Advising Philosophy

At CCAS, we strive to create a welcoming and inclusive community. We respect, value, and celebrate the diversity of all UW–Madison students. By committing ourselves to supporting and advocating for students of all identities, we hope to help foster a healthy campus environment where students can explore academic interests, make decisions about majors and careers, and reach their full potential.

Click an icon below to learn more about our advising philosophy and practices:

We are here to listen, get to know YOU and your story, AND help you create a plan for making academic and career decisions.

Advising with CCAS

At CCAS, our role is to help students find the information, self-knowledge, and experiences that will move their lives in the directions they choose. We will not prescribe answers or programs to students. We instead support and assist students through the process of finding academic areas that they enjoy and in which they can be successful. Our advisors are knowledgeable about every major and certificate at UW-Madison.

With this knowledge, we are available to all undergraduate students regardless of major.

Our goal is to discover and learn about:

  • which courses and activities interest you
  • what you are naturally curious about
  • the ideas you have about majors and careers

We can talk about:

  • courses, degree requirements, majors, and certificate programs
  • the connection between majors and careers
  • Grades and GPA
  • academic and student support resources
  • getting involved on campus, study abroad, and research
  • other questions and concerns during your first year and beyond
Decorative image of neon open sign

We provide tools to help you make decisions about your major and career goals:

  • One-on-one appointments with experienced academic and career advisors who provide:
    • Judgment-free spaces where students are treated with empathy and kindness
    • Knowledge of school/college and University policies
    • Experience helping students navigate challenges and when things go wrong
  • A central office in Ingraham Hall and advising offices in five residence halls
  • Major and career drop-in events offered each semester in partnership with the Career Exploration Center (CEC)
  • Highly trained peer advisors, who are current UW-Madison students able to answer advising and student life questions
CCAS Advisor talks with a student

CCAS Students

A CCAS student is ANY undergraduate student who is exploring their academic options! CCAS exists to serve all undergraduate students who are undecided about their major, and who seek individualized help to explore the many academic opportunities at UW-Madison. We support students at different points in their academic journey, and everywhere in between:

Completely undecided and are feeling unsure and maybe overwhelmed about where to start.

Love many subjects and do not know how to pick one major, certificate, or a combination.

Have never had the chance to pick classes they like and need some guidance about what is possible.

Know you want to apply to a limited enrollment program and need course planning guidance while other options.

Have a general sense of what you like, but don’t know, or want to explore, which programs can match those interests.

Know what you DO NOT like, but need guidance trying out new experiences to see what you DO like.

We also recognize that sometimes students come to UW-Madison with a plan or major in mind and for a variety of reasons that plan does not happen.

We are here to help those students too!