Academic Advising
Academic Advising
The function of advising is recognized as an integral part of the University’s educational mission. Advisors provide support as you make decisions regarding academic success, higher education, and lifelong learning. While we’re not here to make these decisions for you, we model the process of making these decisions in the future.
Advisee Responsibilities
- Students are responsible for meeting all requirements for graduation, and for fulfilling them in the most efficient manner.
- Meet with your advisor regularly and go to your advising appointment prepared. If you cannot attend the meeting, contact your advisor ahead of time to reschedule.
- Regularly review your PeopleSoft records, and especially your Advisement Report (“Academic Requirements” in the drop down menu in the Student Center).
- Become knowledgeable about your School and University requirements. That means regularly reviewing and being familiar with the undergraduate catalog (catalog.uconn.edu). If you have questions that your faculty advisor cannot answer, please contact someone within the Student Services office.
Advisor Responsibilities
- Advisors are expected to know and understand the general education requirements and major requirements for their program. In some rare cases, faculty advisors may not be aware of the ever‐changing policies and procedures of the University. However, you can expect that they will contact your the Student Services office staff or Registrar for assistance.
- Advisors are expected to be accessible on a regular basis, through email, phone, or office hours. Faculty advisors do not have set working hours, so they will not be available in the same capacity as non‐faculty advisors with established schedules.
- Advisors are expected to maintain confidentiality. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) restricts the sharing of students’ information to “school officials with legitimate educational interest.” Anyone else wishing to have access to a student’s records, such as parents or guardians, must have the student submit a release form (submitted within PeopleSoft) before any information about the student’s academic record can be shared.
For more information about your advisor, please visit: https://advising.uconn.edu/your-advisor/.
Making Appointments Online Using Nexus
Sandbox allows you to make appointments with a number of advisors on campus, primarily those in the Student Services suite.
To access access the Nexus system:
- Go to http://nexus.uconn.edu
- Log in using your Net ID and password
- Click on Schedule Appointment
- Click on “Search by Department”, scroll to the Waterbury Campus at the bottom and click on “Advising Center”
- Select your assigned advisor from the list
Forms
- University General Education Audit Sheet
- CLAS Audit Sheet
- ECE/Non-degree Coursework
- Schedule Revision Request (add/drop form)
University Requirements
Undergraduate students at the University of Connecticut are enrolled in one of nine schools and colleges, the Academic Center for Exploratory Students (ACES), the Bachelor of General Studies Program or as non-degree students.
Responsibilities for advising students are shared by faculty and professional staff, with each school or college defining specifically how those responsibilities are shared.
School/College Requirements
- All the schools and colleges share some of the same requirements and regulations. These are referenced in the catalog in the section on Academic Regulations.
- Additional graduation requirements specific to a school or college are in the catalog under that school or college heading. See the School/College links below.
The Schools of Business, Education, Engineering, Fine Arts, Nursing and Pharmacy require an application. Students declaring majors in CLAS or CAHNR typically do not need to apply, although there are some exceptions.
For more information, please visit https://advising.uconn.edu/schoolscolleges-advising-centers/
Schools and Colleges
Academic Center of Exploratory Students
ACES is UConn’s academic advising program in which more than 1/3 of all entering students are enrolled. Some students are exploring their academic choices, while others plan to apply to specific Schools later in their academic careers. ACES is also the academic home of UConn’s pre-professional majors. Students planning to major in Pharmacy or any of the programs within Education or Kinesiology are listed as “pre” majors within ACES. Pre-professional majors apply to their School of interest during their sophomore year.
College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources
As the original component of Connecticut’s land-grant university, the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources has as its primary mission education based on research, conducted in laboratories and in the field, that focuses on agriculture, the environment, food, families, and quality of life. The College provides high-quality, broad-based, relevant educational opportunities that prepare graduates to address the challenges of life today; it expands the frontiers of knowledge through research; and it enhances economic opportunities and quality of life for people of Connecticut and beyond.
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
The College was established with 17 departments in 1939 as one of seven divisions of the newly named University of Connecticut. The College teaches more than half of all courses offered at UConn, with more than 4,000 classes offered each semester to students across the University. Whether majoring in physics, philosophy, or French, students in CLAS learn the time-honored essentials of their discipline from world-renowned experts, all while developing the skills to succeed and adapt in an ever-changing career landscape. Students achieve the mission of our College by becoming independent, creative thinkers, and responsible, valued citizens.
