Academic Advising Guide

The information below is organized by topic to help you navigate key academic tasks and understand the roles of your advisors. Explore the sections to learn more and get connected to the resources that matter most to your success.

Understand your advising team

Map and monitor your academic progress

Understand core requirements

Register for courses

Academic Catalog

Student Handbook

Understand Your Advising Team

Student Services Coordinators

Professional Academic Advisors

A Student Services Coordinator (SSC) is a professional staff member who has been assigned to you based on your physical location and/or program.

Here’s how your SSC can support you:

Understand and choose a major.
Register for your courses.
Understand University academic policies & procedures
Navigate academic program prerequisites and study sequences.
Connect you to support services.

Faculty Advisors

A Faculty Advisor is a professor from your field of study who has been assigned to you.

Here’s how your Faculty Advisor can support you:

Provide expert advice in your field of study.
Offer professional networking and graduate school guidance.
Help you select elective courses aligned with your academic and career goals.
Recommend a balanced course load.
Write letters of recommendation when appropriate.

You can find your assigned SSC (academic advisor) and faculty advisor in your MaineStreet Student Center, MaineStreet Classic Student Center, Navigate360 app, or by contacting UMA Academic & Career Advising at umaadvising@maine.edu or 207.621.3149.

Advising Contacts

Students can request a change of advisor by emailing Dr. Tessa Pyles, Director of Academic & Career Advising at umaadvising@maine.edu or by calling 207.621.3149.

Emails should thoughtfully explain why the request is being made. All requests are reviewed and considered on a case-by-case basis.

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Map and Monitor your Academic Progress

You can map and monitor your academic progress at UMA by utilizing the Degree Planner and Degree Progress Report.

Degree Planner: Serves as an interactive roadmap to map out a clear, term-by-term path from Day 1 to graduation—flexible enough to adapt if you change majors, adjust your course load, or explore new interests.
Degree Progress Report (DPR): Outlines your specific degree requirements, tracks overall completion, and lists all earned grades to ensure you remain on track.

Plan Your Path to Graduation with Highpoint Degree Planner

The Highpoint Degree Planner is your interactive roadmap for mapping out your entire college journey, from Day 1 to graduation. It provides a clear, term-by-term path to keep you on track, while remaining flexible enough to adapt if you change majors, adjust your course load, or explore new interests.

Key Features & Flexibility

Personalized Roadmap: Build a full multi-year plan customized to your academic goals.
Flexible Scheduling: Easily shift courses around if you take a lighter term or add summer classes.
Fixed Requirements: Keep your degree goals clear; while your term-by-term schedule can change, your core requirements remain constant.

5 Things to Keep in Mind

Major Structure: Some majors require a strict course sequence, while others offer more elective freedom.
Prerequisites: Pass required foundational courses before enrolling in advanced classes.
Corequisites: Identify courses that must be taken simultaneously in the same term.
Course Availability: Verify when courses are offered, as not all classes are available every term.
Routine Reviews: Check your plan regularly to adapt early to course offering updates or schedule changes.

Always Connect with Your Advisor

While the Planner is a powerful tool, it does not replace personalized guidance. Routinely check in with your Student Services Coordinator (SSC) or Faculty Advisor to review your plan, confirm your remaining requirements, and ensure you stay on the fastest path to graduation.

Degree Planner Quick Guide

Your Degree Progress Report (DPR) is a downloadable document that shows the classes you’ve completed, how they apply to your degree, and which classes you still need to graduate.

Refer to your Degree Progress Report regularly and before meeting with your faculty advisor or your Student Success Coordinator (SSC).

How do I find my DPR?

Your DPR can be found in the MaineStreet Student Center or MaineStreet Classic Student Center. Click the button below for detailed instructions and an explanation of the content in your DPR.

How to find & understand your DPR

Many students revise their academic plans as their goals and interests evolve. However, it’s important to understand how these changes could affect your financial aid, graduation timeline, and overall academic progress.

Considering a Change to Your Academic Program?

Meet with your Student Services Coordinator (SSC)
To discuss a change to your academic program (including declaring, changing, or adding a major, minor, or certificate), please schedule an appointment with your Student Services Coordinator (SSC) through Navigate360. Your SSC can help you understand how the change may impact your financial aid and graduation timeline, and generally support you throughout the process. You can also reach out directly to the Office of Academic & Career Advising at 207.621.3149 or umaadvising@maine.edu.
Connect with Career Connections
This is a great opportunity to explore career paths and academic options that align with your interests and goals. You can schedule an appointment with a career counselor here.

First, confirm with your SSC or your faculty advisor that you have completed all of your degree program requirements. Once this is done, submit your graduation application via the UMA Portal.

If you have completed the requirements for a certificate, please submit the Completion of Certificate form found on the Registrar’s webpage.

Please note: If you are completing both a degree program and a certificate, you must submit both the graduation application and the Completion of Certificate forms.

Be sure to connect with UMA Career Connections for job search support.

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Understand UMA’s Core and General Education Requirements

In order to receive your degree or certificate, you must complete all core requirements specific to your major or program. Additionally, there is a minimum GPA requirement—typically a 2.0 in both your overall coursework and your major-specific courses. Meeting these academic standards is essential for graduation and reflects your successful completion of the program’s academic expectations. If you are unsure about your progress, it is important to consult with your SSC for guidance.

Refer to the UMA Catalog for complete details.

UMA Catalog

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Register for Courses

Before You Register
Review your course options using Class Search in your Student Center or Classic Student Center.

Registration Methods
Register with your SSC or faculty advisor in person or by Zoom, phone, or email.

Please Note: Architecture, Art, Biology, English, Dental Assisting, Dental Hygiene, Education, Interdisciplinary Studies, Med Lab Tech, Music, Nursing, Photography, and Vet Tech degree students all require advisor permission to register. For students participating in self-registration, adding courses to your Shopping Cart does not automatically register you for a course. You must “Finish Enrolling” to officially register for your selected courses.

Registration Checklist & Tutorials

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Academic Advising Guide

Contact Advising

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Bangor

Office Hours

Contact Us

Your guide to academic support and advising at UMA

Understand your advising team

Map and monitor your academic progress

Understand core requirements

Register for courses

Academic Catalog

Student Handbook

Understand Your Advising Team

Student Services Coordinators

Faculty Advisors

Map and Monitor your Academic Progress

Plan Your Path to Graduation with Highpoint Degree Planner

Key Features & Flexibility

5 Things to Keep in Mind

Always Connect with Your Advisor

How do I find my DPR?

Considering a Change to Your Academic Program?

Understand UMA’s Core and General Education Requirements

Register for Courses

Locations

Resources

Community

University of Maine at Augusta