Current majors are matched with an academic advisor in October or March during their first Fall or Spring semester in Biological Sciences.

Current majors who have yet to be matched with an academic advisor for Biological Sciences may email specific questions to bscique@umd.edu until they are matched to an academic advisor in October (Fall admit) or March (Spring admit).

Students may log in to TerpEngage—Maryland’s central advising portal—to review their matched advisor under Success Team.

If a new student has yet to be matched with an academic advisor for Biological Sciences, then they may email specific questions to bscique@umd.edu until they are matched to an academic advisor in October (Fall admit) or March (Spring admit).

Students can expect a response between 1 and 3 business days (or less) for messages sent to their academic advisor by email. Faculty and staff are not expected to respond to student emails during the weekend or during University-recognized holidays or breaks.

If it has been longer than 3 business days and a student is without a response, then they shall:

1. Send their academic advisor another message (a follow-up in the same thread) to raise the query in their Inbox.

2. If the student is still without a response after the second attempt, then they may email the undergraduate director of the advisor’s department for assistance. Refer to the Biological Sciences Directory to find the appropriate undergraduate director to contact.

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 academic advising.

The requirement can be waived for students who do not meet this criteria. Students must read notes sent by their academic advisor in either TerpMail or TerpEngage to confirm whether academic advising for the semester is mandatory.

After academic 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.

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 academic advising.

If TerpEngage shows your academic advisor as Not Available, this means:

• Your academic advisor is still setting up their appointment schedule on TerpEngage

• (or) Your academic advisor does not use TerpEngage to schedule appointments

Read messages sent by your academic advisor to learn how they schedule appointments with students.

• Go to the Biological Sciences Directory for their contact information

On select dates, students enrolled in Biological Sciences can meet with an academic advisor for drop-in advising during the Fall and Spring schedule adjustment period at

• 1210 biology lounge in Biology-Psychology Building (BPS)

After the schedule adjustment period has ended, students must email their matched academic advisor for clarification. If you are a current student who has yet to be matched with an academic advisor and cannot attend drop-in advising, please email your question to bscique@umd.edu.

Students are first matched with a staff advisor while working on the major’s basic program, and are later rematched to a faculty advisor as they begin registering for upper-level courses in the major’s advanced program.