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Virtual Academic Advising and Course Registration

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Welcome to The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences!

Summer 2026 CALS Virtual Academic Advising and Course Registration

During mandatory virtual academic advising and course registration you will have the opportunity to meet with your major advisor to review courses for registration. Your advisor is a great resource as you navigate the transition to Virginia Tech. You are still required to complete the University First-Year and Transfer Summer Orientation.

Summer 2026 Agriculture and Life Sciences Orientation Timeline:

  • May 1:  University virtual orientation modules opened.
  • May 5: Receive the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Welcome email with details about your majors Academic Advising and Course Registration. 
  • June 10 - July 31: Attend a mandatory virtual academic advising appointment for your major, dates may vary by major.
  • June 10: Course registration opens. This will be an ongoing process through the summer and can begin prior to meeting with an academic advisor.  View details at course registration.  Please see your major’s specific instructions under “Schedule a meeting”. 
  • July 31: If you do not make an academic advising appointment by this date, a hold will be placed on your account preventing you from making any changes to your schedule or registering for classes until you meet with an academic advisor.
  • August 24: Fall 2026 classes begin! 
  • August 28: Last day to add classes to your fall 2026 schedule.

Tips and Tools to prepare for this meeting

  • Download Hokies On Track app to stay informed about upcoming events and information.
  • Download Zoom prior to your meeting with your major.

ALEKS Placement 

Take the placement assessment as soon as possible, one assessment is used to qualify students for eligibility in these courses. Access to ALEKS is available now and is offered free of charge for Virginia Tech students. 

Before you begin registering for courses 

  1. Create your VT Username (PID) 
  2. Enroll in 2-factor authentication with duo 
  3. Download the Duo Mobile app on your personal smartphone and enroll the device
  4. Sign up to receive VT Alerts for your phone.
  5. Access, read, and use your VT Outlook email daily
  6. Setup Zoom - all sessions during the Virtual Academic Advising and Course Registration process will take place through Zoom.
  7. Complete your university virtual orientation modules - Deadline: July 31, 2026 check your VT email for more information after you accept your offer of admission. Modules available after May 1. Plan to spend a couple of hours completing the modules.  Within these modules you will be guided through: 
    1. Academic Advising at VT and College Structures
    2. Elements of a Degree
    3. Understanding Transfer Credit
  8. Complete and submit the housing/dining contract

Welcome to the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics! We look forward to working with you as you begin your journey at Virginia Tech!

To ensure you are ready for your advising appointment, please review this information:

  1. You will receive an email in early June to fill out a pre-advising survey and instructions on how to schedule your Virtual Academic Advising and Course Registration (VAACR) session.  These sessions will run from June 10-12, June 22-July 2, July 6-15.
  2. Advising sessions will be virtual over Zoom - each session will be an individual appointment. Your appointment will be approximately 45 minutes, and we will finalize your fall classes during this appointment.
  3. Please make sure you check your VT email daily for updates. 

We look foward to seeing you this summer!

Department Majors

  • Agribusiness
  • Community Economic Development
  • Environmental Economics: Management and Policy
  • Food & Health Systems
  • International Trade and Development

If you have any questions, email Normand Adams (nadams10@vt.edu)

Welcome to the Department of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education! We look forward to working with you as you begin your journey at Virginia Tech!

To ensure you are ready for your advising appointment, please review this information:

  1. You will receive an email from your Academic Advisor in early June to fill out a pre-advising survey and instructions on how to schedule your Virtual Academic Advising and Course Registration (VAACR) appointment.
  2. Advising appointments will be virtual over Zoom between June 10 – 26.  Each advising session will be an individual appointment. Your session will be approximately 45 minutes, and we will finalize your fall classes during this time.
  3. Please make sure you check your VT email daily for updates.

Department Majors

  • Agricultural and Extension Education
  • Community Leadership Development

If you have any questions, please email Courtney Collins (cswanson8@vt.edu) | Phone: 540-231-6337

We look foward to meeting you this summer!

Welcome to the Biochemistry major! We are excited you are joining our program and look forward to meeting with you this summer.

