Academic advising is available to assist all new and returning students from year one to graduation.
Academic advising will help you develop education plans for achieving your goals. It includes:
- receiving advice on academic matters
- taking ownership of your education
- making effective and informed decisions concerning your degree
- connecting university experiences to personal, academic, and career goals
- collaboration and partnership
On this page
Students can get help planning their academics through:
Academic advisors
Our academic advisors can help you with program planning, degree requirements, or if you have questions or concerns about your academics.
Some issues are easily resolved via e-mail while others may require a discussion in person. Remember, advisors will be very busy during peak periods (registration) so plan ahead and book an appointment early!
Contact your academic advisor:
- Email: advisor@mta.ca
- Book an appointment (booking links available below)
What can my academic advisor help me with?
Academic advisors can:
- assist with course selection and registration
- help interpret academic policies and procedures
- help you consider options for major and minor programs
- clarify degree and program requirements
- assist with program planning and tracking progress towards graduation
- provide guidance in formulating and realizing academic goals
- help you understand the consequences of academic decisions
- respond to concerns related to academic performance and academic standing
- answer your questions on academic matters and regulations
- highlight important dates and deadlines
- make referrals to appropriate resources
When should I meet with an academic advisor?
We suggest that you take the initiative to meet with an advisor at least once a year, and to seek advising when it is needed — whether you are struggling academically or not.
Contact an academic advisor any time you have questions or concerns about academic matters. Some issues are easily resolved via e-mail while others may require a discussion in person.
Students with a declared major or minor are strongly advised to consult with a program advisor prior to seeing an academic advisor.
Program advisors
Program advisors have particular expertise in their discipline and programs. Each academic department and program has a designated faculty member available to advise students.
Contact your program advisor
Once you've declared a major and minor, we strongly recommend you seek academic advising from a program advisor.
We also recommend you consult with program advisors as you consider your choice of major or minor.
Program advisors for 2025-2026 (effective July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026)
| Arts Programs | Advisor |
|---|---|
| Art History | Dr. Anne Koval finearts@mta.ca |
| Drama Studies | Dr. Sarah Fanning drama@mta.ca |
| English | Dr. Janine Rogers english@mta.ca |
| Fine Arts | Prof. Jerry Ropson finearts@mta.ca |
| French Studies | Dr. Kirsty Bell mll@mta.ca |
| German Studies | Dr. Renata Schellenberg mll@mta.ca |
| Hispanic Studies | Dr. Juan Carols Martinez mll@mta.ca |
| Japanese Studies | Dr. Akiko Yoshizawa mll@mta.ca |
| Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures | Dr. Kirsty Bell mll@mta.ca |
| Music | Dr. Kevin Morse music@mta.ca |
| Visual & Material Culture Studies | Dr. Susie Andrews sandrews@mta.ca |
| Humanities Programs | advisor |
|---|---|
| American Studies | TBD americanstudies@mta.ca |
| Canadian Studies | Dr. Andrea Beverley canadianstudies@mta.ca |
| Classical Studies | Dr. Illaria Battiloro classics@mta.ca |
| Community Engaged Learning | Dr. Fiona Black religion@mta.ca |
| Feminist and Gender Studies | Dr. Krista Johnston kjohnston@mta.ca |
| History | Dr. Hannah Lane history@mta.ca |
| Indigenous Studies | Dr. Krista Johston (acting) kjohnston@mta.ca |
| Philosophy | Dr. Jane Dryden jdryden@mta.ca |
| Religious Studies | Dr. Fiona Black religion@mta.ca |
| Social sciences Programs | advisor |
|---|---|
| Aviation (Commerce) | Susan Sparrow ssparrow@mta.ca |
| Canadian Public Policy |
Dr. Thomas Hughes |
| Commerce |
Dr. Carol Pomare |
| Economics |
Dr. Niels Anthonisen |
| Environmental Studies |
Dr. Tim Reiffenstein |
| Geocomputing |
Dr. Dave Lieske |
| Geography |
Dr. Brad Walters |
| Health Studies | Dr. Ardath Whynacht awhynacht@mta.ca |
| International Economics and Business |
Dr. Niels Anthonisen |
| International Relations |
Dr. James Devine (Fall 2025) |
