Undergraduate Advising

Undergraduate Advising

Getting to know you by name and story

Advising in Arts & Sciences

In Arts & Sciences, you work hand-in-hand with a team of advisors who get to know you by name and story.

Your four-year advisor will be there with you every step of the way, from registering for your first semester to choosing a major, planning IQ Curriculum courses, and finding resources for academic support, research, study abroad, internships and more.

When you declare a major, you receive a Major Advisor with specific knowledge about your area of study and opportunities in the field. 

As you advance, you also work with advisors to explore your options for your next steps after graduation, including graduate school, health school, law school, or an immediate career.

Together with your advisors, you will explore yourself, discover your options, make plans, and reflect on your experience, as you create your academic and professional pathway at WashU and beyond.

Four-Year Academic Advising

As a student in Arts & Sciences, you work with the same academic advisor from your first days through graduation. During the first year, you meet with your advisor several times to learn about College resources, requirements, and academic culture at WashU. In addition, you meet with your Four-Year Advisor at least twice a year throughout your college career, as your advisor's role includes helping you with the semester-by-semester details of course selection. The relationship extends beyond that, however, as advisors work with you to define your academic and post-graduate goals and structure an academic program to meet them.

Four-Year Advisors come from many roles within the University community but share a common interest in and dedication to the individual academic journeys of each of their advisees. All advisors receive training and participate in routine workshops to stay up to date on policies, campus resources, and opportunities.

You can find your advisor's contact information in the Staff Directory.

 

Major Advising

When you declare a major (typically in the sophomore year), you are assigned a major advisor, who is a mentor in your major department. Once you declare a major, you meet with your Major Advisor and Four-Year Advisor every semester before registration for the following semester’s classes.

If you declare a second major or minor, you also receive an advisor for that program, but you are not required to receive their authorization to register.

PostGraduate Advising: Career, PreGraduate, PreHealth, & PreLaw School Advising

With an Arts & Sciences degree, you do more than make a living; you make a difference. The liberal arts prepare you to contribute to a vibrant and just society and to thrive in the professional worlds of business, education, law, medicine, government, and non-profit industries. Work closely with specialized post-graduate advisors to discover and create your professional path.

Yaala Mueller

Remember that there is no single path to WashU. You might not even be able to guess what those around you have been through to get here. So, when in doubt, ask. Don’t settle for your own assumptions, as they will not substitute the truth.

―Yaala Muller, LA '17Student Speaker at Convocation 2016