Advisement FAQ
Advising Basics
1. Academic Advising
Q: I have just been admitted as a first-time freshman to the School of Engineering, what are my next steps?
1. Activate your UNM account and email at netid.unm.edu
2. Send final High School & dual credit transcripts (from community colleges) to apply@unm.edu
3. Financial aid
4. Sign up for New Student Orientation, where you will be introduced & acquainted to UNM and register for your courses
5. Take the Lobo Course Placement (complete BEFORE your orientation date for accurate course placement)
6. Apply for scholarships, if needed
7. Apply for Student Housing, if needed
8. Make a Commuting Plan
9. More UNM general information is available at “Welcome to the Pack!”
Q: I have just been admitted as a transfer student, readmitted student, or second bachelor's student, what are my next steps?
1. Activate your UNM account and email at netid.unm.edu
2. Send all final transcripts to UNM via Parchment or to apply@unm.edu
3. Financial aid
4. Sign up for New Student Orientation, where you will be introduced & acquainted to UNM and register for your courses
5. Take the Lobo Course Placement (unless you have college level math & English)
6. Schedule an appointment via LoboAchieve
7. More UNM General Information
Q: Do I have an assigned advisor?
Yes – in fact, you have two. CS students are assigned an undergraduate faculty advisor as well as an undergraduate staff advisor. You can find out who your undergraduate faculty advisor is from your undergraduate staff advisor. Carol Jimerson advises graduate students. Kelly Neuschwanger and Guadalupe Hernandez advise undergraduate students.They all can be reached by emailing advising@cs.unm.edu.
Q: Do I have to make an appointment to see my advisor?
Yes, do so through LoboAchieve.
2. Academic Requirements
Q: How do I know my academic requirements?
Your degree requirements are listed in multiple areas:
We also encourage that you meet with your advisor to discuss the requirements and your unique degree path as all students are not the same.
Q: What is a catalog year?
Your catalog year is the year you enrolled into UNM (i.e. Fall 2023). The University and departments may make changes to their requirements, in which they are published for one academic year. This will determine your specific requirements. Students may request to change their catalog year if needed.
3. Program completion
Q: I'm getting ready to graduate. What are my next steps?
Your first step is to meet with your academic advisor to confirm that you are on track to complete all academic requirements for your degree program. Students file for graduation during the semester in which they will be completing their final coursework. Current degree completion deadlines can be found here.
UNM Need to Know
1. Policies and Standards
Q: What is the renewal criteria for my New Mexico Legislative Lottery scholarship?
The most up-to-date Lottery Scholarship information can be found on the UNM Scholarships webpage, found here.
Q: Are exceptions ever made to academic policies?
When students want an exception to an academic policy, they should set up an appointment to explore options with their advisors. In some instances, an approved petition by the School of Engineering will allow an exception for a student. Your advisor will explain the petition process to you.
Q: Can my Computer Science Advisors add a Minor to my degree?
We cannot add a minor to your record unless it is within Arts and Sciences. To add a minor from any of the other colleges you will need to meet with an advisor from that department/college.
2. Important dates
Q: Will I be notified about important dates such as the deadline for withdrawing from a course(s), university closings, availability of next semester’s schedule, etc.?
Information will be sent to your UNM email frequently, we recommend checking yours daily.
3. Course Scheduling
Q: When can I register for classes for next semester?
Registration for Fall & Summer begins mid-April and Spring begins mid-November. Depending on the number of credit hours earned, you are assigned a registration appointment date.
Q: What do I do if I have a hold on my account?
You will receive emails you about holds on your account. You can find more information here. Advisement holds are placed every semester (except summer). Students will receive information on how to remove their holds.
Q: How many credits should I take each semester?
Students typically take between 12-15 credits each semester.
Q: I got an 'error message' when I was trying to register for my classes, what does this mean?
Typically, students should be able to register for their prospective courses each semester. The most common error is “Pre-Requisite/Test Score Error”. Please verify on the Catalog that you have the correct pre-requisites. If you do, please reach out to your advisor. In some cases, we may need to provide a system override. You can find other errors here, in which we may be able to provide overrides in some cases.
Q: I want to enroll in a course at Central New Mexico Community College. How do I know if it’s equivalent to a required course in my program?
Please meet with your advisor to discuss which courses you plan on taking at CNM or any other institution.
Q: How Do I Drop a Class?
You can drop a course in LoboWeb in the Registration Portal. Please view the Semester Deadline Dates to verify when the last day you can drop in LoboWeb or with a form. Note: if you drop after the deadline you will receive a “W” which stands for withdrawal. A withdrawal does not count against your GPA.
Q: How can I add credits to a variable credit class?
You will change credits to a variable credit class in the Registration Portal in LoboWeb. Look for the “Schedule & Options” Tab, view the summary of your courses, then click on the credits you would like to change (Variable credit courses will have a line under them). Update to the correct credits and click submit.