| Mathematical Economics |
Dr. Niels Anthonisen |
| Philosophy, Politics, and Economics |
Politics Stream: Dr. Dave Thomas Inquiries: |
| Political Science |
Dr. Thomas Hughes |
| Sociology |
Dr. Fabrizio Antonelli |
| Science programs | advisors |
|---|---|
| Aviation (Science) | Fraser Turner aviation@mta.ca |
| Biology | Dr. Karen Crosby Dr. Diana Hamilton Dr. Douglas Campbell biology@mta.ca |
| Biochemistry | Dr. Jeffrey Waller chembiochem@mta.ca |
| Chemistry | Dr. Glen Briand chembiochem@mta.ca |
| Cognitive Science | Dr. Genevieve Desmarais psych@mta.ca |
| Computer Science | Dr. Laurie Ricker cs@mta.ca |
| Data Science | Dr. Geoffrey Cruttwell math@mta.ca |
| Environmental Science | Dr. Josh Kurek envsci@mta.ca |
| Mathematics | Dr. Geoff Cruttwell math@mta.ca |
| Physics | Dr. Ralf Bruening physics@mta.ca |
| Psychology | Dr. Genevieve Desmarais Dr. Alison O'Connor Dr. David Filice psych@mta.ca |
Certificates
Arts Administration - TBD
Biopsychology - Dr. Karen Crosby kcrobsy@mta.ca
Canadian Arts and Culture -Dr. Andrea Beverley abeverley@mta.ca
Community Engaged Learning -Dr. Fiona Black fblack@mta.ca
Data Analytics - TBD
Data Management -TBD
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion -Dr. Fabrizio Antonelli fantonelli@mta.ca
Foundations of Health - Dr. Ardath Whynacht awhynacht@mta.ca
Mi'kmaq Studies - Dr. Krista Johnston kjohnston@mta.ca
Music Education - Dr. Kevin Morse kmorse@mta.ca
Public History - Dr. Hannah Lane hlane@mta.ca
Social Research Methodologies - TBD
Studies of Indigenous History - Dr. Krista Johnston kjohnston@mta.ca
Theatre Arts - Dr. Sarah Fanning sfanning@mta.ca
Visual Literacy and Culture - Dr. Susie Andrews sandrews@mta.ca
What questions can be directed to program advisors?
- Honours programs
- Independent studies
- Research opportunities
- Graduate/professional studies
- Program curriculum and course content
- Academic requirements and course options for honours/major/minor programs
- Program planning and course selection advice
- Complementary courses for major/honours programs which must be chosen in consultation with the program advisor
Contact your department head
In some cases, the role of department head and program advisor may be filled by the same faculty member but this is not always the case.
Department heads must approve the following:
- Registering for a course without having the prerequisites
Department heads and program coordinators
| Arts and humanities | Dean: Dr. Vicki St. Pierre |
|---|---|
| American Studies | TBD |
| Canadian Studies | Dr. Andrea Beverley abeverley@mta.ca |
| Classics | Dr. Illaria Battiloro ibattiloro@mta.ca |
| Drama | Dr. Sarah Fanning (director) sfanning@mta.ca |
| English | Dr. Peter Brown pbrown@mta.ca |
| Feminist and Gender Studies | Dr. Krista Johnston (director) kjohnston@mta.ca |
| Fine Arts | Prof. Jerry Ropson jropson@mta.ca |
| History | Dr. Hannah Lane hlane@mta.ca |
| Indigenous Studies | Dr. Krista Johnston (director) kjohnston@mta.ca |
| Modern Languages and Literatures | TBD |
| Music | Dr. Kevin Morse kmorse@mta.ca |
| Philosophy | Dr. Robbie Moser rmoser@mta.ca |
| Religious Studies | Dr. Fiona Black (acting) fblack@mta.ca |
| Visual and Material Culture Studies | Dr. Lauren Beck (director) lbeck@mta.ca |
| Social Sciences | Dean: Dr. Yves Bourgeois |
|---|---|
| Commerce |
Dr. Carol Pomare |
| Economics |
Dr. Niels Anthonisen |
| Geography and Environment |
Dr. Tim Reiffenstein |
| Health Studies | Dr. Ardath Whynacht (director) awhynacht@mta.ca |
| Philosophy, Politics, and Economics |
Dr. Carla VanBeselaere (director) |
| Politics and International Relations |
Dr. Dave Thomas |
| Sociology |
Dr. Fabrizio Antonelli |
| Science | Dean: Dr. Jennifer Tomes |
|---|---|
| Aviation | Prof. Fraser Turner (director) fturner@mta.ca |
| Biology | Dr. Diana Hamilton dhamilton@mta.ca |
| Biopsychology | Dr. Karen Crosby (director) kcrosby@mta.ca |
| Chemistry and Biochemistry | Dr. Vicki Meli vmeli@mta.ca |
| Cognitive Science | Dr. Genevieve Desmarais (coordinator) gdesmarais@mta.ca |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | Dr. Mark Hamilton mhamilton@mta.ca |
| Physics | Dr. David Fleming dfleming@mta.ca |
| Psychology | Dr. Lisa Dawn Hamilton ldhamilton@mta.ca |
Career advisors
To help you find your way from academic studies to a rewarding future, we provide group programs, individual career advising, and career resources.
For more information, visit career planning and resources.