School of Business
Founded in 1941, the UConn School of Business has evolved into one of the most comprehensive business schools in the nation, offering academic programs at the bachelors, masters, doctorate, and advanced certificate levels, in five Connecticut locations – Storrs, Hartford, Stamford, Torrington and Waterbury. The School of Business has established a strong reputation for high quality research and academic programs, spanning a wide array of functional disciplines – Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing, and Operations and Information Management.
School of Engineering
The School of Engineering at the University of Connecticut is dedicated to excellence in education, research, and professional service. Its mission is to be the primary source of engineering leadership and talent in the state and internationally, to ensure that Connecticut sustains its position as a leading high technology state, and to provide the intellectual and physical resources needed to grow as a center of new and evolving technological activity. To achieve this mission we must offer high-quality engineering education, discover new knowledge, and use our knowledge and experience to improve our state, the nation, and the world.
School of Fine Arts
The School of Fine Arts balances artistic and cultural legacies with the innovative approaches and techniques of contemporary art. In so doing, the School of Fine Arts serves students at the University of Connecticut in both their educational and professional development. As a corner stone of our teaching philosophy, The School of Fine Arts is particularly committed to creating an intersection between our educational activity and the various professional industries connected with our disciplines. This approach emphasizes various forms of experiential learning, and includes faculty and institutional engagement with the professional arts world outside the university.
Neag School of Education
The mission of the Neag School of Education is leadership, scholarship, inquiry, and service. We work to develop students with strong ethical standards into educators, clinicians, practitioners, researchers, scholars, and leaders dedicated to improving education, health and wellness for all children and adults. By so doing, we strive to improve and enhance the quality of life in our ever-changing society.
School of Nursing
UConn’s School of Nursing has a timeless commitment to wellness and works to provide the exceptional education needed to succeed in this rapidly evolving profession. The School is fully approved, accredited and committed to quality research and public service. Its faculty members advance knowledge through excellence in scholarship and research as they work to remain abreast of the healthcare needs of the world’s diverse population. In 2011 the School was named a NLN Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing, the nation’s premiere organization for nursing faculty and leaders in nursing education.
School of Pharmacy
For more than 85 years, the School of Pharmacy has distinguished itself by educating leaders in pharmacy and the pharmaceutical sciences. As a school of pharmacy based at a research intensive university, our professional and graduate students have the opportunity to be taught and mentored by faculty pursuing cutting edge research in the pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacy practice. In addition to its highly regarded professional program, the school boasts exceptional graduate programs in medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics, and pharmacology/toxicology. It collaborates with practice partners to offer specialized residencies and fellowships.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find out who my advisor is?
Your adviser’s name is within your Student Administration account. To access this information, follow these steps:
- Go to http://www.studentadmin.uconn.eduEnter your NetID and Password. Navigate to the View Advisors by clicking Self Service in the menuthen click the Student Center link
- From the Academics section, click the My Academics link.
- From the My Academics page, click the View My Advisors link.
- Your Advisor’s name and email address, if available, displays. You can check the “Notify” box next to your advisor’s name and send an email by clicking Notify Selected Advisors.
How do I determine when I am eligible to begin registering for courses?
Your enrollment or registration appointment, sometimes referred to as your “pick time” is the timeframe during which you are able to add, drop, and swap classes. After logging in, navigate to view your registration appointment by clicking:
- Main Menu, Self Service, and then Student Center. Your Student Center appears.
- In the Enrollment Dates frame to the right of the page, click the details
- To view your enrollment appointment date for a different term, click the change term
- Select the term for which you wish to view the enrollment period, and click Continue.
- The appointment start and end dates and times and the unit limits display for the current term (default) or to the term you selected.
- You can then go to your SHOPPING CART, or if your enrollment period is active, you can ADD CLASSES.
How can I see what classes are available at the Waterbury campus?
Dynamic Class Search is a search tool that enables any person to search for and view class information, availability and real-time enrollment totals.
- Current Students, Instructors and Advisors log into the SA System and then click Self-Service > Dynamic Class Search.
- Required: Click the Term drop-down arrow and select a term.
- Required: select the Campus or Campuses you wish to search.
- The Open Classes Only checkbox is selected by default. Optional: to narrow the search, enter the Catalog Nbr, and/or select Honors Classes Only, Online Classes Only, Instruction Mode.
- Click the Search
Reserved Capacity and Unreserved Seats: Some sections of classes are reserved for specific student populations, such as certain majors, incoming students or honors students. To enroll in a class, there must be 1 or more unreserved seats available in a section OR you must meet the reserved capacity criteria.
How do I determine whether credits will transfer?
Visit the Transfer Course Equivalencies page on the Transfer Admission website.