Advising

Advising Checklist

1. Review the information that follows.
2. Identify your advisor.  Refer to the table at the bottom of this page.
3. Schedule an appointment online at this link with your designated advisor and be sure to complete the Advising . 
4. Complete or update your online Degree Plan Form.  If you have never completed the online degree plan before, please review this video for assistance. The form must be up to date before meeting with your advisor.  Your advisor may refuse to meet with you during your scheduled appointment if you have not completed or updated your online degree plan. Also, be sure to complete the Advising Information Form.
5. Show up on time and prepared.
6. After advisement, once your advising hold is removed and registration is open for you, be sure to register for classes early. If a class is filled, get on the waiting list.  If there is enough demand, enrolled for a section may be increased or an additional section may be added.

You may find the following links useful:

• Class Schedules
• University Advisement Center
• Registration

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Overview - Advising Holds

The purpose of the Advisement Hold system is to ensure that students appear for academic advising each Fall/Spring semester. You will not be able to register until your hold is removed. Academic advising is intended to make sure that students have up to date information about degree plans, are informed about their choice of major, and are taking the correct courses toward that major. In the case of engineering students, advising is also required to fulfill the requirements of ABET accreditation. Advising is absolutely mandatory for engineering undergraduates.

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Getting your Advisement Hold Lifted - Entering Freshmen

You will receive initial advising during New Student Orientation. During orientation you will get information on how to register, university core requirements, major requirements, and your advisement hold will be removed. It is still important for you to see a faculty advisor in Mechanical Engineering to get specific details about the MECE Degree Plan. You can find your advisor from the list below.

You should expect to spend 15-30 minutes during your first visit.

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Getting your Advisement Hold Removed - New transfer students

If you are transferring from another institution you should see Dr. Robert Freeman (rafree@utpa.edu, 956-381-2394, ENGR 3.222) before you register at UTPA for the first time.  Make sure to bring copies of transcripts for all your previous college work. (Unofficial or personal copies are acceptable for advising purposes.) Please note that the University also requires transfer students to go through Transfer Orientation prior to registration.

If you plan to transfer to UTPA in the future, it is a good idea to contact us early so that we can advise you on which courses will transfer and count toward the degree.

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Getting your Advisement Hold Removed - Current Students

Freshmen not in their first semester, and all sophomore, junior, and senior students, should go directly to their faculty advisor.

If you have been out of school for one or more semesters, you will need to fill out a Returning Student Admission Form at Admissions and Records. It may take a few days after submitting your form for your access to the Assist registration system to be activated.

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Faculty Advisors

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