Undergraduate Advising Information

Academic Advising

To determine who your assigned advisor is, log into your ASAP account (step by step ASAP instructions).

The College of Sciences Academic Advising is split between three advising centers:

Life and Health Sciences Advising

Majors: Biology, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Microbiology & Immunology, and Neuroscience
website »

Math and Physical Sciences Advising

Majors: Biochemistry, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geosciences, Mathematics, Mathematics of Data and Computing, and Physics
website »

Interdisciplinary Education Advising

Majors: Biology (7-12th Grade Biology Teacher Concentration), Mathematics for Teaching, Multidisciplinary Science (Teaching), and Physics (6-12th Grade Teaching Concentration)
website »
Students interested in seeking middle and high school science and math teacher certification should contact UTeachSA.

Additional Resource

UTSA Academic Advising website

Undergraduate Advisor of Record (UGAR)

A UGAR is usually a faculty member from the department of your selected major. This individual is different than your academic advisor and can provide the following:

Additional details about the course material that will be covered in your selected degree program
(see the Undergraduate Catalog for general course descriptions)
Advice and referrals to other faculty members if you are interested in participating in a research lab or independent study
Act as the liaison and help find a faculty sponsor if there is an internship for academic credit that you want to pursue

College of Sciences UGARs

Biochemistry (B.S.) - Dr. Susan Thomas
Biology (B.S.) - Dr. Eddie Hernandez
Chemistry (B.A., B.S.) - Victoria Dougherty
Computer Science (B.A., B.S.) - Dr. Palden Lama
Environmental Science (B.S.) - Jason Gagliardi
Environmental Studies (B.A.) - Jason Gagliardi
Geosciences (B.A., B.S.) - Dr. John Cannon
Mathematics (B.S.) - Dr. Sandy Norman
Mathematics for Teaching (B.S.) - Dr. Sandy Norman
Mathematics of Data and Computing (B.S.) - Dr. Sandy Norman
Microbiology and Immunology (B.S.) - Dr. Sara Shields-Menard
Multidisciplinary Science (B.S.) - Jason Gagliardi
Neuroscience (B.S) - Dr. William Ramos
Physics (B.A., B.S.) - Dr. Lisa Shepard

Graduate On Time

DegreeWorks is available for students to monitor their academic progress toward degree completion. DegreeWorks allows students and their advisors to plan future coursework and run degree audits, easily identifying courses that have been completed and courses that are still needed to fulfill degree requirements. Students can access DegreeWorks through ASAP, MyUTSA, or by meeting with their academic advisor.

DegreeWorks

With DegreeWorks You Can:

Create a semester by semester course plan
Monitor your progress toward graduation
Create a "What-If" plan that details what happens if you change your major or degree plan
Look ahead to how your progress will be affected by the courses you plan to take in future semesters
Run GPA calculations based on current grades and future grades

Tuition Rebate Program

The Tuition Rebate program provides a financial incentive for students to complete their first baccalaureate degree with as few courses outside the plan as possible. See the eligibility requirements.

For more information about the cost and value of your degree and the importance of finishing on time, visit UTSA Financial Aid.

AIS, Gateway Courses, and Q-Courses

Academic Inquiry & Scholarship (AIS)

Mandatory AIS 1203 course that fulfills the Core Curriculum First Year Experience requirement. The course is a general survey of scholarship practiced within three broad cultures of inquiry: the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences. AIS 1203 explores the diverse ideas, values, and practices used by various disciplines to investigate and organize their subject matter and create knowledge.
» additional information

Gateway Courses

Courses that are necessary for progression through a chosen major; these usually contain material that requires a clear-cut comprehension in order to be successful in completing other course requirements for the major. Gateway Courses often determine whether a student is a suitable candidate to pursue the indicated major.
» additional information

Q-Courses

Courses that have been redesigned by integrating quantitative literacy (QL), enabling students to develop their data-reasoning skills. Each academic year additional courses are selected to participate in the QL program.

Additional UTSA academic terms can be found on the UTSA Lingo 101 page.

Graduating with College of Sciences Distinction in Research

Through the College of Sciences Distinction in Research program, outstanding students have the opportunity to earn the "College of Sciences Distinction in Research" notation on their graduating transcript after completing advanced study under close faculty supervision. Learn more about the College of Sciences Distinction in Research program.