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 my.unm.edu
2. Send final Transcripts to:
Office of Admissions
University of New Mexico
P.O. Box 4895 Albuquerque, NM 87196-4895
3. Follow along on your Admitted student checklist - available here
3. Financial Aid – put UNM as the recipient
4. Sign up for Orientation, where you will register for classes
5. Accuplacer Online Placement Exam
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 (or reactivate) your UNM account and email at my.unm.edu
2. Send final Transcripts to:
Office of Admissions
University of New Mexico
P.O. Box 4895 Albuquerque, NM 87196-4895
3. Financial Aid – put UNM as the recipient
4. Sign up for Orientation, where you will register for classes
5. Take the Accuplacer Online Placement Exam
6. Apply for scholarships, if needed
7. Admissions department information and guidelines are available here
8. Make an appointment with an advisor either by going to loboachieve.unm.edu and selecting the ‘UNM Sign In’ option if you have a student ID #, or ‘Non-UNM Sign In’ option if not [preferred] or by calling (505) 277-3112. Bring unofficial transcripts to your appointment so the advisor has a complete picture of your academic history. Your advisor will recommend classes and may begin a transfer evaluation of coursework if needed.
9. Register for classes if you did not do so at Orientation/have already completed Orientation previously.
10. Apply for Housing
11. Make a Commuting Plan
12. More UNM general information is available at “Welcome to the Pack!”
Q: Do I have an assigned advisor?
Yes – in fact, you have two. 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. Your staff advisor is determined by the first letter of your last name; Leyna Aragon (laragon2@unm.edu) sees all students whose last names begin with A – L, and Lynn Conner (ljconner@unm.edu) sees all students whose last names begin with M – Z.
Q: Do I have to make an appointment to see my advisor?
It is recommended that you do so, though limited walk-in hours are available. Academic Advisors have scheduled appointments Monday through Friday 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm and walk-in hours, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. Our office is closed for lunch from 12:00 pm (noon) to 1:00 pm. The Advising Center is located in Farris Engineering Center (Bldg #119), Suite 2200.
Remember: Students are required to meet with their advisors every semester. Holds are placed on student enrollment and can only be removed once the student has met first with their undergraduate faculty advisor and then with their undergraduate staff advisor. This is required as a part of the UNM ABET accreditation process. Appointments are scheduled in half-hour blocks. When you want to view your advisor’s schedule, and/or make an appointment with your advisor go here.
Q: How should I prepare for my appointment with my advisor?
See the Advisement & Help page for instructions on how to prepare for your advisement appointment.
Q: Can I email my questions to my advisor or get a telephone advising appointment?
In an ideal situation, advising works best during a face-to-face visit. However, extenuating circumstances – such as the ongoing pandemic – or other, more personal conflicts can prevent this from being possible. In such instances, a telephone or Zoom advising appointment can be arranged – please indicate this at the time you schedule your appointment (and note that, as of this writing, all advisement is currently taking place via phone or video call appointment.) Emails to your advisor are possible but often have a delayed response time, especially near the start and end of the term – wherever possible, please consider making an appointment.
2. Academic Requirements
Q: How do I know my academic requirements?
The University General Catalog is published annually. Department, school, division, college, and university requirements may change and are upgraded often. In determining graduation requirements, an undergraduate student may use only one edition of the General Catalog but may elect to follow any subsequent catalog. Your catalog eligibility is referred to as your “Catalog Year” and has a major impact on what is required for you to graduate. In essence, to successfully complete the requirements for your degree program, you must follow the requirements that pertain to your specific catalog year. Your LoboTrax Degree Audit Report can be helpful in determining whether or not you have met your degree requirements.
Q: How do I know my catalog year?
You can view your catalog year through LoboTrax. If you believe that you should be listed on an older catalog year, then you can contact your advisor for verification. Students maintaining continuous enrollment at UNM may graduate according to the requirements of the catalog in effect at the time of initial enrollment or according to the requirements of any single catalog in effect during subsequent terms of continuous enrollment.
Q: Can my catalog year change?
You always have the option to move up a catalog year. If you are out of school for three consecutive regular semesters (i.e., spring and fall), you will no longer be eligible to follow the same catalog requirements. You will be readmitted under the new catalog in effect at the time of your readmission. This means that it is very possible that new academic policies may apply to your graduation requirements. However, if you left UNM during that time, you can remain under your original catalog, thereby maintaining your academic requirements. Students who have lost their catalog year for non-attendance should set up an appointment with their advisors to review options.
Q: Once I know my catalog year, where can I find my degree requirements?
Students should review and save a copy of their “Major Map” or “Flow Chart”. This map outlines the specific requirements for your degree program, as determined for your catalog year. Major maps are accessible online at (click) degrees.unm.edu. If you are unable to find a copy of your major map, be sure to ask your advisor for a copy during your advising appointment. We know not all students start in the same place. Please, meet with your advisor to customize your “Major Map”.
Q: My friend has different academic requirements than I do, but we are in the same program. Why?
