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

Scheduling an Academic Advising Appointment

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:

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.
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.
Be informed
- Know important deadlines and dates. The Academic Calendar lists important semester dates and deadlines (e.g., first and last day of classes, last day to drop or add a class, last day to request a selective withdrawal (undergraduates only), holiday breaks, reading dates and the semester exam period).
- Read the catalog.
What to take to your advising session
- Degree evaluation
- Preliminary course selection
- List of questions

Program Planning and Advising Sheets

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

Department of Health Administration and Policy Coordinators

School of Nursing

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Coordinator

Department of Social Work

Academic Advising

Undergraduate Academic Advising

Undergraduate Academic Advising Mission Statement

Privacy

Meet your Undergraduate Academic Advising Team

How to schedule an advising appointment through Navigate Mason

Advisor and Advisee Responsibilities

Advisor Responsibilities:

Student Responsibilities and Email Etiquette:

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

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

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

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

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

Graduate Academic Advising