Advising

Academic advisors play a crucial role in helping you navigate your college journey. They can help with course selection and scheduling, connect you to resources, help you monitor your academic progress, and provide career guidance.

Please see the information below regarding how to contact and meet with the assigned faculty advisor for your major.

Undergraduate Advisors

The Biological Sciences undergraduate advisors meet with undergraduate students who are officially declared as a Biology, Marine Biology, or Microbiology major. These majors require that students begin as "pre-majors" and then meet precise major-specific criteria to officially declare the major.

Students with "pre-major" status meet with the instead of the faculty advisors below.

Each major has an assigned faculty advisor. To make an appointment with your advisor, use the Beach Connect link in , select your assigned faculty advisor (listed below), and be sure to provide as much detail as possible about your situation/question. For help using the Beach Connect appointment system via SSO, see Advising Appointment Guide (PDF).

Faculty Advisors
DegreeUndergraduate Advisor
General Biology (last name A-G)Dr. Susan Finkbeiner

Office: HSCI-104
Email: Susan.Finkbeiner@csulb.edu
General Biology (last name H-M)Dr. Amanda Fisher

Office: MLSC-202
Email: Amanda.Fisher@csulb.edu
General Biology (last name N-Z)Dr. Ashley Carter

Office: MIC-010
Email: Ashley.Carter@csulb.edu
Biology EducationDr. Amanda Fisher

Office: MLSC-202
Email: Amanda.Fisher@csulb.edu
Molecular Cell Biology and Physiology (last name A-G)Dr. Deborah Fraser

Office: MLSC-224
Email: Deborah.Fraser@csulb.edu
Molecular Cell Biology and Physiology (last name H-Z)Dr. Douglas Pace

Office: MLSC-228
Email: Douglas.Pace@csulb.edu
Zoology, Botany, and EcologyDr. Bruno Pernet

Office: HSCI-124
Email: Bruno.Pernet@csulb.edu
Marine BiologyDr. Bruno Pernet

Office: HSCI-124
Email: Bruno.Pernet@csulb.edu
MicrobiologyDr. Deborah Fraser

Office: MLSC-224
Email: Deborah.Fraser@csulb.edu
Minor in BiologyDr. Ashley Carter

Office: MIC-010
Email: Ashley.Carter@csulb.edu
Minor in MicrobiologyDr. Deborah Fraser

Office: MLSC-224
Email: Deborah.Fraser@csulb.edu

Graduate Advisor

To make an appointment with the graduate advisor, please email the advisor listed below and be sure to provide as much detail as possible about your situation/question. Appointments with graduate advisors cannot be booked via Beach Connect.

Dr. Kevin Sinchak
Graduate Biology and Microbiology Advisor
Office: HSCI-140
Phone: 562.985.8649
Email: Kevin.Sinchak@csulb.edu


Academic Policies

Please consult the following resources for more information regarding academic policies:

Tutoring

Multiple centers on campus offer free tutoring:

  • offers free tutoring in science and math courses for CNSM pre-majors and majors.
  • Lindgren Math Tutoring Center offers free tutoring in math courses.
  • The Learning Center offers free tutoring in lower-division courses as well as academic coaching.