Advising
Ivan Bialostosky
geogadv@umn.edu
406 Social Sciences
Find out how to schedule an appointment.
BSE Advising and Major Declaration
During this period of social distancing during the COVID-19 outbreak of 2020, all advising for the Department of Geography, Environment, and Society will be done remotely by appointment. You may schedule an advising appointment on the appointment calendar.
Advising will be available over Zoom, Google Meet, or telephone. Zoom is the preferred medium for advising. For students who are not able to find a private place to conduct an advising appointment, advising can be done through Google Chat. All U of M students have access to Zoom. Find information on how to access and use Zoom.
Quick questions can be answered in email as usual. You may direct all email inquiries to geogadv@umn.edu.
For the foreseeable future, all advising will be by appointment. Appointments will be available every day and availability can be found on the appointment calendar. If you cannot find an appointment time that works for you, please email geogadv@umn.edu and we will find a time that works for you.
If you have questions about a BSE or Geography Capstone, please schedule an appointment with Ivan Bialostosky.
If you want to declare a BSE major or a Public Health minor, your best option is to schedule an appointment with our Peer Advisers, Catie Bohn. If her availability does not fit your schedule, you can schedule an appointment with Ivan Bialostosky.
Current and prospective students are welcome to meet with the BSE advisor to find their fit in our undergraduate programs and to stay on track for their degree plan. We also recommend that current students work closely with CLA and Career Services advisors to optimize their degree and undergraduate experience.
Your BSE advisor will:
Prospective students:
- Direct you to the online BSE information session (see "declare" section)
- Help you decide if the BSE major is right for you
- Answer questions about tailoring the BSE major to your post-graduation goals
- Help you determine what courses are accepted for major credit
- Orient you to department resources
- Help you declare
Current students:
- Help you refine your initial plan for meeting BSE major requirements
- Help you to keep on track for graduation
- Approve course substitutions (contact your college advisor for help with transfer course equivalencies)
- Update your APAS with approved course substitutions
- Direct you to senior project planning resources and discuss senior project options
- Address honors thesis requirements and special courses
For advising outside of the BSE program (college and liberal education requirements, transfer credits, and other APAS issues), see your CLA advisor.
Declare
- Read through the BSE Major Overview Slideshow
- Look over your what-if APAS for BSE. (You can find a guide on how to run a what-if APAS).
- Schedule an appointment with Catie (best option) or Ivan on the appointment calendar.