Graduate Academic Advising

Carnegie Mellon is proud to attract outstanding graduate students from around the world and is committed to providing high quality services to assist in every stage of a student's academic career. 

Graduate students receive most of their academic support from their respective academic departments and colleges, where faculty members, staff and administrators are available to help you successfully negotiate your career at Carnegie Mellon.  Departments and colleges provide graduate students with handbooks that contain detailed information about program requirements, policies, standards and resources.

Institutional Statement on Advising

Academic advising is integral to the education mission of Carnegie Mellon.  Advising is an intentional process, grounded in teaching and learning, and provides each student with guidance for developing and achieving meaningful educational, professional and personal goals.  Successful advising at Carnegie Mellon depends upon a shared understanding of, and commitment to, the advising process, by students, advisors, and the university.  Academic advisors engage students in learning, promote students' academic success, and foster students' personal, ethical, and intellectual growth, all of which will carry into their roles as citizens and lifelong learners.

The Student's Role in Academic Advising

Seeking advice is an important part of how students begin to make decisions about their academic and professional futures.  Each major and department has an advising system which may be different from one another.  Students are responsible for: understanding the importance of their relationships with advisors; seeking out advisors, contacts, and information on a regular basis; knowing the requirements of their individual degree programs; and taking final responsibility for making their own decisions based on the best information and advice available. 

The Advisor's Role

To achieve the goals of academic advising at Carnegie Mellon, advisors, along with their advising programs, are responsible for: being knowledgeable of, and communicating, the requirements of the academic programs in which they advise; monitoring students' progress towards degree completion; being available to meet with students on a regular basis; assisting students in finding the appropriate institutional and community resources; involving students in the academic and career planning process and the exploration of options and resources; and engaging in developmental activities to stay informed of issues that impact student success.