The faculty of Mechanical Engineering is dedicated to helping each student attain his or her professional goals. Towards this end, the department has established the following system of advising.
All students must receive advising clearance from an advisor in order to register for the next regular (Fall/Spring) semester. Freshmen and first semester students who intend to or are admitted to study engineering will be advised by the College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT) Undergraduate Student Services staff. At these semester advising sessions the gateway, major, and university requirements are reviewed with the student. This information is also available in the automated degree audit.
Students have many ways of connection with an academic advisor throughout the year. COEIT Undergraduate Student Services also offers appointments that can be scheduled using an online calendar. Each advisor has a personal email address and the generic coeitadvising@umbc.edu is monitored by the academic advisors in COEIT. During the schedule adjustment period COEIT advisors also offer walk-in advising.
Once the student has completed the gateway requirements, they are assigned to a departmental advisor. In the first semester after the student has completed the gateway requirements they receive group advising. Each semester, 5-6 one hour group advising sessions are held in order to give students academic policy and procedure information and answer their questions. Student attendance is required in order to receive authorization to enroll in courses. Group advising sessions have been led by Faculty and Staff.
After the semester in which the student has group advising, they are assigned a faculty advisor. This advisor provides both academic and professional advice, i.e., advice regarding internships, undergraduate research opportunities, and, eventually employment opportunities. If students or faculty have questions about policies or procedures the COEIT Undergraduate Student Services advising staff is available to assist with those questions.