Undergraduate Advisor, BioSciences

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The Undergraduate Bio Sciences Advising Office serves undergraduate students in the Integrative Biology, Molecular & Cell Biology, and Neuroscience majors through comprehensive advising and student programming.

The Departments of Molecular and Cell Biology (MCB), Integrative Biology (IB), and Neuroscience (NEU) are among the largest academic departments at UC Berkeley. By several measures (including faculty and student counts, budget, and assigned square footage), these departments are larger than many UCB colleges and schools. The two departments represent over 186 faculty FTE (including Adjuncts, Professors of the Graduate School, active emeriti, and 15 HHMI professors);

77 Researchers and Specialists; 150 post-doctoral researchers; 375 graduate students; 80 department staff members; and a total state and extramural payroll of approximately 1000 (including Graduate Student Instructors, Graduate Student Researchers, and research staff). Financial resources include approximately $51M in annual extramural funding (which accounts for over half of the College of Letters & Science's total sponsored research awards) and over $46M from other funding sources.

The department has over 1,800 declared undergraduate students and a total annual enrollment of ~20,000 students. Department personnel are currently housed in eight buildings located in three widely separated parts of the campus.

The Bio Sciences Undergraduate Advisor is responsible for counseling prospective and declared undergraduate students in Integrative Biology (IB), Molecular & Cell Biology (MCB), and Neuroscience (NEU) on academic program policies and issues. This position provides students with the necessary academic advising to guide them in making appropriate educational choices and decisions, conducts informational sessions, and provides advice.

The First Review Date for this job is September 4, 2026. For full consideration, please apply by the first review date.

• Provide advice and assistance to students on all aspects of their academic experience, including admission to the major, progression, and departmental/college requirements.
• Determine barriers, distractions, and complications affecting a student's academic success, help students recognize these key non-academic issues, and make appropriate referrals for additional therapeutic counseling and/or assistance from other units.
• Assist students in making informed decisions, setting short- and long-term goals, and fulfilling the requirements of the B.A. in one of the supported majors.
• Advise students on a wide range of course possibilities and/or ways to complete degree requirements that may not be clearly defined.
• Monitor academic progress toward completion of the major, including advising students at risk of failing and/or falling below the minimum GPA requirement.
• Use a thorough knowledge of the curricular requirements of all IB, MCB, and NEU major tracks, as well as various research opportunities, post-baccalaureate programs, and careers, to recommend programs of study that will allow students to successfully meet their goals.
• Evaluate and advise students seeking to petition for exceptions to departmental and college requirements.
• Advise new and continuing faculty on departmental/college policies and procedures related to academic advising matters.
• Contribute to shared processes and administrative tasks such as reviewing declarations from submissions, emails to the general accounts, reviewing advising surveys, and checking graduation requirements.

• Lead or assist assigned special interest areas, determined by office need and expertise of incumbent (examples: student success program, transfer seminar/mentorship program, peer advisor program, communications, and other workshops/events).

• Attend and provide programmatic support in the planning and implementation of high-visibility events (departmental commencement ceremonies, Cal Day, Golden Bear Orientation, etc), and…