Advising

Please refer to information provided by your program director or faculty advisor for specific instructions regarding the advising process for your department.

Advising FAQs

How will I receive spring 2024 academic advising?

Spring 2024 advance registration for undergraduates will begin on October 31, 2023. As a reminder, undergraduates must meet with their academic advisor to receive clearance prior to registering.

Your registration time is based on the number of credits you have earned.

Students will be offered a range of options for accessing and meeting with their academic advisor, including, but not limited to, Google Calendar, WebEx, Google Hangout Meets, email, and phone. Some advisors may also be offering an opportunity for in-person advising.  We encourage you to keep an eye out for more specific details from your academic department regarding updated advising protocols.

What can I do to prepare for my advising appointment?

  • Check out your Registration Guide, complete with step-by-step directions on the entire advising and registration process, and review your Degree Audit.
  • Schedule an appointment with your advisor. Please keep an eye out for more specific details from your department or academic advisor regarding advising protocols.
  • Review the spring 2024 Schedule of Classes, available online beginning October 23, and put together a tentative schedule using the Schedule Builder.
  • Check your myUMBC account to be sure you have no outstanding obligations that could prevent you from registering, i.e., past-due balances, vaccinations, etc.  If you have an administrative hold, you will have already received a myUMBC alert.  Keep in mind, you can still receive advising clearance, even if you have an administrative hold.
  • Consider enrolling in winter 2024 courses to stay on track or get ahead.  Winter 2024 registration will be available beginning on October 16.

Where can I learn more about UMBC's academic requirements, regulations, and policy?

View UMBC’s academic requirements and regulations in the Undergraduate Catalog. Get to know your policy options and take charge of your academic career with the Academic Success Center.

I am planning to graduate this semester. Is there additional information I need to know?

If you are planning to graduate this semester, please review the Eligibility for Undergraduate Commencement Participation and Honors Eligibility requirements.

Additional Information and Resources

USG Information and Resources

USG COVID-19 Updates
Updated regularly with important news, dates, and changes.

USG Community Resources
Resources for both currents students in programs at USG and any community members who need them.

USG Priddy Library Access
An overview of the availability of and access to library programs and services.

Knowing Your USG Resources
Do you want to get involved in student orgs? Learn more about services offered by the library? Don’t know what you don’t know? Start with this quick reference guide to learn more about the service centers and support services at USG!

UMBC Information and Resources

UMBC’s COVID-19 Response
UMBC is committed to keeping our community safe, healthy, and informed. Please check this website for updated information on COVID-19. This website will be updated as information changes.

UMBC’s Academic Success Center
The Academic Success Center provides centralized support services to all undergraduate students at UMBC. Through a coordinated approach and an unwavering commitment to student success, the Academic Success Center fosters a welcoming environment that provides a one-stop opportunity through Academic Policy, Academic Learning Resources, and Academic Advocacy for students to achieve their academic goals and claim their future with a UMBC degree.

Student Business Services
SBS is the office that bills students, collects tuition, and fees and issues student refunds. Contact them with questions regarding billing and payments.

Retriever Integrated Health
Retriever Integrated Health (RIH) brings together the former University Health Services, Office of Health Promotion, and Counseling Center offices to work in a collaborative, holistic approach to support your well-being and success. If you have questions regarding the mandatory health form, prevention courses, or health insurance requirement, please reach out to RIH.

External Information and Resources

Xfinity Hotspots

Free Textbook Access
Many publishers are offering free access to books and other materials:

Advisors

Academic Advising at UMBC starts with an Orientation Advisor specifically trained to help you with securing a strategic course schedule to launch your academic career. However, once you begin your study here at UMBC-Shady Grove, you will then have the opportunity to work with a faculty member and/or professional advisor affiliated with your chosen academic discipline. Before making your advising appointment, check your registration eligibility. Please see a list of advisors per program listed below.

Important note: While one faculty member or professional advisor will provide registration clearance for you each semester, we encourage students to seek additional academic and career planning from various members of the UMBC academic and administrative community. High-Performing UMBC students gather information, recommendations and guidance from a host of faculty, advisors and administrators- keen to help them maximize the opportunities and resources available at UMBC. Additionally, we encourage students to actively pursue conversations and meetings with academic advisors, faculty, and staff throughout the entire academic year. Advising sessions about registration are certainly important, yet on-going conversations and planning about graduate school, independent study, and/or gaining entry into a particular profession can (and should) take place at various times and in various formats (including email, telephone, etc.).

Undergraduate Advisors

Computer Science

History

Mechanical Engineering

Political Science

Dr. Sunil Dasgupta, sunildasgupta@umbc.edu
Program Director

Psychology

Social Work

Translational Life Science Technology (TLST)

Prospective Undergraduate Pre-Transfer Advising

Are you interested in one of UMBC-Shady Grove’s seven undergraduate programs (computer science, history, mechanical engineering, political science, psychology, social work, or translational life science technology)? Make an appointment with a UMBC-Shady Grove pre-transfer advisor to determine the transferability of previous coursework and develop an academic plan of action for transfer!

SCHEDULE ADVISING

Additional Questions

If you have questions or concerns about advising services, please contact Abigail Granger, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Recruitment and Retention, abigail3@umbc.edu.

Graduate Advisors

Biotechnology

Dr. Mark Schenerman, mark01@umbc.edu
Graduate Program Director 

Cybersecurity

Dr. Behnam Shariati, shariati@umbc.edu
Assistant Graduate Program Director

Data Science

Dr. M. Ali Yousuf, maliyou1@umbc.edu
Assistant Graduate Program Director

I/O Psychology

Advising Guides (PDFs)

Please use the advising guides below and our degree audit help video to help you prepare for your advising meetings and to track your progress throughout your time at UMBC-Shady Grove.

Cross-Campus Enrollment

Cross-campus enrollment is an option available to students to provide enrollment flexibility between the Main Campus in Catonsville and the Shady Grove campus in Rockville. While students may take advantage of the cross-campus enrollment option at any point throughout the academic year, priority enrollment consideration is based on a student’s primary campus designation. The processes and procedures to request enrollment vary depending upon the semester/session. Please view the Cross-Campus Enrollment Requirements in the Undergraduate catalog for instructions.

To request an exception according to UMBC’s cross-campus enrollment practice as noted in the catalog, please complete the Cross-Campus Enrollment Request Form. Requests for cross-campus enrollment in Shady Grove courses are typically granted 7-10 days prior to the start of the semester.

As a reminder, this is only required for fall and spring semesters. During the summer and winter sessions, students may enroll in in-person, online, and hybrid courses at both campus locations without additional approval.

Questions about the practice or this form can be directed to shadygrove@umbc.edu.

If you intend on taking most or all of your courses at UMBC-Shady Grove moving forward, we suggest exploring a potential Campus Designation Change. Fill out the Campus Designation Change request form and an advisor will reach out to you to determine if a campus designation change is appropriate for you.

Campus Designation Change Requests

If you are currently a student at UMBC’s Shady Grove campus and are planning to take the majority of your courses at the Catonsville campus in future semesters, we would recommend updating your primary campus designation to UMBC’s Catonsville campus.

If you are currently a student at UMBC’s Catonsville campus and are planning to take the majority of your courses at the Shady Grove campus in future semesters, we would recommend updating your primary campus designation to UMBC’s Shady Grove campus.

Please note that we strongly recommend discussing enrollment at UMBC-Shady Grove with your academic advisor, as UMBC-Shady Grove offers primarily upper-level courses (300 and 400 level classes). It is critical students have completed at least 45 credits and the prerequisites for their intended major prior to beginning coursework at UMBC-Shady Grove. Please review the seven undergraduate majors offered at UMBC-Shady Grove to determine if we offer your program of interest.

If you are a computer science or mechanical engineering student please fill out this campus designation update request form.

If you are a history, political science, psychology, social work, and/or translational life science technology student please fill out this campus designation update request form.

If you only want to take one or two courses at UMBC-Shady Grove and do not plan to take the majority of your courses at UMBC-Shady Grove moving forward, we suggest using the Cross-Campus Enrollment request form to access those individual courses.

Foreign Language Requirements

UMBC requires students to complete a foreign language through the intermediate level (for Montgomery College, this is the 201-level). American Sign Language qualifies.
Substitution options:

Campus Resources

UMBC Resources

UMBC’s Academic Success Center
Access to tutoring and the Writing Center.

Student Disability Services
Find answers about accommodations, appointments, and general questions.

UMBC’s Registrar’s Office
Submitting VOT Forms and Change of Major Forms.

Financial Aid Services
Information about financial assistance, scholarships, and contacting your financial aid counselor.

UMBC Office of Technology
Related Links
Microsoft 365 (free)
RT Ticket Request
Blackboard Wiki
Remote chat, voice, and/or video support (during business hours)

Student Business Services
Information about student billing, tuition and fees, issuing student refunds.

Retriever Integrated Health
Provides outpatient primary care clinical services, health promotion initiatives, and outreach.

USG Resources

USG Priddy Library
Course reserves information & chat with a member of the library.

USG Center for Counseling & Well-being
Counseling appointments, workshops, and support available.

Macklin Center for Leadership & Communication
Writing support, academic coaching, and library support.

USG Center for Scholarships
Information about financial and scholarship resources and support.

USG Center for Career Development 
Career coaching and Career Connector.