Academic Advising

Information for Fall 2024 Registration 

Academic Advising Week is April 1- 5, 2024

Make an Appointment with your Academic Advisor
The Department of Veterinary & Animal Sciences requires students to meet with their academic faculty advisor during the Fall and Spring pre-registration periods. Be on the look-out for an email from your academic advisor asking you to sign-up for an advising appointment.

Prepare for your Advising Appointment
Prior to meeting with your advisor, please review your academic advising report in SPIRE for accuracy and be prepared with any questions you have regarding academic/career goals and your plan of study for the next semester. Your questions and plans will help your advisor to suggest the most appropriate courses, independent study and practica opportunities available to you. Upon completion of your advising appointment, your advisor will remove your registration hold, allowing you to register for classes when your enrollment appointment begins. If you are unfamiliar with who your academic advisor is, please check in the lower right corner of your student center on SPIRE or contact lwest0 [at] vasci.umass.edu (Lisa West).

Registration for the Fall 2024 semester begins for 

Seniors: 87 credits and above - Monday, April 8 - Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Juniors: 57 – 86 credits - Tuesday, April 16 - Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Sophomores: 27 – 56 credits - Monday, April 22 - Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Freshmen: 26 credits and below - Friday, April 26, 2024

NOTE: Enrollment appointment times are determined by a student’s potential credit total, which includes what they are CURRENTLY enrolled as of the date Registrar runs the appointment process. 

UMass 2024-2025 Academic Calendar

Registering for Classes FAQ - please click on this link to view the most Frequently Asked Questions and their answers.

Animal Science Courses Fall 2024

VASCI Course Checklists - these checklists can be downloaded and
used to assist students
in their academic planning.

Course Checklist - Animal Science Major - Animal Management Concentration

Course Checklist - Animal Science Major - Biotechnology Concentration

Course Checklist - Animal Science Major - Equine Concentration

Course Checklist - Pre-Veterinary Science Major

Course Checklist - Animal Science Secondary Major

Additional Forms

ENTRY TO PRE-VET MAJOR

PETITION TO SUBSTITUTE A COURSE FOR ANIMLSCI 101

Authorization for Release of Academic Information

Biotechnology Research Contract for 291C, 291M, 391C, 391M, 491C, 491M

CNS Credit Overload Petition

CNS Course Repeat Petition

CNS Late Add Petition

CNS Late Withdrawal Petition

Elect Pass/Fail

Internships and Practica - sign up using Handshake

VASCI Petition to Waive a Required Course

Prior Approval for Transfer Courses

Senior Year in Absentia

UMass Learning Resource Center (LRC) -    
supplemental instruction, tutoring and more!

The Learning Resource Center (LRC) serves as the central undergraduate academic and undergraduate research support unit for the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst). At UMass Amherst’s Learning Resource Center (LRC), there are four different branches of academic support and undergraduate research support available to students, including Peer Tutoring (drop in and by appointment), Study Skills Tutoring, Supplemental Instruction (SI) and the Office of Undergraduate Research and Studies (OURS). LRC and OURS services are built-in campus resources, and they are completely free for UMass undergraduates. The different types of academic resources are available to support students in achieving their iteration of academic success at UMass Amherst.

Student Success 

Take Charge of Your Learning - Great Resources for great strategies including videos, workshops, charts, checklists, and more!

First-Generation Students and Alumni group

The First-Generation Students and Alumni group on Connect UMass is a real-world networking space for students and alumni who identify with the first-generation college student experience. The platform helps students practice personal and professional networking with a matching quiz, message templates, and general guidance on networking etiquette. All alumni members have joined explicitly to support and/or mentor current students. Students, alumni, staff, and faculty are also welcome to post on the First-Generation Students and Alumni message board about upcoming first-gen events, first-gen and first-gen adjacent resources, questions for the group, networking strategies, and more.