Welcome! Exploratory Academic Advising services are offered to any current undergraduate Mason students who have not yet decided on their major or want to explore other programs.
- If you are seeking advising for a specific major (either your own declared major or one in which you are interested), use the Advisor Locator to find the appropriate advisor.
- If you are undeclared within a college (e.g. Costello College of Business, College of Engineering, College of Visual and Performing Arts, College of Public Health), contact your assigned advisor for assistance.
- If you are Exploratory and seeking advising for Honors or a pre-professional track, see this section on the Advisor Locator for more information.
Exploratory and Non-Degree Student Exception Requests and Appeals
Information for Students Terminated from Their Major
Find Your Exploratory Academic Advisor
Exploratory Academic Advisors are assigned by the student’s last name. See below for which advisor to contact. There is a link to email them and a link to schedule an appointment in Patriot Connect. You can also click on their bio to learn more about them.
A thru K: Jill Manuel (Bio | E-mail | Appointment)
L thru W: Asha Sneed (Bio | E-mail | Appointment)
X thru Z: Antonio Stewart (Bio | E-mail | Appointment)
If you would like to switch from your current major to Exploratory, first you will need to meet with an Exploratory Advisor. Please use the appointment link next to the advisor assigned to you by the first letter of your last name to schedule an appointment or attend a drop-in appointment. We strongly encourage you to review the resources on the Majors and Minors page prior to your meeting.
Scheduled Appointments
To schedule an appointment, log into Patriot Connect. The easiest way to schedule an appointment is to use the advisor’s appointment link provided above and click on the “Schedule Appointment” button under their name. If your advisor is unavailable or you want to go through the regular appointment scheduler, follow these instructions:
- Click the “Schedule Appointment” button on the Home tab or click the “Schedule Appointment” tab on the top menu bar.
- Select “Undergraduate Academic Advising” and then click Next.
- In the “Type to filter…” box, search for Exploratory (or Non-Degree if you are a Non-Degree student), select the appropriate success team and then click Next.
- Continue following the steps until you reach the last page where you may see multiple people to choose from. There may be descriptions for each person to help you make the right selection. Select a time and finish setting up your appointment.
- You will receive a confirmation email after completing the steps.
For an overview about Patriot Connect, watch The Student Experience on Patriot Connect (7 minutes, 50 seconds).
There is a playlist on youtube with tutorials on how to use Patriot Connect.
Drop-in Appointments
Drop-in advising services do not require scheduling in advance, are quick meetings of 15-minutes or less, and are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. For more in-depth questions or concerns, please schedule an appointment.
You can check drop-in appointment availability in Patriot Connect on the advisor’s appointment link or the Exploratory Academic Advising service territory page.
Drop-ins are currently unavailable until the Fall semester. Please schedule an appointment.
Exploratory Academic Advising is a part of the Office of Academic Advising located in the Johnson Center, Suite 228 (to the left of the Communication Center when facing it).
