Academic advising at USM is designed to provide students with comprehensive support throughout their academic journey. This includes helping students understand university policies, navigate curriculum choices, and develop essential skills for academic success. USM assigns two advisors to each student declared in a major: a professional academic advisor and a faculty academic advisor.

Your Professional and Faculty Academic Advisors work in partnership with you to help you succeed at USM. Through this partnership, you’ll understand your role and responsibilities as a student, learn how to navigate your degree at USM, and explore opportunities to help you thrive academically.

Your professional academic advisor at USM can help you navigate early-career and major exploration, understand the university’s Core Curriculum requirements, and empower you to design your learning experience at USM. Some of the ways we can help are:

  • Reviewing your major and degree requirements and planning semester classes
  • Connecting you with campus resources
  • Identifying relevant co-curricular learning experiences (student groups, research, minor exploration, and more!)
  • Developing academic and personal goals
  • Interpret USM policies and deadlines

USM’s Professional Academic Advisors are active members of NACADA , the National Academic Advising Association, and are dedicated teaching and learning professionals committed to empowering students by equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and tools to be successful.

Your faculty academic advisor at USM can help you navigate your major-specific requirements, research opportunities in the major, and career-related next steps for after graduation. Some of the ways your faculty advisor can help are:

  • Reviewing your major and degree requirements and planning semester classes
  • Creating an academic map/ plan for graduation with courses specific to your major area of interest
  • Developing academic goals
  • Helping to explore department organizations, internships, graduate school, and career opportunities in your field
  • Guiding you to research opportunities and planning

USM’s Faculty Academic Advisors are experts in their field, oftentimes with terminal degrees in their fields of study. Students will be assigned a faculty advisor once they’re in a declared major. If you plan on majoring in more than one field, you may end up with additional advisors to help you connect your paths!

Students have a role and responsibility in their college education. This overview will help you to understand these responsibilities as they relate to advising and our partnership. Be sure to: