Advising FAQ's

An advisor is a professional who helps you navigate your degree plan and helps you decide which classes to take and when. An advisor is full of great information and can provide support to help you succeed, so get to know your advisor and stay in touch. If an advisor does not know the answer to a question, the advisor can help direct you to someone who does.

No, you must be accepted to MSU Texas in order to be advised by our department.

Congratulations! First, your TSI and Meningitis requirements must be completed before advising can take place. After you've completed these, schedule an appointment on Navigate with one of our advisors.

The MSU Global Education Office is available to international students and offers expert services such as immigration assistance and scholarships available only to international students. Please reach out to them for any information about your visa, I-20, status, or documentation.

The staff and faculty at the Dillard College cannot offer assistance.

Note: Please do not contact graduate admissions and the global education office regarding advising.

Unless you are a new student, you should have an assigned Academic Counselor or Faculty Advisor. You'll find this information by logging into the MSU Texas Portal and choosing Degree Works. You can also find it in WebWorld/Banner following the path Student→Student Records→View Student Information.

If you are a new student who has not yet been assigned an Academic Counselor, feel free to schedule an appointment on Navigate or call the Advising Center at 940-397-4668.

Within the business college, students are assigned an Academic Counselor to begin their studies. After completing the business core and being admitted to Dillard College, students are transitioned to a Faculty Advisor to complete their studies.

A graduate level advisor is a faculty member and professional who helps you navigate your degree plan and gives advice for which classes to take and when. Your advisor is full of great information and can provide support to help you succeed, so get to know your advisor and stay in touch.

Be aware that graduate level advisors are also faculty members, so their availability and response time may vary. Faculty advisors are teaching classes and doing research on top of advising, so please remain patient and wait for their responses. If you feel that it has been too long without hearing back from your advisor, you can contact the MBA program assistant or one of the MBA coordinators. A couple of days/one week is not a significant amount of time.

MBA Program Assistant:

Ashlee Paslawski
940-397-4727
ashlee.paslawski@msutexas.edu

MBA Program Coordinators

Dr. Pablo Garcia-Fuentes
940-397-4717
pablo.fuentes@msutexas.edu

Dr. Niyati Kataria
940-397-4969
niyati.kataria@msutexas.edu

Note: Summer term (June through August) may affect wait times hearing back from faculty members.

No, you must be accepted to MSU Texas in order to even be assigned to an advisor. Without being accepted, you may not be advised, given a degree plan, or allowed to apply for scholarships or graduate assistantships.

The MSU Global Education Office is available to international students and offers expert services such as immigration assistance and scholarships available only to international students. Please reach out to them for any information about your visa, I-20, status, or documentation.

The staff and faculty at the Dillard College cannot offer assistance.

Note: Please do not contact graduate admissions and the global education office regarding advising.

Graduate students who have been accepted into the MBA program at Dillard are permitted to use the MBA program assistant as their point of contact for assistance until after they have started their first semester, with the exception of those students concentrating in Accounting. The MBA program assistant can help with questions about your degree plan and more.

Toward the end of the first month of their first semester, students are then assigned to a faculty member for all advising and course scheduling needs for the remainder of their time in the MBA. Faculty advisors do not typically schedule appointments through Navigate, but can and should be reached via email. You may utilize the MSU Texas Directory if you need the contact information for your advisor or any of your professors.

Once the semester has begun and you have been assigned an advisor, you should be able to see your assigned faculty advisor by logging into the MSU Texas Portal and choosing Degree Works. You can also find it in WebWorld/Banner following the path Student→Student Records→View Student Information.

If you are having trouble contacting your advisor or have other questions, contact the MBA program assistant in the Advising Center at 940-397-4727.

Communication with your advisor is important throughout your college career. You need phone and email access to him/her. This information can be found in the directory, or you may schedule an appointment on Navigate (Note that not all faculty advisors use this system. Some must be contacted via email or by phone.) Of course, feel free to call the Advising Center for more information or assistance: 940-397-4668.

GRADUATE STUDENTS: If you are a graduate student accepted into the MBA program, you may use the MBA program assistant as a point of contact until you are assigned a faculty member advisor (this happens after you have started classes) which you will contact via email. Please do not book appointments with undergraduate advisors, as those appointments will be canceled.

You need to meet with your advisor at least once a semester to discuss classes for the next semester and assess the progress you are making on the degree plan you have chosen.  You are not able to register for the upcoming semester until the advisor has removed your advising hold.

The fall and summer schedules are usually released in mid to late March. The spring schedule is released in mid to late October. You should set an appointment as soon as schedules are released. Check your assigned registration time on the Academic Calendar and make your appointment before that time. Timely advising and registration are key to getting the classes you want and need.

