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Return to: General Information
Academic Advising
Admitted undergraduate students should meet regularly with an academic advisor to discuss academic programs, educational goals, and career plans. With their advisors, students plan academic programs to meet the general university degree requirements and specific requirements within their major fields. It is the student’s responsibility to read the catalog and know and fulfill the requirements of a specific baccalaureate degree. To assist in the advising process, Mason provides a computerized degree evaluation. Students should access their individualized reports through Patriot Web.
Individual departments establish their own advising processes; students should check with their departments for the appropriate procedures. An advisor locator is available at advising.gmu.edu/current-students/advisor-locator. During their freshman and sophomore years, students in the Honors College plan their schedules with honors advisors. Every department coordinates advising of its honors students through the Honors College.
Some departments require that students be advised prior to registration each semester.
Center for Academic Advising, Retention, and Transitions
Student Union Building I, Room 3500, MS 2E6
Phone: 703-993-2470
Fax: 703-993-2478
Web: advising.gmu.edu
E-mail: advisor@gmu.edu
Administration
Jeannie Brown Leonard, Dean
The mission of academic advising at Mason parallels the university’s mission by providing resources and programs to mentor, teach, and guide students in their decision making as they develop their educational and career goals.
The Center for Academic Advising, Retention, and Transitions assists students making the transition to Mason, including those who have not yet declared a major or are considering a change of major. Students are encouraged to make an appointment for information about Mason Core requirements, programs, policies, procedures, and other academic concerns. The Center also provides information and guidance for students who are interested in pre-professional programs in the health fields and to newly admitted transfer students who need assistance transitioning to Mason. Advising is available by appointment; consult the website, advising.gmu.edu for hours of operation.
Student Academic Affairs - Advising, Retention, and Transitions
Student Union Building I, Room 3500, MS 2E6
Phone: 703-993-2470
Fax: 703-993-2478
Web: saa.gmu.edu
Student Academic Affairs – Advising, Retention, and Transitions, is the umbrella unit for the Center for Academic Advising, Retention, and Transitions, (including pre-health advising) and campus-wide retention activities. This unit rules on all academic actions submitted by undergraduate undeclared and nondegree students.
Student Academic Affairs – Advising, Retention, and Transitions (StAAART) supports students to thrive in transitions.* The unit provides students with the tools and guidance to help them achieve their academic and personal goals. StAAART contributes to student success and degree completion by teaching, supporting, and connecting students to curricular and co-curricular experiences relevant to becoming an exemplary Mason Graduate: an engaged, reflective citizen and well rounded scholar who is prepared to act. StAAART also serves the university community as a centralized source of information on current academic policies, procedures, and student success initiatives.
We value each student as a distinct individual. Our interactions are guided by an understanding of college student development, campus resources, and are designed to support student learning. We focus on students’ academic engagement and performance, well-being, and interpersonal connections1. Our collaborations are characterized by a comprehensive commitment to student success.
StAAART collaborates widely with campus colleagues to promote successful student transitions. Through our work we provide effective academic and transition advising, offer transition courses, develop student leaders, design and implement retention initiatives, identify and solve problems, improve communication, and influence policies related to academic success and degree completion.
*Schreiner, L. A., Louis, M. C., & Nelson, D. D. (Eds.). (2012). Thriving in transitions: A research-based approach to college student success. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition.
Health Professions Advising and the Medical Sciences Advisory Committee
Student Union Building I, Room 3500, MS 2E6
Phone: 703-993-2470
Fax: 703-993-2478
Web: prehealth.gmu.edu
Health Professions Advising is committed to providing students with the tools that will help them to achieve success. It provides the primary contact for undergraduate students and alumni interested in pursuing postgraduate work in a medical field (allopathic and osteopathic medicine, dentistry, optometry, physician assistant, pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and veterinary medicine) and comprehensive developmental advising.
In addition to advising, the Health Professions Advisor coordinates the activity of the Medical Sciences Advisory Committee that assists in providing practice interviews and feedback to students who are applying to medical, dental, optometry, and podiatry schools.
Advising upon Entrance into Upper Division (Junior Standing)
Upon entrance into the upper division, every student should meet with an advisor to adopt a program of study. This meeting should cover the following:
- Review of requirements for the degree and major the student has chosen
- Review of the student’s record including any deficiencies which must be corrected
- Discussion of career or graduate study options open to the student enrolled in such a program
- Assessment of the student’s suitability to major in the chosen discipline.
This advising session occurs in the semester in which the student will have completed 60 or more acceptable credits. The results are a matter of record, with any approved modifications being entered into the student’s computerized degree plan.
It is good practice to seek periodic academic and career advising. It remains the student’s responsibility to seek approval for any program change so that the computerized degree plan may be kept current.
Students changing majors are encouraged to meet with an advisor in the new major. They may change majors by filing a Change/Declaration of Academic Program Form with the Office of the University Registrar. These are minimal advising procedures to be followed in all undergraduate segments of the university; individual units may require additional advising sessions. |
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