Advising Index

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Program
387 Thimann Laboratories
UC Santa Cruz,
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Phone: 831.459.4143
Fax: 831.459.1568
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DECLARING YOUR MAJOR: Faculty advising

Faculty advisors serve as mentors in your field, recommend courses and help you refine your educational goals.  Faculty advisors are professors who have in-depth knowledge about subject matter and opportunities in the field.  Faculty are an excellent source of information when it comes to considering possibilities such as graduate school and research opportunities. 

When choosing a faculty advisor we recommend you visit the faculty list and read the biographies of the faculty in your field. Some students choose a faculty advisor based on the type of research the faculty member is involved in, some choose based on the courses the faculty teach, other students might select an advisor because they’ve had a class with the professor already. After you choose an advisor, you can either visit them in their office hours or make an appointment.

To prepare for your advising meeting, review your academic plan and major checklist and read the catalog descriptions of courses you might be interested in taking. Reflect on why you chose the major and what interests you about the field as well as any particular graduate programs or careers you are considering.

Use this chart to help you choose a faculty advisor appropriate for your degree program:

The only students required to meet with a faculty advisor are those pursuing degrees in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Marine Biology, or Plant Sciences. However, we recommend all students in the Biological Sciences meet with a faculty advisor at some point in their undergraduate career.

NOTE: Faculty Advisors do not create academic plans/schedules. The Biology Undergraduate Advisors are available to assist you in the creation of an academic plan to see you through to graduation.