Our office focuses on the support and guidance of undergraduate students as they create a plan for their academic pursuits while at Texas A&M and beyond. We work to provide undergraduates with information necessary to make decisions in alignment with their goals, while also helping students fulfill the requirements to attain their degree from Texas A&M.
For our new incoming first-year and transfer students: please be sure to schedule your New Student Conference (NSC) as soon as you’re able. The second day of your conference will primarily be spent with us in advising to familiarize you with our academic requirements, the program and department, and to aid you with your first-semester registration. Please do not schedule an advising meeting with us prior to your NSC, as academic advising will be a part of your NSC experience.
Advising Appointments
Advising appointments are scheduled through the Navigate site or app. Here are the step-by-step instructions for finding and scheduling with an advising appointment in Philosophy or USLA – Society, Ethics & Law in Howdy:
- Log onto Howdy
- Click My Record tab
- Click Advising Appointments
- Click Navigate -Schedule Advising Appointments
- Click Advising Texas A&M University
- Find your college/location – College of Arts & Sciences
- Choose the most relevant reason for your visit, such as AT – General Advising
- Choose the location for your visit – AT – PHIL USLA-SEL
- Choose a date and time for your visit
- Please include comments on the subject of your visit – this is very helpful for me to have context for our meeting!!
- Choose advisor: Nickelaziena Miller
- Proceed to choose a Date and Time that is best for you
- Click Confirm Appointment
Please keep in mind that appointments must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance, and that appointment times can fill up, particularly during busy advising seasons (start of semesters and registration), so you may need to look several days into the future to find an available appointment time.
Virtual drop-in hours are windows of time when an advisor is available to meet with students on a first-come, first-served basis. These hours are ideal for quick questions or clarifications, or if you’re unable to find a timely appointment that works for your schedule. If you need the link to join the Zoom meeting, please email the advisor.
Meeting with an Advisor
During advising meetings, an advisor can discuss a variety of topics with you including, but not limited to:
- Types of degrees you can earn in Philosophy
- Adding a Philosophy minor or Philosophy Pre-Law Certificate; if you meet the requirements to add a minor, use our online forms to request the minor or certificate
- Completing a double major or double degree
- Planning and preparing for graduation
- Completing your degree planner
- Reviewing your degree evaluation and planning out classes
- Adding Philosophy coursework through individual contracts with faculty (i.e. research, internships, or directed studies)
- Q-Dropping courses
- Making post-graduation plans
- Getting support for challenges or concerns
**You do NOT need to meet with a Philosophy advisor to add a Philosophy minor; the minor in Philosophy can be added by the student’s major academic advisor without approval from our department.
Advising Forms & Course Contracts
If you are completing research, directed studies, or internship experience and wish to receive academic credit, you’ll need to complete a contract in collaboration with your faculty supervisor (research/directed studies) or site (internship) supervisor.
In order to enroll in these credit hours, a completed, signed contract must be submitted to the Philosophy advisor and students are enrolled once the contract is approved by the department; students cannot self-enroll in research, directed studies, or internship credit.
Ziena Miller, Manager for Undergraduate Academic Advising Services
Academic Advisor, Departments of Anthropology & Philosophy
zmiller@tamu.edu
(979) 845–9333
Majors in the Department of Philosophy are served by the QUAD Advising Center, located in the Liberal Arts & Humanities (LAAH) building, room 468.