Department Advising
Undergraduate students work with department academic advisors who are specialists in major and minor requirements, as well as any courses offered by their unit (e.g. Mathematics department advisors help any students enrolled in math courses). These advisors encourage and support you with information about available services, such as academic enrichment; career, graduate, and professional school planning; and student research opportunities.
Department advisors work in close partnership with College academic advisors in guiding you to successful degree completion.
The role of a department advisor
| A major/department advisor can: | A major/department advisor cannot: |
|---|---|
| Help plan your major courses for next quarter. Later in your first year at UC San Diego, they can review your long-term plan for graduation. | Tell you how a course satisfies general education requirements. (Your College advisor is there for those questions.) |
| Manage enrollment (waitlists, pre-authorization requests, prerequisite clearance) for courses in their department. | Guarantee the likelihood you will get off a course wait-list. |
| Give you information about department/School resources like tutoring, student organizations, and honors opportunities. | Advise on your financial aid information. (That's protected by the Financial Aid & Scholarships office.) |
| Connect you with faculty in the department/program with expertise in the subject area who can help with graduate school preparation and career guidance. | Tell your professor to change your grade. (Instructors have sole discretion for grading.) |
| Guide you through the petition process if you have transfer coursework. | Decide how your coursework will be transferable for credit to UC San Diego (that's Admissions) or if it is equivalent to a major course (faculty decide that). |
| Refer and connect you to others across campus. | Fix everything in a one-stop-shop. Or find you parking. (Sorry. We want it too.) |
Who is your major advisor?
See the Academic Department and Program Undergraduate Advisors List.
Remember: You must use the Virtual Advising Center to contact advisors.
Parents and families: Start here for information and advice.
Biological Sciences advisors Haille Thomas and Brian Hamlett
Also known as...
UC San Diego's department advisors might be referred to as:
- Major advisors
- Department/program advisors
- Program coordinators
- Department Student Affairs officers
This is because these advisors/coordinators are housed in Schools, Departments, Programs, and Institutes:
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School of Arts and Humanities, which includes the departments of History, Literature, Philosophy, Music, Theatre and Dance, Visual Arts, and the Institute of Arts and Humanities
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School of Computing, Information and Data Sciences, which includes the Halicioglu Data Science Institute
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School of Global Policy & Strategy, which includes the International Studies Program
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Jacobs School of Engineering, which includes the departments of Bioengineering, Computer Science & Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Chemical & Nano Engineering, and Structural Engineering
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School of Physical Sciences, which includes the departments of Astrophysics & Astronomy, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Mathematics, and Physics
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Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science
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School of Social Sciences, which includes the departments of Anthropology, Cognitive Science, Communication, Computational Social Science, Critical Gender Studies, Economics, Education Studies, Ethnic Studies, Global Health, Human Developmental Sciences, Latin American Studies, Linguistics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Urban Studies & Planning