Academic Advising

Students study notes in class

Vision and Mission

The Penn State Mont Alto Advising community will engage and empower all undergraduate students to achieve their educational goals at the university and beyond. 

The Penn State Mont Alto Advising community consists of professional and faculty advisers who work together to actively engage with our students, provide them support, resources and tools while sharing accurate and timely information geared to the academic success of each student. Advisers serve as guides to help students identify their educational and career goals. In this way, all Penn State Mont Alto students can take part in a meaningful Penn State educational experience. 

Female student works on paperwork with help from female staff member

Meeting with Your Academic Adviser

It is each student’s responsibility to contact, and meet with, their academic adviser regularly. The contact information for each student’s adviser is located at the LionPATH Student Center and can also be found in the campus directory.

Female student works at computer station

Responsibilities: Take Control of Your Education

While both the academic adviser and the student have a number of responsibilities, the student must assume final responsibility for course scheduling, program planning, and the successful completion of all graduation requirements.

University Faculty Senate Advising Policy 32-00

 

Male student pays attention to instructor

Academic Planning

  • Suggested Academic Plans: Find the requirements for any major at Penn State broken down by semester in a table format. The plans show one possible path to complete a particular degree. Suggested academic plans are especially helpful to consult when interpreting a degree audit.
  • Accessing an Audit: Degree audits are available for all major(s) and minor(s) in which the student is currently enrolled. Detailed instructions are provided in LionPATH help. "What-If Reports" are available to help student evaluate the requirements of majors and minors that they are considering. Students should run a new audit every semester before meeting with their academic adviser to discuss courses for future semesters.
  • LionPATH Class Search:  View the courses offered by any Penn State campus as soon as they are posted.
  • Entry to Major Requirements: All Penn State majors have entrance requirements. Most majors have just a few entrance requirements while others are very specific and tightly controlled. Find the entrance requirements for any major through this link.
  • Academic Calendar: Find the drop/add deadline, the late-drop deadline and other important dates during the semester you choose on this page.
  • Starfish: Starfish offers the Penn State community—including faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students—access to a robust student success system that can flag students at risk, pinpoint areas of concern, and connect students with valuable services and early interventions.
  • Penn State Webmail: Important messages from a students’ adviser, faculty, and others throughout the University will be sent to a students’ Penn State email address.