Before Orientation

Welcome to the UMBC and the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences (CNMS)!

We look forward to working with you during the virtual advising and registration portion of New Student Orientation. During this session you will meet one-on-one with an advisor to register for your first semester courses. In order to make the most of this appointment, be sure to come to your appointment prepared. We suggest reviewing this section of our website in advance of your advising session as some items are time sensitive.

Use the list below to guide you through advising preparation.

  1. Document Your Aptitude in Mathematics
  2. Gather Additional Documentation
  3. Review Your Major Options
  4. Explore Supplemental Academic Programs

* In order to be ready for your advising appointment please download the WebEx Meetings App here! Please note; do not use a mobile device for these appointments as some functionality is limited to desktop only.

What to Expect During Your Registration Appointment

  • All incoming and declared natural science students will receive an email from CNMS Advising approximately one week prior to their scheduled virtual advising appointment. That mailing will include additional advising resources and tips for success for the orientation advising session. Some students may receive additional communications from the CNMS Advising Team if we need to obtain additional information (i.e. missing transfer credits, math placement, etc.). Please follow up on these tasks as soon as possible.
  • CNMS Advisors will be reviewing all student’s records and providing STEM course recommendations based on the information currently on file (declared major, math placement, previous STEM transferable coursework, etc.). These recommendations will appear in the student’s Advising Notes and are accessible to their Orientation Advisor during their virtual session. 

During their virtual advising session, students meet one-on-one with a trained Orientation Advisor who assists with the following:

  • Review Degree Audit for University, General Education, and Major requirements.
  • Review Transfer Credit Report (if applicable), including submitted AP/IB/CLEP scores.
  • Navigation of UMBC registration tools such as Schedule Builder and Class Search in order to complete course registration.
  • Student schedules will be reviewed for STEM course accuracy and CNMS Advising will send a general follow-up email. Please be sure to monitor your myUMBC account. 
  • Any follow-up questions can be sent to CNMSAdvising@umbc.edu.
  • For more information, visit our after-orientation webpage.

If you would like to request accommodations for your on-campus orientation day or your virtual advising appointment, please let us know in the Orientation reservation system.  There will be a menu item titled “Disability Accommodations” on the left-hand side. Additional information can be found here. 

Please bring any questions or concerns you may have to the virtual advising session and/or email the CNMS Advising Team at CNMSAdvising@umbc.edu. We are here to support you as you transition to UMBC and beyond!