Honors Advisors  

Honors Advisors are a team of professional and graduate student advisors who work collaboratively to provide expert guidance and support for fulfilling the Honors curriculum requirements and enhancing your academic journey.  

In addition to helping you integrate Honors College requirements with your major and university requirements, they will also advise on how to interact effectively with faculty, and to begin thinking about the various methods of research as well as how to get started doing research.  

Equally important, Honors Advisors offer a holistic approach to your entire college experience. They help you to identify and interconnect your academic and co-curricular interests and to strategize how best to achieve your intellectual and professional goals.  

You are required to meet with an Honors Advisor at least once a semester. These meetings provide an opportunity to review your academic schedule, learn about co-curricular opportunities and university resources, and plan for study abroad, internships, and Five College courses and activities. They will also provide guidance as you develop your Honors Thesis and how to maximize your educational experiences. 

Honors Advising Appointments

The Honors Advising Office offers many options for meeting with Honors Advisors and accessing advising services.

Appointment Advising

You may book a 30-minute advising appointment using Navigate or call 413-545-2483 to schedule an advising appointment. Students are not assigned to a specific Honors College advisor; they may choose from any of the Honors Advisors. 

Drop-in Advising

If you have a time-sensitive question, join us for Drop-In Hours when Honors Advisors are on duty to help students on a first-come, first-served basis during the academic year (fall and spring semester only). Drop-In Hours are held virtually via Zoom. 

Drop-in Honors Advising Hours 

• Tuesday: 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
• Wednesday: 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
• Thursday: 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
• Friday: 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.

To sign up, please click HERE during drop-in hours. Sign up will begin 15 minutes prior to Drop-In and be available for the duration of drop-in hours. Once the form is submitted, you will receive the Zoom link in the confirmation.

Group Advising

Group Advising sessions are mandatory for first-year, sophomore and junior students and are led by an Honors Advisor and a Peer Advising Assistant. Each 60-minute session will be held virtually via Zoom and is capped at 10-15 Honors College students to maximize interactivity, encourage individual questions and concerns, and guide you to understand how to fulfill Honors curriculum requirements. 

First-Year Group Advising Sessions explain the curriculum, Breadth of Study requirements, and Honors course options, showcase Honors Advising benefits and campus resources, introduce the Honors Thesis and how to cultivate academic relationships with faculty members, and assist with registering for classes for the next semester. 

Sophomore Group Advising Sessions review the curriculum in more detail, with a focus on finishing Breadth of Study and transitioning to Depth of Study requirements, discuss Honors Thesis requirements and differentiate the two approaches, the Thesis Seminar and the Individually Contracted Thesis, and review Commonwealth Honors College and campus resources available for research, academic success, co-curricular interests, and financial assistance. 

Expanded Advising during Registration

During each semester’s registration period in November and April, Honors Advising offers early morning (starting at 8:00 am) and evening hours (ending at 8:00 pm) throughout peak registration advising weeks to provide additional availability in-person and virtually (Zoom). 

Peer Advising Assistants

Peer Advising Assistants draw on their personal Honors College student experience to help you transition to college and navigate the resources and opportunities at UMass Amherst. They can assist you with using online tools such as SPIRE, CHC PATHS, the Honors course guide, and other information on the Honors website, and provide a student perspective about the Honors Living-Learning Community and other advantages of Commonwealth Honors College. 

Peer Advising Assistants are well trained and ready to answer a quick question or meet one-on-one. They are available between 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday during the academic year (fall and spring only). 

Email Advising

If you have a specific, concrete question, you may email advisor@honors.umass.edu and receive a response within 48 hours.

Questions should be straightforward and procedural, along the lines of these examples: How do I register for an Honors Independent Study or for Honors Thesis 499? How do I register for a summer course? How do I pursue the Departmental Honors track?

University Advising Resources 

Honors Advisors are part of the larger advising network on campus, and work in conjunction with other university partners and advisors to promote student success.  

Advising in a Major Area of Study  

Each major has at least one advisor responsible for overseeing undergraduate advising for students in your major. Some majors have one person who does this, often referred to as the Chief Undergraduate Advisor or Director of Undergraduate Advising. Some majors have several advisors.  

When you are seeking advice about fulfilling major or minor requirements, you should see an advisor in your major’s undergraduate advising office. If you look under the “Primary Advisor” heading in your Student Center in Spire, you will find contact information for advising in your major. 

Honors Program Director 

The Honors Program Director (HPD) from your major department acts as a liaison to Commonwealth Honors College and oversees Honors College students enrolled in the Departmental Honors track. The HPD oversees your admission to, and progress related to, Departmental Honors, as well as approves all Departmental Honors research, proposals, and courses and reviews Honors independent studies. The HPD is a resource if you are having difficulty finding departmentally-based Honors courses or Thesis Committee members. For Departmental Honors students, regular meetings with your HPD ensure that you remain on track to graduate with Departmental Honors credentials. 

Academic Dean 

The Academic Dean in the college/school in which your primary major is listed assists you with issues pertaining to academic policy, progress towards degree completion, and academic standing. Additionally, Academic Deans can assist you with requests such as for Late Withdrawal Petitions, Late Course Add Petitions, and Credit Overload Petitions. 

Student Success 

The UMass Amherst undergraduate Student Success unit is a partnership between Academic Affairs and Student Affairs and Campus Life. The Student Success team creates and contributes to campus-wide approaches and programs to enhance student success and offers student-centered, user-friendly information as well as resources especially designed for first-generation students.