Academic Advising

CART Campus Building in the Spring

In the College of the Arts, advising is a partnership. Advisors help students understand degree requirements, plan courses, learn how to navigate the University, and make choices that match their goals. Students may also connect with faculty mentors, peer mentors, student success coaches, and career development staff as their interests evolve.

You Can Expect Support with:

  • Getting connected to campus resources that can help you succeed
  • Understanding degree requirements and how your major is structured
  • Building a semester by semester plan that keeps you moving toward graduation
  • Navigating decisions like minors, electives and concentration options
  • Problem solving when challenges come up (academic, personal or logistical)

When Academic Advising Happens

Students connect with advising throughout their time in CART. This can be when planning next steps, checking progress, making decisions and getting support for their academic, personal and career development needs. Advisors serve as a consistent point of support, helping students navigate college expectations, connect to resources, and make informed choices that keep them moving toward graduation and what comes next.

Students and Advisors often meet:

  • Before the first semester: Getting oriented to your program and expectations
  • First Year: In your New Student Seminar course, planning next term courses and building strong academic habits
  • Each year: Reviewing progress,
  • When Plans Change:  Major exploration, adding a minor, interest in studying abroad or adjusting goals
  • Toward Graduation: Confirming requirement and next steps after Montclair 

Academic Advising and Career Development

Academic planning and career planning go hand in hand. CART Student Services connects students to both academic advising and career development so they can make choices that support their academic and professional goals, whether that is internships, creative opportunities, graduate school or employment.

 

Who is my Advisor?

To locate the name of your advisor, log onto NEST and click Degree Works. The Advisor assignment will be listed in the top left column on your Degree Audit. If your advisor is not listed, or if you have questions about advising services, contact the advising team member of the Department related to your major.

Meet the Team

Academic advising is an important part of student success in the College of the Arts. Students are encouraged to take an active role by connecting with their advisors, professional (student success advisors) and faculty advisors, throughout their time at Montclair. Advisors are available to help students navigate the university, think through academic program decisions, understand degree requirements, connect learning to career goals and find the right support when questions or challenges arise.

Magali Romero

  • Career Development Specialist - College of the Arts
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Stay on Track

Check in throughout the semester to troubleshoot challenges early and connect with the right campus resources.

4-year Academic Plans

 

Explore Careers

Identify your interests and goals that connect to your major and potential career paths. 

There are a variety of online self-assessment tools and exploration resources available to help you discover who you are and what career options truly interest you.  The self assessment process provides a framework for making decisions among the gamut of career pursuit possibilities. Listed below are some useful online tools available to College of the Arts students.

Focus2  — “Focus 2” is a self-paced online career and education questionnaire-based planning tool. By answering a battery of questions, Focus2 will enable you to assess your individual values, skills and interests and explore career fields and majors that are deemed compatible with your questionnaire responses. You will also be able to compare and contrast a list of occupations which further hone in on your interests. 

Login to Focus2

 

What Can I Do With This Major – The “Majors” exploration tool fosters an understanding of common career areas, typical kinds of employers and related professional associations, plus recommended career development strategies and more. 

Major Exploration at Montclair State University 

 

O*NET OnLine – The online version of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) is a primary source of occupational information for professions found in the United States.  O*NET OnLine supports your career planning by accessing key data for identifying and developing workplace skills for a breadth of occupations. 

O*Net OnLine

 

Occupational Outlook Handbook, US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics – This valuable handbook is a nationally recognized source of career information. The OOH includes information about the nature of work, working conditions, training and education, typical earnings, and job outlooks for hundreds of occupations.  

OOH

Frequently Asked Questions

Advisors help students understand degree requirements and plan a schedule that fits their program and goals.

Yes, advisors can explain options and help students understand how changes may affect timelines and requirements.

Yes, transfer students receive guidance on how credits apply and how to plan the next semesters. They work closely with faculty advisors as well.

Advisors can help students problem solve early, connect to tutoring and support services and make a plan.

Families are welcome to encourage students to connect with advising. Students are supported in learning to navigate decisions independently (within University FERPA guidelines).

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