The Department of German, Russian and Hebrew is committed to one-on-one advising to help you identify your academic and career goals, and to help you find pathways to meet these goals. Successful academic advising happens when students and faculty advisors work together as a team. Your academic advisor has expertise in scholarly issues; the College of Arts and Sciences Student Services office can help you to identify many other resources you may need, including free professional advising and support concerning student health, legal matters, writing and learning skills, general career planning, lifestyle/residential issues, academic accommodations and more.

Advising within the Program in German, Russian and Hebrew

When you declare a German or Russian major, which can be done through the MyUVM Portal, you will be assigned to an individual faculty advisor who will provide assistance on the following topics:

  •  course selection
  •  general distribution and minor requirements within CAS
  •  planning for off-campus studies, internships and other opportunities
  • career ideas and opportunities

Undecided Majors

  • course selection
  • general distribution and minor requirements within CAS
  • selection of a major and minor
  • navigating the Four-Year Plan
  • planning for off-campus studies, internships and other opportunities

Making appointments with your advisor

At the beginning of each semester, you should receive an email from your advisor indicating when s/he has office hours. If you have a conflict in your schedule that prevents you from attending office hours, you should send an e-mail to your advisor requesting a different meeting time. Office hours will also be posted on the department’s website.
You can contact your faculty advisor anytime during the semester either by e-mail or by telephone, though if the issue is more complex, using e-mail to schedule an appointment would be best.

Prior to your meeting with your advisor you should:

  • bring a copy of your four-year-plan
  • print your web transcript and bring it as a reference
  • bring a copy of your Degree Audit Report
  • familiarize yourself with the course offerings and prepare a tentative schedule
  • make a list of questions you want to ask your advisor

Advisor changes

If and when your advisor goes on sabbatical or other leave, you will be assigned temporarily to another faculty member until your advisor returns and resumes duties; if you are being reassigned, the department’s administrative assistant will email you to let you know who your acting advisor is. If for whatever reason you would like to change your advisor, you can contact the department chair.

Additional Resources

The Program in German, Russian and Hebrew is committed to helping students learn more about their chosen field of study and the opportunities associated with it. As nationally- and internationally-known scholars with successful careers, our faculty members have a wealth of expertise to share about academic work in German or Russian, graduate programs in German, Russian and related disciplines, and more. In addition to consulting individual faculty members about these issues, we strongly encourage you to attend regular events devoted to the following topics:

  • Study Abroad Information: offers an overview of various study abroad opportunities through UVM and elsewhere, how to navigate applications for programs, and how to integrate study abroad into the major. Usually offered in October.
  • Graduate School Information: explores when and if to apply, what materials you need to prepare, how to choose a program, and what job prospects are like in various fields. Usually offered in September.
  •  Career Information: brings together UVM alumni to talk about how their study of German, Russian or Hebrew helped prepare them for jobs in business, government, development, teaching, and more. Usually offered in March