Undergraduate Advising

Academic Advising in The Columbian College of Arts and Sciences

Good advising is critical to success in college. For most students, college will be the first time that they will be responsible for decisions such as selecting courses or choosing a major. An academic advisor can help with these and other decisions; however, advising is a two-­way street. Students and advisors share the responsibility for successful advising. If students are familiar with the information in the Student Handbook and the Bulletin, they will be able to ask more pertinent questions and be more active partners in their academic advising experience. 

All students, whether upperclassmen, freshmen, or transfer students, are ultimately responsible for selecting courses wisely in order to satisfy degree requirements while adhering to Columbian College and University policy. Students are also responsible for sending transcripts from all previous institutions to the Admissions Office for evaluation.

The Office of Undergraduate Studies (Phillips 107)
Professional Undergraduate Advisors

All CCAS students have an assigned professional academic advisor in the Office of Undergraduate Studies.  A student is assigned to his or her academic advisor by the first letter of the student’s last name.  The professional advisor will be the student’s primary advisory until the student declares a major.  Because the professional advisor is assigned to the student for four years, after the student declares a major, the student can continue to see the professional advisor for general advising. 

The professional advisors are knowledgeable about the policies and procedures of the College, including its general academic requirements and requirements for majors and minors.  Their broad expertise allows them to give students a macro view of what students need to navigate GW successfully and prepare for life after graduation. Over the course of a student’s time at GW, the professional advisor will review the student’s progress toward the degree, prepare materials to help the student evaluate his or her progress, and identify avenues for fulfilling requirements.    

In addition, the advisors are also available to speak with students experiencing academic problems or difficulties adjusting to life as a college student, and to direct them to the resources available to them, including Disability Support Services, the University Counseling Center, and academic support services.

The professional advisors in the Office of Undergraduate Studies (Phillips 107) provide the following services:

General Academic Advising

• Assistance navigating GW
• Advising for undeclared/undecided students
• Attention to freshman issues such as transitioning to college and understanding requirements
• Graduation requirements advising
• Registration advising
• Attention to sophomore issues such as major declaration 
• Advice regarding minors
• Information on Combined Degree Programs
• Academic progress tracking and advising
• Academic Success Program
• Graduation audit    

Use the following links to view advising information by year:

• Freshman Registration - Choosing classes before your first semester
• Freshman Year - Finding your footing
• Sophomore Year - Finding your major
• Junior Year - Delving into upper-level courses
• Senior Year - Reaching graduation