For all Computer Science students, your CS Advisor is assigned based on your last name. For most students, this means you can follow the notations below each advisor’s name above. However, there may be some exceptions to these notations that could not be accurately displayed on this website. Make sure to check your iAdvise and UIC email for the most accurate information on your assigned advisor.
For all Data Science students, you have been allocated an advisor based on your concentration. Santhi Nannapaneni (cs-datascience@uic.edu) advises Data Science students with the following concentrations: Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Data Processing, Science, and Engineering, and Industrial Engineering Concentration.
For all Computer Science + Design students, you are assigned an advisor based on your current progress in your degree program. First year CS + Design students who are enrolled in DES 150 for Fall 2023 are advised by the School of Design and can contact Kevin Strickland (kevin3@uic.edu) for support. Second year CS + Design students and first year CS + Design students NOT currently enrolled in DES 150 are advised by Akangkha Khan (akhan344@uic.edu).

Available advising appointments can be scheduled through iAdvise. Make sure to only schedule an appointment with your assigned advisor. If they do not have any available appointments, reach out to them over email with your questions.

Note: Don’t miss emails from your advisor! Add a filter to approve emails sent from your advisor’s name so you don’t miss important messages. All students are expected to check their email regularly for important advising information. All emails are sent to your UIC email address.

Here are instructions for how to schedule your advising appointment in iAdvise:

1. Log into my.uic.edu
2. At the top of the page, select the Advising tab
3. Select iAdvise (if the iAdvise icon is not on your page, simply type iAdvise into the search bar)
4. Select ENGR Advising
5. Click the Engineering College Advising link on the side
6. Select your advisor’s name
7. Find a time that works!

Ahead of registration each semester, every student in the College of Engineering has an advising hold placed on their student account which will keep them from being able to register. This hold can only be removed by your respective CS advisor. To remove the advising hold and register, all COE/CS students must be advised (bold “must be advised”) each semester (Fall and Spring). CS Advisors refer to this as mandatory advising.

Mandatory advising involves two steps:

• All students must first submit the CS Advising Form each semester.
  • If you have completed the form entirely with correct information and do not fall into a population that requires a 1:1 appointment, your advisor will review your form and provide you with feedback via email before removing your hold.
  • Please note: This is not an automated process and may take several days.
• Depending on your position as a student, you may be required to meet with your advisor after filling out the advising form. 1:1 appointments are required for:
  • First semester Fall 2023 CS students (freshman, transfer, or change of major to CS)
  • Students who will graduate in Spring 2024
  • Students who fall under advisor discretion (i.e. incorrect advising form, credit overload, repeating courses, etc.)
  • Students on probation

Please note: Your Advising Hold is not connected to any of the following– Town Halls or CS Workshops. It is your responsibility to pay attention to your CS Advisors “Mandatory Advising” requirements and information to remove your advising hold and register for courses on time. Look for an email from your advisor referring to “Mandatory Advising” to see when you are scheduled to make an appointment.

Here are some of the questions we often receive from undergraduate applicants and undergraduate students.

During the Fall 2023 semester, the CS Advising team will offer a Welcome Town Hall and a Mid-Semester Town Hall.

The purpose of these Town Halls is to provide information, knowledge, resources, and clarification to the various questions that are asked at the beginning and middle of the semester, such as add/drop questions, the advising schedule, and more. The Town Halls will also consist of a breakout session with each Advisor and their respective students. Town Halls are NOT tied to your advising hold and attendance is optional but encouraged. 

We will hold three Town Halls throughout the semester. These Town Halls will take place on:

• Wednesday, August 23rd at 2:00 PM in SEO 1000
• Thursday, August 31st at 10:00 AM on Zoom (https://go.uic.edu/CSWelcomeTownHall)
• Tuesday, October 17th at 10:00 AM on Zoom (https://go.uic.edu/CSMidSemesterTownHall)

All town halls each semester will be recorded and posted to our CS Advisor Youtube channel.

Throughout the Fall semester, the CS Advising Team will offer a series of workshops aimed at supporting students through their degree planning.

Curriculum Change Workshop

In Spring 2023, the Computer Science department announced changes to the curriculum that are effective starting Fall 2023. Continuing students who were admitted to the CS department Summer 2023 and earlier have the option to stay in the previous curriculum or move into the new curriculum. During this workshop, the advisors will review the changes and help students understand which curriculum is best for them. This workshop is meant for students who began their CS program prior to Fall 2023 and are uncertain about which curriculum to pursue.

Wednesday, August 30th at 10:00 AM in SEO 1000
Wednesday, September 6th at 12:00 PM in CS Lounge

Graduation Planning Workshop

During this workshop, students will begin generating a complete plan from wherever they are in the CS program towards graduation with the help of an advisor. This workshop is meant for students with at least 2 future terms before graduation.

Wednesday, September 13th at 1:00 PM in CS Lounge (SELE 2260)
Wednesday, November 8th at 10:00 AM in CS Lounge (SELE 2260) 

If you cannot attend a workshop, a version of each workshop will be recorded and posted online. Keep an eye on your email, the CS Advising Youtube channel, and the CS Advising website throughout the semester for links to the recordings.

DARs (Degree Audit Reports) can be accessed through the U.Achieve link of your MyUIC portal. DARs are a tool used to keep track of academic progress toward the completion of your degree. It includes all degree requirements for your specific major, noting which classes you have completed and which classes you still need to take.

(Note: If you notice that a course is listed incorrectly or under “not used toward degree,” contact your advisor for assistance.)

Free electives are classes of your choosing that count toward your graduation (with some exceptions). They may be technical or nontechnical, but remedial* or duplicative courses are not allowed. A maximum of 2 semester hours of free elective credit in kinesiology are allowed. Speak to your CS advisor for additional information.

*A remedial class is any class below the first required class for your CS degree.

You can visit the office (SEO 905) for any CS-related issue, such as CS class registration, CS petitions, curriculum, and grievances. Various student forms and petitions related to your academics are available there as well. The office welcomes all students for any issues, and if they are not able to help, they will point you in the right direction.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Note: The CS student affairs team is working on a hybrid schedule right now. If you have a question, it may be faster to email cs-ugrad@uic.edu or call them at 312-413-5643 instead of coming into the office.

You must visit the department you are planning to minor in (for example, if you want to pursue a math minor, you must visit the math department). You also must declare your minor/concentration with the College of Engineering. To do so, complete the Minor/Concentration form found on the COE student resources page.

You should visit the department you wish to major in to initiate the change of major and to set up an appointment with the person who will be your academic advisor in your new department.

Usually, the change in major is effective the following semester.

Students changing majors outside of engineering should first attend an ICT session.

(Note: Until the change is official, you will still need to meet with your CS advisor).