You will receive an email from us in early June to fill out a pre-advising survey and to make an advising appointment for Virtual Academic Advising and Course Registration (VAACR).  You’ll also be added to our Canvas page, which will walk you through several steps to take to prepare for your advising appointment.

Please fill out the survey and complete the Canvas course at least two days prior to your appointment. 
 
Virtual Academic Advising and Course Registration appointments will be held via Zoom in a small-group format during June 11 - July 16.  You only need to attend one session, and you will receive an email with a link to register for a session. We'll start with introductions and general information, then you'll meet individually with an advisor to go over your fall schedule and address your questions. We’ll have Biochemistry Peer Mentors on hand to answer your questions about campus life, what to expect this fall, and more. 
 
In the meantime, please feel free to reach out with questions or concerns. We look forward to working with you! 

Advisor Information: Amy Rasor

Email: asimpkin@vt.edu | Phone: 540-231-8734

Advisor Information: Amanda Villar

Email: avillar@vt.edu | Phone: 540-231-0771

Welcome to Food Science and Technology! I am Herbert (they call me Bruce) Bruce, your academic advisor. I am excited that you will be joining us in the fall.

To get you ready, we have a few things we need to do:

  1. Complete the FST Incoming Student Survey (link to https://forms.gle/P38M2QJhdc4WBrZ86).    
    You will need to log into Google using your VT email address and Password to access the form.  Please list all AP, IB Scores & Dual Enrollment Credit, even if you have not received your score.  The personal questions are there to introduce you to your fellow classmates as I will create a webpage for you on the FST Student Site.  
  2. View FST Student Site (link to https://sites.google.com/vt.edu/fststudentsite).  
    Again, you must be logged into your VT Google Account to view this site.  I have advising and registration information listed here and as we meet this summer, we will step through the information.  Also, you can see your fellow classmates and get to know them before we all meet in the First-Year Experience seminar this fall.  
  3. Consider an option for your major before we meet this summer (you may change it later).  See FST student flyer.pdf (linked below) 
  4. Make an appointment with me during June 10 - July 2. You can make appointments through Navigate (appointments can be made starting June 1) and select Make an Appointment.  For Virtual Academic Advising and Course Registration, please schedule 3-30 min appointments in a row (for a total of 90 minutes though most often we will be in done in about an hour).

Department Majors

  • Agribusiness
  • Community Economic Development
  • Environmental Economics: Management and Policy
  • Food & Health Systems
  • International Trade and Development

Any questions? Email Herbert Bruce (brucehr@vt.edu). Can't wait to meet you! 

Welcome to Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise! We are excited to have you in the HNFE family and can't wait to get started!

Next steps:

  1. Sign up for a New Student Meeting: HNFE New Student Meeting sign-up 
  2. Check your VT email regularly. You will recieve a New Student Information email with a pre-registration survey where you can choose your major, tell us your interests, and let us know what credits you might be transferring. 
  3. Schedule a Virtual Academic Advising and Course Registration appointment. You will receive an email in June from your academic advisor with instructions to sign up for an appointment for a time during June 16-18, June 23-26, or June 30-July 3. You only need to sign up for one session.
  4. You will be added to the HNFE Advising Canvas site on June 1st. Please review the New Student Information on this site. 

Department Majors

  • Exercise and Health Sciences
  • Nutrition and Dietetics

Advisor Information: Stephanie Nelson 

Email: sthollan@vt.edu | 540-231-2259

Welcome to the Animal & Poultry Sciences (APSC) Major!  We are excited to welcome you to the School of Animal Sciences (SAS) family, and we look forward to meeting with you for Virtual Academic Advising and Course Registration this summer between June 10 - July 31.

To get you ready for Virtual Academic Advising and Course Registration (VAACR), we have a few things that you need to do.

