitz, Academic Programs Coordinator
703-993-9633
ichomitz@gmu.edu

Global Health, MS
Public Health, MPH
Public Health Graduate Certificate
Sarah Liu
sliu16@gmu.edu

Administrative Contact
Ebony Miller
emille49@gmu.edu
(703) 993 - 3126

Department of Health Administration and Policy Coordinators

Health Services Research, PhD
Health and Medical Policy, Health Policy Concentration, MS
Dr. Gilbert Gimm, Director, HSR PhD
703-993-9165
ggimm@gmu.edu

Health Informatics, MS
Dr. Janusz Wojtusiak, Program Coordinator
703-993-4148
jwojtusi@gmu.edu

Health Systems Management, On-Campus MHA
Dr. Brenda Helen Sheingold, Director, MHA Program
703-993-9733
bsheingo@gmu.edu

Health Systems Management, Online MHA Program
Dr. Maria Uriyo, Program Coordinator
703-993-5185
muriyo@gmu.edu

Administrative Contact
Tracy Shevlin, Department Manager
703-993-1929
hap@gmu.edu

School of Nursing

Nursing, MSN
Dr. Shanti Chang, DNP, FNP-BC
Graduate Division Director
571-243-4114
schang13@gmu.edu

Nursing, DNP
Dr. Natalie Brooks
Division Director
nbrooks6@gmu.edu

Nursing, PhD
Dr. Kyeung Mi Oh
Doctoral Program Director
703-993-4550
koh5@gmu.edu

Administrative Contact
Victoria Hough
703-993-1961
vhough@gmu.edu

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Coordinator

Nutrition, MS
Dr. Lilian de Jonge, Academic Program Manager
703-993-5153
edejonge@gmu.edu

Administrative Contact
Allison McKay, Department Manager
703-993-9709
amckay4@gmu.edu 

Department of Social Work

Social Work, MSW
Evelyn Tomaszewski, Program Director
703-993-5976
etomasze@gmu.edu

Administrative Contact
Le Anne Wisnieski, Student Services Coordinator
703-993-4247
lwisnies@gmu.edu