Academic Advisors
The College of Natural Sciences (CNS) offers our undergraduate students a dual advising model. Animal Science, Pre-Veterinary Science, and Veterinary Technology majors have access to professional advising staff through CNS first-year advising and upper-level advising teams. After their first year, students transition to an upper-level advisor with whom they work for their sophomore, junior, and senior years. Students also have access to faculty mentors in the Veterinary and Animal Sciences Department.
CNS advisors provide students with support for:
- Major/college/gen-ed degree requirements
- Creating an academic plan to stay on track for graduation
- Navigating Campus Resources
- Adjusting to College/Establishing a sense of belonging
- Major Exploration
- Academic Success & Planning
- Assist with changing your major
Forms, Petitions, and Course Checklists
View all Forms, Petitions, and Course Checklists
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who is my First Year Advisor (FYA)?
- Who is my upper-level Advisor (ULA)?
- How can a I schedule an appointment with a professional academic advisor?
View all CNS Advising FAQs
Undergraduate Program Director
The Undergraduate Program Director is a faculty member in our department who supervises our academic program.
Ask your Undergraduate Program Director about:
- Approval of transfer and study abroad courses toward major requirements
- Completing university and major requirements
- Approval of substitution and waiver petitions at the major and university levels
- Managing academic challenges
- BS-Pre-Vet major entry requirements
- Biotech Research class opportunities
- Internships and co-ops
- Matching interests and career options
- Optimizing your portfolio for successful application to professional (eg Veterinary medical school, accelerated human nursing programs, etc.) or graduate schools (eg Masters or PhD. programs)
The Undergraduate Program Director for Veterinary and Animal Sciences is:
Information for Spring 2027 Registration
Be on the lookout for an email from your CNS Upper-level Academic Advisor asking you to sign up for an advising appointment.
Freshmen - Class of 2030 - You will receive information from your CNS First Year Advisor.
Prepare for your advising appointment
Prior to meeting with your advisor, please review your academic advising report (ARR) in SPIRE for accuracy and be prepared with any questions you have regarding academic/career goals and your plan of study for the next semester. Your questions and plans will help your advisor to suggest the most appropriate courses, independent study, and practical opportunities available to you. If you are unfamiliar with who your academic advisor is, please check in the lower right corner of your student center on SPIRE or contact Lisa West.
Registration for the Spring 2027 semester begins for Seniors on November 9. The full schedule will be published soon.
The updated Course Catalog is estimated to open on Monday, October 26.
UMass 2026-2027 Academic Calendar
Registering for Classes Frequently Asked Questions - please click on this link to view the most Frequently Asked Questions and their answers.
UMass Learning Resource Center (LRC)—supplemental instruction, tutoring, and more!
The Learning Resource Center (LRC) serves as the central undergraduate academic and undergraduate research support unit for the University of Massachusetts Amherst. At UMass Amherst’s Learning Resource Center (LRC), there are four different branches of academic support and undergraduate research support available to students, including Peer Tutoring (drop in and by appointment), Study Skills Tutoring, Supplemental Instruction (SI) and the Office of Undergraduate Research and Studies (OURS). LRC and OURS services are built-in campus resources, and they are completely free for UMass undergraduate students. The different types of academic resources are available to support students in achieving their iteration of academic success at UMass Amherst.
Student Success
Take Charge of Your Learning - Great Resources for great strategies including videos, workshops, charts, checklists, and more!
First-Generation Students and Alumni group
The First-Generation Students and Alumni group on Connect UMass is a real-world networking space for students and alumni who identify with the first-generation college student experience. The platform helps students practice personal and professional networking with a matching quiz, message templates, and general guidance on networking etiquette. All alumni members have joined explicitly to support and/or mentor current students. Students, alumni, staff, and faculty are also welcome to post on the First-Generation Students and Alumni message board about upcoming first-gen events, first-gen and first-gen adjacent resources, questions for the group, networking strategies, and more.