Students who have questions about UMBC declared major policies or UMBC graduation requirements for a particular declared major should contact their assigned academic advisor in their department.
Pre-professional/Pre-health students at UMBC have at least two advisors:
1. An academic advisor assigned according to the student’s declared major (primary)
and
2. A pre-professional advisor (supplemental)
Assigned Academic/Declared Major Advisor (primary):
An assigned advisor is the advisor in a student’s declared major and is typically housed in that major’s academic department. If a student is Undeclared or Undecided, the assigned academic/major advisor is typically housed in the Office for Academic and Preprofessional Advising, where both allied health advising and undecided advising is conducted.
All students are required to schedule at least one meeting with their assigned academic/major advisor every semester.
Responsibilities of the Assigned Academic/Declared Major Advisor:
→Meets with students every semester, after students take the initiative to schedule such meetings
→Lifts a student’s electronic registration block every semester
→Keeps students on-track with major and graduation requirements
→Guides students on the General Education (GEP) requirements
PreMedical, PreDental, PreOptometry, PrePodiatry, PreVeterinary Advisor (supplemental):
UMBC students who are planning to apply to Medical, Dental, Optometry, Podiatry, or Veterinary School in the future meet with an advisor from the PreMedical & PreDental Advising Office. They meet with students as needed, via scheduled appointments and group advising workshops.
Because none of the pre-health interest areas are declared majors, students are not required to meet with their pre-health advisor prior to their registration for the next semester’s courses. Supplemental advisors – like the ones in the PreMedical & PreDental Advising Office – do not lift advising holds for course registration. That responsibility lies with the department(s) under which a student’s declared major falls.
Responsibilities of the PreMedical, PreDental, PreOptometry, PrePodiatry, PreVeterinary Advisor:
→Meets with students as needed, after students take the initiative to schedule such meetings
→Keeps students on-track with the professional school prerequisites
→Provides guidance to help students become a competitive applicant for professional school
→Answers questions pertinent to the professional school application process and issues that arise during that process
PreHealth Group Advising Meetings:
During the Advance Registration period for the following semester, PreMedical, PreDental, PreOptometry, PrePodiatry, and PreVeterinary students who are still in the process of completing the first- and second-year Biology and Chemistry prerequisite coursework are offered advising in the form of Group Advising Meetings. Students who have completed this coursework are eligible to schedule one-on-one meetings with an advisor during Advance Registration.