Welcome to the Advising Services page. Did you know that advising is so much more than registration? Keep reading to see how your advisor can help you be successful and reach your potential!

Meet with your A&S | Maxwell advisor

Our professional team members can meet with you by appointment throughout the academic year. They'll help you understand the purpose of a liberal arts education and guide you during the course of your academic career.

Your advisor can help you:

• explore academic options
• understand the Liberal Arts Core
• select courses, majors, and minors
• connect with University resources during challenging times
• develop time management skills
• map strategies to improve academic performance
• identify academic enrichment opportunities
• maintain steady progress toward degree completion
• plan for graduate school or entry into the job market

Make an Appointment through Orange Success. (In-Person and Virtual options available) You will have the option to select an in-person or virtual appointment with your assigned advisor.

Topics to discuss in your appointment:

• core check/degree progress/academic plans/104R forms
• majors/minors/IUT/Study Abroad
• career exploration
• challenges (either personal or academic), so your advisor can guide you to available resources
• registration / advising holds

Drop-In Appointments: Professional advisors are available for 15-minute drop-ins for brief, time-sensitive discussions. These interactions are designed to accomplish a quick, specific task, that require minimal knowledge of your academic record.

Drop-In hours are Monday through Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m. Drop-In appointments are handled in-person. Students should go to HL 342 for Drop-In appointments.

Students who prefer a virtual experience should make an appointment with their academic advisor using the information found on the advising homepage.

Explore Your Major Possibilities and Develop an Academic Plan

Our professional advisors offer personalized, one-on-one assistance to students who are in the process of exploring and selecting their major. Your assigned advisor will guide you through the discovery process if you are considering declaring or changing your major, adding one or more majors, adding one or more minors, or dropping a major or minor. They will also help you define an academic plan to progress to degree completion in a timely and effective manner.

You can choose a major based on interests, aptitudes and abilities, personality, values and lifestyle, among other characteristics.

As part of the process of exploring majors, our professional staff sometimes make use of various self-assessments in helping students to identify their interests, values, and personality.

Schedule an appointment with your assigned advisor via Orange Success to discover the possibilities available for you.

Declare a Major or Minor

For students matriculated prior to Academic Year 2020-2021: When arriving at Syracuse University, all students who entered the College of Arts and Sciences provide an indication of their intended major or area of interest; however, all students are undeclared until they follow the official declaration of major process. Once academic counselors assist students with exploring all of their interests, skills, and academic talents to help them integrate and build the optimal interdisciplinary academic plan, students often feel ready to declare their major and, potentially, minor plans.

To officially declare a major, students must complete a Major Declaration Form, which must be approved by the department and submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Academic and Career Advising at 342 Hall of Languages.

Once students declare a major, they are appointed a faculty mentor for their major of study. Some majors stipulate certain grade performance in foundational courses before students can declare the major, and students are encouraged to consult with a faculty advisor about each major's unique program requirements. Advisors are here to assist students with the development of the best-suited academic plan to achieve success.