Current and newly admitted students are matched with an academic advisor in either October or March during their first Fall or Spring semester in Biological Sciences.

HAVE A QUESTION? FIND AN ANSWER:

⮑ Go-to section ⓒ of Answers-FAQ

Answers-FAQ includes responses to over thirty-five questions that the Biological Sciences Program is frequently asked. If you do not see your question answered there, then email your academic advisor for more information. Their email can be found on the Biological Sciences Directory.

If you are a new student who has yet to be matched with an academic advisor from Biological Sciences Program, then you may email specific questions to bscique@umd.edu until you are matched to an advisor in either October (Fall admit) or March (Spring admit). Prospective students may send questions to the same address.

Academic Advisors for Biological Sciences

• FACILITATE responsible graduation planning

• ILLUSTRATE courses necessary for registration in Biological Sciences (semesterly)

• ENCOURAGE students to attain academic and professional success goals

• REFER students to essential campus resources, procedures, policies, and opportunities

How are students and academic advisors matched?

Students are first matched with a professional staff advisor while working on the major’s basic program (typically first-years and sophomores), and are later rematched to a faculty advisor based on their declared major specialization and as they begin to register for upper-level courses in the Biological Sciences advanced program.

Academic advisors are not mental health counselors.

For additional support, students are encouraged to connect with a professional mental health counselor at the University Counseling Center. Get started on counseling.umd.edu/get-started.

TerpEngage is where students can:

• REVIEW their matched advisor for Biological Sciences (check under Success Team)

• READ notes posted by their academic advisor(s) after scheduled meetings

• SUBMIT a request to change their specialization in Biological Sciences

The methods that academic advisors use to schedule appointments vary. If TerpEngage shows your academic advisor as Not Available, this means that either:

Your academic advisor has yet to set up appointment scheduling on TerpEngage.

OR

Your academic advisor schedules appointments using a platform that is not TerpEngage.

Refer to any messages delivered by your academic advisor via TerpEngage Advising Note or TerpMail to learn what to expect for Biological Sciences advising.

ALL STUDENTS WHO

• are still completing the degree’s basic program

• have a GPA below 2.5

• are UMD athletes

• or are in their first semester matched to a faculty advisor

Must report to mandatory advising before they can register for courses.

The mandatory advising requirement can be waived for students who do not meet this criteria, but students are encouraged to connect with their academic advisor whenever they cannot find answers to specific questions on BSCIweb. Students must refer to notes sent by their academic advisor in either TerpMail or TerpEngage to confirm whether advising for the semester is mandatory.

After mandatory advising for Biological Sciences has been satisfied, a registration block is removed from the student’s account on Testudo, allowing them to register for courses during their University-assigned registration appointment.

EXPECTATIONS FOR MANDATORY ADVISING

Students will submit a rough grad plan for Biological Sciences that their academic advisor will proofread ahead of mandatory advising.

Rough grad plans must be on the CMNS College template, which is sought by meeting with a CMNS Peer Mentor. For instructions, get started on bsci.umd.edu/gradplan.

Academic advisors will confirm how students can submit their rough grad plan ahead of the appointment scheduling for mandatory advising.

Academic advisors document whether students’ rough grad plans are responsible or must be revised during mandatory advising.

Students can connect with their academic advisor about their grad plan by email whenever mandatory advising for the semester has already been completed. See the Biological Sciences Directory for contact information.

Students are delivered a list of courses they are expected to register for after mandatory advising is completed.

This list accounts for an appropriately balanced course load and registration that follows University policy, expectations for responsible grad planning, and timely completion of the LEP-Benchmark Requirements for Biological Sciences—which students must complete on time in order to remain in the major.

Official midterm grades and LEP-Benchmark Requirements are discussed during mandatory advising.

Official midterm grades are submitted by most instructors during the semester. Students can review their official midterm grades under Grades in Testudo. Mind that non-letter grades such as S stand for Satisfactory (passing), and U stands for Unsatisfactory (not passing).

If a student earns a midterm grade of U or below C-, then they are expected to report to their instructors’ office hours for learning enrichment. Come prepared and bring specific questions about course topics for discussion.

Students must read advising notes.

Students shall review any advising note(s) they are delivered after academic advising—found in TerpEngage and TerpMail—whenever they register for their courses in Testudo.

Students shall email their academic advisor to clarify any information that was included in their official advising note OR if an official advising note cannot be found in TerpEngage or TerpMail.

ON SELECT DATES

Students enrolled in Biological Sciences can meet with an academic advisor for 15-minute drop-in advising during the Fall and Spring schedule adjustment period at

1210 BIOLOGY LOUNGE in the BIOLOGY-PSYCHOLOGY BUILDING (BPS)

Drop-in Advising is for ✅

• Informed decision about a course add (for open and unrestricted sections listed in Testudo)

• Informed decision about a course drop

• Discussing a major switch (leaving the Biological Sciences Program)

• Discussing the addition of a second program (minor, major, or degree)

• Clarifying academic policies & expectations for Biological Sciences: LEP-Benchmark Requirements & Course Repeats

• Referral to essential campus resources

Drop-in Advising is NOT for ❌

• Mandatory, Pre-Registration Advising

• Graduation Planning —see Expectations for Graduation Planning

• Pre-Health inquiries —refer to the Health Professions Advising Office (HPAO)

• Study abroad inquiries —refer to Maryland Global / Education Abroad

• Requests for letters of recommendation —refer to a trusted advisor, instructor, or mentor

• Degree Clearance —upperclassmen may send their grad plan to their matched academic advisor for an in depth review

Additionally, the College of CMNS offers 15-Minute Drop-In Advising for all CMNS students on select dates. These sessions are not a substitute for mandatory advising with an academic advisor for Biological Sciences.

If you are a current student who has yet to be matched with an academic advisor and cannot attend a drop-in session, then email bscique@umd.edu for assistance.

Dates & Deadlines

All Biological Sciences students 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 matched academic advisor.