Advising

Connect with faculty, advisors, and peers, and you’ll thrive.

The department’s advising system offers Communication majors, and those interested in the major, the comprehensive information and support they need to meet their academic goals. Research indicates that connections with faculty, advisors, and peers in their major help students to thrive, so our program incorporates both academic advising and community-building events—and gives you a home base from which to navigate your studies.

Mission

The Department of Communication's advising team provides all Communication students and prospective Communication students with accessible ongoing guidance, support, and advocacy to achieve their academic, professional, and personal goals.

Vision

We envision a compassionate and comprehensive advising approach in a community-focused environment that recognizes and celebrates everyone's right to learn and succeed.

Values

The Communication advising team values compassion, curiosity, dedication to personal growth, community, access, social justice, integrity, and inclusiveness. We listen closely and actively to each student, staff member, and faculty member with whom we work.

Support and Information

Whom to see for ... 

An at-a-glance guide to who helps with specific topics.

Peer Advisors

Communication peer advisors are welcoming and well-trained upper-level Communication majors who can help you with course selection, registration, understanding requirements, and accessing resources and opportunities. Just as importantly, they can give you an invaluable student perspective on the Communication major and campus life in general.

All first-year and new transfer students are assigned their own personal peer advisor who guides them through their first year at UMass Amherst. Your peer advisor is an upper-level Communication student who can connect you with the major, offer tips and insights, invite you to events, and help you to think through course selection. Be sure to watch your UMail for messages from your peer advisor throughout the year. Click above for more information.

Peer Advisors also staff our Communication Undergraduate Advising Office in N323 ILC. The PAs are your first stop for help with add/drop, registration, referrals to campus resources, and periodic check-ins to be sure you're on track for graduation. The office works on a drop-in basis, so no appointment is ever necessary.

Academic Advisors

All students interested in joining the Communication major must see a Peer Advisor to declare the major. SBS-ET students can meet with an advisor in the Pathways Center to learn more about the major.

Every Communication major is assigned an academic advisor who can help you to plan your studies, access opportunities, and think about your future. Check your SPIRE Student Center homepage to find your advisor's name (Aaron Hoholik, Mary Pion, or Marianne Neal-Joyce) and contact information. You can use our convenient online scheduling tool to make an appointment. For more complex advising issues, you are encouraged to see the Director of Undergraduate Advising, Marianne Neal-Joyce.

Faculty Members

While your academic advisor and peer advisors are the ones to help you with requirements and progress toward graduation, your Communication professors can serve as an additional source of support. We want you to seek out connections with your professors, who each hold weekly office hours so that you can stop by to chat about your interests in Communication or to get help in their classes. See each faculty member's areas of study so that you can find someone who shares your interests, can sponsor your internships, and can point you toward research and other opportunities in the field of Communication.

Set up a face-to-face meeting with a Communication professional advisor: