Advising for the bsci major

All Terps in the Biological Sciences major are assigned to an Academic Advisor around mid-October or after Spring Break during their first (Fall or Spring) semester at the University.

Academic Advisors illustrate the Major LEP-Benchmark Requirements to continue and complete a Maryland Biological Sciences degree, make recommendations for upcoming course registration, refer students to essential campus resources, and discuss students’ personal/professional goals.

What is Academic Advising?

—An advisor can support you in these key areas.

Information on academic requirements needed for graduation

BSCI Advisors assist students with proofreading their academic and career plans, monitor students in the major, and discuss how a course of study fits a particular academic or career interest. Advisors answer questions concerning a specific academic concern, such as problems with a particular class, and guide students through the registration process, including providing information on various registration blocks and what needs to be done to remove them.

Support planning of future graduate study or career

Advisors discuss how an academic major can prepare a student for a career and what career options are available. Advisors refer students to the Career Center, which provides career counseling and help with writing resumes and preparing for job interviews. They provide information about internship opportunities and about study abroad programs that might enrich a student's academic experience and resume. Advisors inform students about graduate school opportunities and application procedures.

Serve as a campus resource

Advisors assist students in obtaining support from other offices at the University. This includes informing students about possible scholarships or fellowships and referring students to academic support units that provide tutoring or workshops on study skills, time management, and stress management. They may recommend that students seek counseling for stress, addictions, or trauma that may be affecting their academic work. Advisors inform students with physical and learning disabilities of the support available to them. They also encourage students to enrich their experiences by becoming involved on campus via social, political, academic, ethnic/cultural, sport, and/or recreational student organizations and activities. Some advisors are able to provide information on all of the above. Others specialize in a particular topic or area of concern. For example, a college/department may have a specific career advisor or study abroad coordinator. Students in upper-level courses are often advised by faculty members who can assist with graduate school and career issues.

LEARN MORE @ https://studentsuccess.umd.edu/academic-advising

SPRING ‘25

MONDAY, JANUARY 27th — 11am - 1pm

FRIDAY, JANUARY 31st — 1pm - 3pm

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3rd — 11am - 1pm

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7th — 1 - 3pm

15-MINUTE DROP-in advising

offered only during select dates

—Terms Updated 1/31/2025.

The Program’s Central Office will offer 15-MINUTE Drop-In sessions for BSCI Terps who have yet to be assigned to an Academic Advisor.

These sessions are typically held on select dates during the Fall and Spring Schedule Adjustment Period at 1210 Biology-Psychology Building (BPS).

DROP-IN SESSIONS ARE USED FOR

  • Informed Course ADD / DROP / WITHDRAWAL

  • Referral to Essential Campus Resources

  • Brief review of Graduation Plans created with a CMNS Peer Mentor

DROP-IN SESSIONS ARE NOT USED FOR

The College of CMNS also offers 15-MINUTE Drop-In Advising for ALL CMNS STUDENTS on select dates; however, these sessions are not a substitute for semesterly, pre-registration advising with your Assigned Advisor.

If you are a current student who has yet to be assigned to an academic advisor and cannot attend a drop-in session, please email your question or challenge to bscique@umd.edu.

—for all other current BSCI Terps, please email your Assigned Advisor.

Curriculum & Graduation Planning

BSCI Terps create a rough draft of their graduation plan with a CMNS peer mentor.

This plan is then proofread by their academic advisor during scheduled BSCI advising.

date and deadlines

all BSCI terps are responsible for knowing the university’s dates and deadlines for course registration.

This information is updated annually by the Office of the Registrar, which determines the start of classes, the Schedule Adjustment Period (course add/drop), and the window for final exams.

Students are advised to review these steps for course registration before meeting with their Assigned Advisor.

Biological Sciences Opportunity Portal (BSOP)

…is a centralized database for BSCI Terps to find and EXPLORE research, internship, and scholarship opportunities in the Biological Sciences both at Maryland and BEYOND.

Click here to learn more about BSOP.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is my assigned advisor?

All Terps in the Biological Sciences major are assigned to an Academic Advisor around mid-October or after Spring Break during their first (Fall or Spring) semester at the University.

Please log in to TerpEngage—Maryland’s central advising platform—to review your Assigned Advisor under Success Team.

If no advisor is listed under Success Team, then students may call the Undergraduate Program Office at 301-405-6892 or email bscique@umd.edu to learn more.

BSCI Terps are typically matched with a Professional Staff Advisor while working on the major’s Basic Program (typically first-years and sophomores), and are later reassigned to a Faculty Advisor based on their declared major specialization and as they begin to register for upper-division courses.

Do I have to attend mandatory advising?

All students who are still completing the major’s basic program, students with a GPA below 2.5, university athletes, and students in their first semester assigned to a Faculty Advisor must meet with their advisor before they can register for upcoming courses.

Terps who do not meet this criteria may not be required to meet with their Assigned Advisor, but are encouraged to do so.

Refer to your Assigned Advisor to confirm.