Advising in Biology

Advising within the Department of Biology

All undergraduates majoring within the Department of Biology are advised by faculty within the department.

Undergraduates are assigned a faculty advisor prior to their arrival on campus and are encouraged to email them with any questions. Once students declare a major in the fall of their second year (Biology, Biology of Global Health, Environmental Biology, or Neurobiology), they are assigned a new faculty advisor with expertise in advising within the major.

Faculty hold regular advising appointments for all of their advisees twice a year during preregistration in November and April. They are available for additional advising at a student’s request at other times.

Directors of the specialized majors best understand the nuances of each major and in addition to your advisor can be a source of advising with questions pertaining to your major – e.g. pathways through the major, study abroad programs, internships, etc.

• Biology: Prof. Jennifer Fox (jaf243@georgetown.edu) 
• Biology of Global Health: Prof. Steven Singer (sms3@georgetown.edu)
• Environmental Biology: Prof. Matthew Hamilton (matthew.hamilton@georgetown.edu)
• Neurobiology: Prof. Thomas Coate (tmc91@georgetown.edu)

The Director of Undergraduate Studies oversees all advising within the department and is the signatory authority for official forms (e.g. transfer credits, study abroad for students from all majors. They hold mandatory start-of-school meetings early in September that will highlight topics particularly important to each class: e.g. declaring a major, getting involved in research, RISE (and RISE&Teach), study abroad, internships, post-graduate school applications, careers, etc.

General  questions can also be addressed to the Director of Undergraduate Students and Studies: Prof. Anne Rosenwald (rosenwaa@georgetown.edu)

Undergraduate responsibilities:

• Attend the start-of-school meetings!
• Be an active participant in pre-registration:
  • Respond promptly to emails from their faculty advisor and/or dean.
  • Sign-up for an advising slot during pre-registration.
  • Come prepared to advising sessions. This means that you should have already viewed your Audit report, know your graduation requirements, and plan a possible course trajectory for your remaining terms at Georgetown.
  • Submit pre-registration requests in a timely manner. Faculty may require a student to resubmit their request if the initial effort does not meet the requirements of their major.
• Feel free to email their advisor outside of pre-registration times with additional questions.
• Contact the Directors of Undergraduate Studies – or the Director of your major – with questions beyond your advisor’s purview: e.g. transfer credit, study abroad, …

Faculty responsibilities:

• Invite students to attend advising sessions during pre-registration.
• Help students to understand their Audit report, graduation requirements, and their curricular progress.
• Approve students’ pre-registration requests in a timely manner.
• Respond to students’ email requests for additional advising in a timely manner.
• Contact the Directors of Undergraduate Studies and/or the Dean with additional questions
  and to request changes to a student’s Audit report.