Academic Advising

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

BSCI Advisors do the following:

  • ADVISE students on the appropriate courses to register for (semesterly)

  • ADVISE & ENSURE that students are meeting the major’s LEP-Benchmark Requirements on time

  • FACILITATE responsible graduation planning and students attaining both academic and professional success goals

  • REFER students to essential campus resources

FALL 2025 Session Dates

TUES, SEPT 2nd » 2-4PM

FRI, SEPT 5th » 1-3PM

TUES, SEPT 9th » 2-4PM

FRI, SEPT 12th » 10AM-12PM

MON, SEPT 15th » 2-4PM

15-MINUTE DROP-IN ADVISING

offered during select dates

The Program’s Central Office offers in-person 15-MINUTE Drop-In Advising for current BSCI Students during the Fall and Spring Schedule Adjustment Period at 1210 Biology-Psychology Building (BPS).

DROP-IN ADVISING IS USED 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 academic policies & expectations for BSCI: LEP-Benchmark Requirements & Course Repeats

  • Referral to essential campus resources

DROP-IN ADVISING IS 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 matched with an academic advisor and cannot attend a drop-in session, please email your question to bscique@umd.edu.

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

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 before mandatory advising sessions or via email.

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 students in the Biological Sciences major are matched with an Academic Advisor around mid-October or after Spring Break during their first (Fall or Spring) semester at the University.

Students may log in to TerpEngage—Maryland’s central advising platform—to review their 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 for next steps.

BSCI Terps are 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 these criteria may not be required to meet with their Academic Advisor, but are encouraged to do so.

Students should refer to their Academic Advisor to confirm.