STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

i. What is the difference between a Faculty Advisor, an Academic Advisor, and Program Coordinator? 

Ans. Every year, students are partnered with a Faculty Advisor (Juniors & Seniors), Academic Advisor (First Years & Sophomores), and Program Coordinator post major declaration. All three will be able to offer comprehensive academic and career guidelines and offer up-to-date advisement. The advisors, whether faculty or academic, help in utilizing campus resources and increase awareness of practices that optimize the college experience and post-LUMS planning. 

For in-person, you can email and check if you can get a specific slot. Otherwise, you can drop by during office hours. For virtual, a meeting slot must be booked in advance. 

ii. Who are PALss and what support do they provide?  

Ans. Ans. PALss (Peer Ambassadors at LUMS for Social Support) is attached to you when you join LUMS. These are Juniors and Seniors students who are assigned to help you with social integration. If you have questions about joining various societies, and enhancing your participation in different social activities, feel free to contact your PALss. If you have any academic-related queries, always reach out to the Advising Unit.: 

iii. How do I book an appointment with an Academic or a Faculty Advisor? 

To book an appointment with one of our Academic Advisors, please email undergradadvising.mgshss@lums.edu.pk or email your Academic/Faculty Advisor as mentioned on Zambeel.

iv. Who can help me plan my degree courses?  

Ans. The MGSHSS Academic Advising Unit is happy to help you navigate through the course planning stage every semester. Juniors and Seniors need to consult with their department coordinator. Some helpful tips are listed below – careful consideration of these will help you with the careful selection of courses: 

  1. Be aware of your degree requirements, major cores, major electives, core curriculum buckets, and outgroups (Refer to the Student Handbook).
  2. Check the course catalog and browse through the course memo for the upcoming semester. 
  3. Shortlist potential courses as per your interest. 
  4. Meet your Academic Advisor or Department coordinator to review the course selection. 

v. What is an Academic Plan and what time is best for me to have my Academic Plan reviewed?  

Ans. It is mandatory for you to meet with your advisor at least once every semester. You can request a review of your overall Academic Plan, and if you want semester-by-semester guidance, you can request an appointment. It is considered best practice to have an organized academic plan – it may be a rough draft but will help plan a balanced distribution of workload, course levels, and diverse course variety as well. This will help you with a positive university experience and strong academic standing.  

vi. What if I have missed my core bucket course requirement, and it is time to declare my major?  

Ans.  It is mandatory that you complete your core buckets requirements as per the distribution outlined in the Student Handbook. Your advisor will alert you of any missed core buckets.  

vii. Would taking a course from my core curriculum bucket satisfy my major elective requirements?   

Ans.  Courses taken to satisfy buckets do count towards major cores or electives (whichever applies). For example, Econ 214 – Market Institutions will count as Economics major elective for students with Economics, Economics and Math, and Politics and Economics majors.  

viii. I have already taken one of the courses from Great Authors Bucket, do I still need to pick another course?  

Ans. No. You just need to take one course per bucket to satisfy the requirement