Because academic advising is an integral and necessary component of the learning process, Miami's commitment to undergraduate education includes a collaborative academic advising system in which various experts on campus assist students in developing a successful academic plan.

This system is designed to address the following common concerns:

• "I can't decide on a major."
• "I don't know what my talents are."
• "I know what I want to major in, but I don't know how to go about it."
• "I need help planning next semester's classes."
• "I'm not performing as well academically as I would like."

While advising services include goals for graduation and beyond, our comprehensive approach eases that all-important transition from high school to college life by eliminating much of the guesswork in getting started; as early as Summer Orientation, students learn about specific course requirements and register for first-semester classes. Beyond course-planning, advisers help students perform such tasks as identifying appropriate resource personnel and interpreting academic policies and documents.

Advising at Miami

Advising for First-Year Students
Academic advising for first-year students living on campus includes direct access to a full-time adviser that lives and works in their residence hall. Often assisted by a trained graduate student, this adviser serves as the student’s primary adviser throughout the first semester. First-year commuter students meet with an adviser on staff at the Commuter Center, located in Room 100 of the Shriver Center.

Advising beyond the First Year
In the second semester of the first year or when a student declares a major, a faculty adviser within one of Miami’s five academic divisions assumes the primary advisory role, being better equipped to provide direction and answer questions about specific areas of study. For most students, this faculty member serves as their primary academic adviser throughout the remainder of their MU career. (Specific information about each major, including divisional and contact information, can be found from our listing of majors and minors.) Divisional advisers in the College of Arts and Science provide academic advising services for undecided students.

Advising Support Services
A number of support services are available for students pursuing special areas of interest, including the University Honors Program, Study Abroad, Intercollegiate Athletics, and the Reserve Officer Training Corps. The Learning Center also provides services such as tutoring and peer mentoring for students experiencing academic difficulty through its Tutorial Assistance Program (TAP). Students with learning disabilities and/or attention deficit disorder can get help from the Center's Learning Disabilities Services.

Additional Opportunities
All students are invited to take advantage of additional advising opportunities designed to help them explore career options, start job searching, and build professional networks.

		For students who are undecided or uncertain about their choice of major, Miami offers the Exploring Majors Fair, providing an unique opportunity to investigate various curricular and career options. Others who want to explore careers consistent with their goals and abilities might want to consider for-credit courses like those offered by the Learning Center and the Career Exploration and Testing Center, which provide strategies for academic success through exploration of unique interests and learning styles.
		In addition to sponsoring the popular career fairs, which bring over 350 employers to campus each year, the Office of Career Services manages an extensive career resource center and organizes practical job-search workshops. In cooperation with the Miami University Alumni Association, they also provide special career planning and management tools for Miami graduates, including the Miami Career Network.