Advanced Certificate in Academic Advising

The Advanced Certificate in Academic Advising (ACAA) is designed for academic advisors who have completed the Certificate in Academic Advising and/or have been working as an academic advisor for two or more years. This program provides opportunities to explore and reflect on the theories, practices, and perspectives that inform one’s advising philosophy and work. After taking the required workshops, each advisor will complete a capstone project, making a contribution to the UGA advising community.

Participants may register for ACAA courses through UGA’s Professional Education Portal.

(ACAA) Requirements

Complete 6 Classes + Create A Capstone Project

Cross-College Advising*

Even as an experienced advisor, do you sometimes wish you could do more to help a student who says that he or she is interested in a major in a completely different college? This advanced level certificate class is designed to provide advisors with a greater level of knowledge about the most popular degree programs at UGA. You will leave this class with the ability to have meaningful conversations with your students about many of the other majors they may be interested in pursuing.

Next Level Communication for Advisors

Academic advisors are required to be intentional communicators, conveying complex information to both receptive and unreceptive audiences. From explaining policies and requirements to listening to student concerns to dealing with conflict and difficult conversations, clear communication is the key to successful interactions between advisors and students, parents, colleagues, and supervisors. This course will help experienced academic advisors enhance their communication skills by understanding timeless principles of effective communication while also discovering their individual communication styles, blind spots, and strengths.

Electives in Advising Theory and Practice*

Each advisor’s philosophy and practice is informed by experiences and knowledge about how students develop and learn. This course will allow advisors to explore one advising theory or approach through reading and discussion. Participants will have pre-reading assignments, and the class will be facilitated in a seminar format. Each offering of this class will focus on a different advising theory or selection of complimentary theories.

Leadership in Academic Advising

This course will allow advisors to assess their professional strengths and interests, explore professional opportunities for growth at UGA and beyond, and engage in collegial dialogue. These discussions and reflections will lead to the development of each advisor’s philosophy, portfolio, and capstone project.

* 2 DIFFERENT SECTIONS REQUIRED

ACCA Curriculum (PDF) Submit Your ACAA Capstone Proposal

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Advanced Certificate classes open to non-advisors?

This program is designed for academic advisors who have completed the Certificate in Academic Advising and/or have been working as an academic advisor for 2 or more years.

What order should I take the courses in?

While there is no set order for the certificate, we would highly recommend that you save the Leadership in Advising course until the very end, and then beginning your capstone project after you have completed all of the course requirements.

What are the requirements for the capstone project?

In addition to the requisite classes, completion of the Advanced Certificate in Academic Advising requires a capstone project, a presentation, resource or publication that makes an original contribution to the UGA advising community.

This project must synthesize the knowledge and skills learned via ACAA classes and be approved, in advance, by the Certificate in Academic Advising committee.

Capstone examples include:

presenting at the fall or spring Academic Advising Workshop
presenting at an Advisor Lunch and Learn
paper submitted to a NACADA publication
paper submitted to a UGA Academic Advising publication
developing and implementing an advising certificate (CAA or ACAA) workshop
paper submitted to an academic journal, with a topic focus on academic advising

How do I submit my capstone proposal?

After you have completed the six ACAA classes, you may submit your capstone proposal here.

How do I know when I have completed the certificate?

To discover what classes you have completed and track your certificate progress, please refer to the Professional Education Portal (PEP). You will then refer to the “My Transcript Section”. After this, in the left hand side there is a drop-down box, select “Completed”. Once you do this, it will bring up the last 5 years of courses.

Please use this self-tracker to track your progress toward completing the requirements for the Advanced Certificate in Academic Advising (ACAA). Once you have finished the certificate, please email your completed self-tracker to [email protected] or if you have any other questions or concerns.

How will I receive my certificate?

Participants who complete all of the certificates will be recognized at the Academic Advisor Summer celebration. Look for an email at the end of Spring semester, inviting ACAA participants to this event.

What should I do if I am interested in teaching one of the courses?

Please email [email protected] to propose a class, apply to be an instructor or ask any other questions about the program.

What if I do not see a particular required course offered this semester?

Since all our courses are taught by existing UGA employees on a volunteer basis, we cannot guarantee that every course will be offered every semester. Please email [email protected] to inquire about when this course may be offered next.