Keep in mind that you are not limited to one visit per semester. The Academic Counselors and Faculty Advisors are knowledgeable resources. Do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions or concerns.

Academic Counselors are located in the Advising Center on the second floor of the Dillard Building. When you exit the elevators, turn right. Faculty Advisors are in their offices, also on the second floor, and their office hours are posted outside their doors. Office maps are available throughout the building.

The degree plan is the road map for your college education. It lists the courses required to graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration in your particular major. You sign this with your advisor who then files it with the Registrar. Everyone must have a degree plan on file with the Registrar after 45 hours. In the business college, we try to file them as soon as possible after a student declares a business major. This is typically done by the Academic Counselor and, sometimes, the Faculty Advisor. You should receive a copy of it when you sign it. If you lose it or never got one, the department secretaries can provide you with a copy.

GRADUATE STUDENTS: The degree plan is the road map for your college education. It lists the courses required for you to receive a Master’s Degree in your particular major. Certain changes may be made to your degree plan if absolutely necessary, such as if you are planning to take summer courses or require fully online courses. These changes must be approved by the MBA coordinator.

If you have already been advised in our department, you can ask the Administrative Assistant in the advising center for a copy of your degree plan. If you have a faculty advisor, ask the department secretary for a copy. If you'd like to print your own copy, you can access blank degree plans on our degree plans web page. Finally, Degree Works (accessible in the MSU Texas Portal) is a handy digital version of your degree plan.

GRADUATE STUDENTS: An example degree plan for an MBA in General Business Administration can be viewed here. (Please note that this file is in the process of being updated and may not accurately represent currently offered courses.) Information about other majors, concentrations, and course descriptions can be found on the MBA web page.

Due to a recent change, new incoming students to the MBA program at Dillard do not receive a personal degree plan until it is closer to the time of registration. Keep an eye on your inbox for upcoming emails regarding registration and your degree plan.

Note for International Graduate Students: Due to a recent change, new incoming international students must report their immigration status and confirmed the approval for their visa to the Global Education Office before they will be issued a personal degree plan or allowed to register. Once confirmation of an approved visa has been received, new international students will be issued a personal degree plan and their hold will be lifted to allow them to register.

Unless you are a new student, you should have a good idea of what you need to take next semester. The degree plan and catalog are the best resources to help you figure this out.

Bring a written plan or Advisor Approved Schedule form with complete course information. Or, send a digital one in advance. The longer you have been a student, the more specific your advisor will expect your plan to be. You have access to class days and times in WebWorld/Banner. Learn how to maneuver within it. Faculty Advisors will expect a formally prepared Advisor Approved Schedule that includes all details.

If you are not prepared, you may be asked to reschedule or spend your appointment time in the computer lab looking up potential classes. It all depends on the season and the advisor’s schedule.

Academic Counselors will typically spend 30-45 minutes with a business major, depending on student need and level of preparation. For students with a Faculty Advisor, it depends on the professor's schedule. That is why you should be prepared and prompt and bring your Advisor Approved Schedule.

Haven't heard from your advisor yet? While Academic Counselors and some Faculty Advisors may send reminder emails, it is your responsibility to reach out when you need your advisor's assistance.

If your advisor needs to get in touch with you, he or she will access your preferred email or phone number in WebWorld/Banner. Make sure your "Personal Information" is up-to-date.

Sure, but it is not recommended. Certain classes tend to fill up quickly, especially the upper level business classes that you must take as prerequisites to other upper level business classes. Failure to secure a spot in a needed class could cause a delay in your graduation plans.

Please contact your advisor as soon as you realize you cannot make it. While it is not an ideal scenario, canceling at the last minute is better than being absent without explanation. Your appointment time is reserved just for you. An advisor who knows you are not coming may be able to help another student at that time. There is a rescheduling option in the online scheduling system. Access your confirmation email for the link to reschedule. If you are more than 15 minutes late, your appointment will be marked as a "no show." Accidents happen, but you should avoid having a "no show".

It's best to stay with the same advisor for consistency of information and relationship building. However, sometimes students want to change their assigned advisor. If you are assigned to an Academic Counselor, you can request a change by talking to the Advising Center Administrative Assistant. If you have a Faculty Advisor, you will need to contact the Secretary of your major department.

Please contact your advisor as soon as possible. Do no wait until the next advising appointment. It is highly likely that you will need to adjust your schedule.

Yes, please pay attention and educate yourself. The degree plan is based on information from the catalog, but the catalog has more extensive and specific information. Although it doesn't happen often, an advisor may make a mistake. Or, you may have misunderstood the advisor. Or, the advisor may have misunderstood you. This is your degree. Own it.