The reason is that your friend most likely has a different catalog year than you. This is why you have to know and understand the academic requirements for your specific catalog year - This will include grade requirements in certain courses and major GPA requirements, and these can differ among catalog years.
Q: What is a LoboTrax report and how do I pull it?
A LoboTrax Degree Audit Report (sometimes called a DAR) is a report that matches your registered courses at UNM and completed courses—taken at UNM and transfer credits—against your major’s graduation requirements. It shows you how your completed and registered courses at UNM apply to your graduation requirements, helping you track your progress toward graduation. It can be used to see how your courses plug into a different major’s graduation requirements. You can learn more here.
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.
Q: I have heard that there are two different types of ceremonies for graduation, which one do I go to?
Students have the option to attend two ceremonies, the School of Engineering Convocation and the general University Commencement. Students are not required to attend any ceremony; however, if you do plan on attending one or more ceremonies then you will need to make sure to RSVP. Emails will be sent regarding both the School of Engineering Convocation and the University Commencement as they approach.
Q: What is the difference between Engineering Convocation and University Commencement?
School of Engineering Convocation is just for School of Engineering students. The ceremony is smaller and more personalized. During the ceremony you will have your name announced, you will walk across the stage, receive your diploma cover, and have your individual photo taken. The ceremony lasts about 60 minutes. University Commencement is university-wide; it includes all majors and is therefore much larger and less personalized.
Q: What if I do not pass all of my classes in my last semester and have already applied to graduate?
In this situation, it is best to make an appointment to meet with your advisor. Generally, you will have to option to participate in the School of Engineering Convocation as planned but you will need to confirm this with your staff advisor.
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.?
Notifications for some events will be sent to your UNM Email, but we recommend taking an active hand in keeping tabs on the events and dates most important to you. The University has an academic calendar that includes important dates that students should know about to help them with decision making and planning. This calendar is available online through your MyUNM page or at https://unmevents.unm.edu/site/academic. Important Deadline dates for every semester can be found through the registrar’s site at http://registrar.unm.edu/ under ‘Semester Deadline Dates.’
3. Course Scheduling
Q: When can I register for classes for next semester?
Students are assigned a specific date and time during the University enrollment periods for fall and spring semesters, this is called your Enrollment Appointment. This means that your registration BEGINS at your assigned date and time. You can register for classes at that specific time or anytime thereafter throughout the registration period. You cannot register for classes before your assigned time. Enrollment for Fall classes usually begins the preceding March and enrollment for spring classes the preceding October. Enrollment for summer sessions occurs during ‘open registration’. You can find more information – including these Appointment periods - here.
Q: What do I do if I have a hold on my account?
Click on the individual hold on your MyUNM page to see what the steps are for removing the hold. Any registration holds must be removed by your advisor by scheduling an appointment – however, not all holds are advisor-placed; please verify your hold type before making an appointment to ensure quick resolution.
Q: How many credits should I take each semester?
Credits, hours, and units are used interchangeably with regard to your academic program. Students will need to enroll in 14-16 hours of coursework each fall and spring semester to complete their degrees in four years. Engineering undergraduate students in good academic standing may enroll in a maximum of 18 hours per semester.
Q: I got an 'error message' when I was trying to register for my classes, what does this mean?
Ideally, students will be able to enroll in all of the courses that they have selected with the assistance of their advisor. However, various error messages will sometimes occur. These commonly include errors like “prerequisites not met” and/or “advising hold” on your record. In these instances, you will want to contact your academic advisor for assistance. We recommend that you review the following before you begin registering for classes for the first or second time: https://registrar.unm.edu/Registration/registration-add-error.html.
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?
On the following website, you can view the Course Equivalency Guide which will provide you with articulated courses that have been deemed equivalents to UNM’s courses: https://admissions.unm.edu/future-students/transfer/transfer-equivalencies.html. This site is designed for use by students transferring from other institutions of higher education—community colleges, tribal colleges, and state universities—and by the advisors and faculty who assist them.
Q: How Do I Drop a Class?
You can find all the necessary forms with instructions at: https://registrar.unm.edu/forms/index.html
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 can adjust the credit hours of a variable credit class in the ‘My UNM’ portal.
At my.unm.edu, proceed through the following tabs: Student Tab > “Registration & Records menu” > “Registration (Add/Drop), Course Search, Check for Holds” > “Registration Portal” > “Register for My Classes” > Enter the semester term > Accept financial responsibility.
You are now on the class registration page. Look for the “Schedule & Option tab”. From this page, you should see a summary of your schedule. To the right of the variable credit course, you should see a number of credit hours. It will be underlined, as it is a hyperlink. Click the number of credit hours associated with the variable credit course you want to change. This should bring up a text box that allows you to change the number of credit hours. Click out of this text box once you have changed the number and click “submit”. Finally, go back to your “Schedule and Option” table and review your schedule again. The number of credit hours for your variable credit course should now be correct. UNM has created a video to walk you through this process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhBiJxF-_Mk&feature=youtu.be
Do you have more questions?
Try using UNM’s FastInfo system, the main database for all UNM processes & procedures
