Biology and Health and Human Biology Advisors
 

Once a student declares a Biology or Health and Human Biology concentration, navigating their time at Brown can be complex. To ensure students receive comprehensive support, every concentrator is assigned both a Concentration Advisor and a Faculty Advisor, who remain consistent throughout their time at Brown. This dual-advising structure provides students with a balanced approach to academic planning, exploration, and growth. The Concentration Advisor ensures students stay on track with curricular requirements and university policies, while the Faculty Advisor offers guidance in research, career exploration, and broader academic goals. Together, these advisors help students make informed curricular and co-curricular decisions that align with their interests and goals.

Concentration Advisors are members of the Biology Undergraduate Education Office who provide structured guidance on concentration requirements from declaration through graduation. The Concentration Advisor remains the primary point of contact for curricular advising and course approvals throughout their time at Brown. The Concentration Advisor supports students in the following areas:

• Curricular planning and approvals: Students work with their Concentration Advisor to develop and approve the initial course plan in ASK. As course planning evolves, advisors work with students to modify and approve their course plans in ASK to ensure they continue to meet concentration requirements.
• Final approvals and graduation clearance: Concentration Advisors verify course completion and ensure students have met all academic requirements for graduation.
• General academic support: Concentration Advisors assist with academic policies, university resources, and challenges that may arise.

Faculty Advisors are faculty members from across the departments and academic units within the Division of Biology and Medicine. Once declared, each student is assigned a Faculty Advisor who remains their primary faculty advisor throughout their time at Brown. Faculty Advisors provide mentorship and subject-specific expertise to help students make the most of their academic and professional experiences within their concentration. They support students in the following areas:

• Research and experiential learning: Faculty Advisors guide students on research opportunities, summer programs, and career pathways. They may advise students on how to identify and apply for research experiences, including UTRAs and independent studies.
• Post-graduate planning: Faculty Advisors may advise on post-graduate planning including graduate program advising, information about gap years, or other opportunities.
• Course advising (non-approval role): Faculty Advisors can suggest courses that align with a student’s academic and career goals and provide guidance in course selection in their expertise but are not expected to provide approvals on concentration requirements.

Students benefit from the combined expertise of both advisors, ensuring they receive structured academic advising and personalized advising tailored to their individual goals.

If you are interested in one of the other Biology-related concentrations- Applied Mathematics-Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Computational Biology, Biomedical Engineering or Neuroscience—please visit the respective concentration pages for more information about the undergraduate program, concentration requirements, and its advising structure.