Here’s your checklist:

  1. Please make sure you check your VT email daily for updates.
  2. Attend one of the SAS Welcome Zoom Sessions in late May. The invite will be sent to your vt.edu email from Kathy Tarter Duncan kathytd@vt.edu. Families are welcome to attend this session.
  3. Complete the APSC Incoming Student Survey when you receive the link via email on or before June 4.  You will need to log into Microsoft using your VT email address and password to access the form. Please list all AP, IB Scores & Dual Enrollment Credit, even if you have not received your score. The personal questions are there to introduce yourself to your advisor before you meet for your advising session.
  4. You will be added to the “Welcome to the School of Animal Sciences” Canvas site on or before June 4.  Detailed course registration information will be on this site, so it is very important for you to review it before June 10, when registration begins. 
  5. Register for your classes on June 10 starting at 7 a.m. Eastern time using the guidance from the “Welcome to the School of Animal Sciences” Canvas Site and emails from ansci@vt.edu.
  6. Schedule a summer course registration advising appointment. You will receive an email from your academic advisor with instructions for signing up for an appointment.  Virtual Academic Advising and Course Registration will occur between June 10 and July 31. You should register for your fall classes before your advising appointment so your advisor can review it and suggest any changes during your one-on-one advising appointment. 

Department Majors

  • Animal and Poultry Sciences
  • Dairy Science

Undergraduate Education Office:

  • Dr. Jessica Bedore
  • Dr. Lucy Bergamasco
  • Kathy Tarter Duncan
  • Dr. Dan Eversole
  • Dr. Katie Heiderscheit
  • Dr. Emma Helm
  • Dr. Katharine Knowlton
  • Mr. Matthew Miller
  • Mr. Dave Winston
  • Dr. Cindy Wood

Advising Office

Email: ansci@vt.edu | 540 231-6936

Welcome to the Dairy Science (DASC)  Major!  We are excited to welcome you to the School of Animal Sciences (SAS) family, and we look forward to meeting with you for Virtual Academic Advising and Course Registration this summer between June 10 - July 31.

To get you ready for Virtual Academic Advising and Course Registration (VAACR), we have a few things that you need to do.

Here’s your checklist:

  1. Please make sure you check your VT email daily for updates.
  2. Attend one of the SAS Welcome Zoom Sessions in late May. The invite will be sent to your vt.edu email from Kathy Tarter Duncan kathytd@vt.edu. Families are welcome to attend this session.
  3. Complete the APSC Incoming Student Survey when you receive the link via email on or before June 4.  You will need to log into Microsoft using your VT email address and password to access the form. Please list all AP, IB Scores & Dual Enrollment Credit, even if you have not received your score. The personal questions are there to introduce yourself to your advisor before you meet for your advising session.
  4. You will be added to the “Welcome to the School of Animal Sciences” Canvas site on or before June 4.  Detailed course registration information will be on this site, so it is very important for you to review it before June 10, when registration begins. 
  5. Register for your classes on June 10 starting at 7 a.m. Eastern time using the guidance from the “Welcome to the School of Animal Sciences” Canvas Site and emails from ansci@vt.edu.
  6. Schedule a summer course registration advising appointment. You will receive an email from your academic advisor with instructions for signing up for an appointment.  Virtual Academic Advising and Course Registration will occur between June 10 and July 31. You should register for your fall classes before your advising appointment so your advisor can review it and suggest any changes during your one-on-one advising appointment. 

Department Majors

  • Animal and Poultry Sciences
  • Dairy Science

Undergraduate Education Office:

  • Dr. Jessica Bedore
  • Dr. Lucy Bergamasco
  • Kathy Tarter Duncan
  • Dr. Dan Eversole
  • Dr. Katie Heiderscheit
  • Dr. Emma Helm
  • Dr. Katharine Knowlton
  • Mr. Matthew Miller
  • Mr. Dave Winston
  • Dr. Cindy Wood

Advising Office

Email: ansci@vt.edu | 540 231-6936

Welcome to the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences!  We look forward to working with you this summer as you begin your journey at Virginia Tech!

To ensure you are ready for your summer advising and registration, please see the information below:

  1. You will receive an email in early June to join the SPES Academic Advising Canvas Course that can be accessed with your VT email address.
  2. Detailed information will be posted in the Canvas Course page of your next steps, which includes completing a pre-advising survey and instructions on how to schedule your advising appointment.
  3. Virtual Academic Advising and Course Registration for SPES will occur from June 10 - July 17 over Zoom. 
  4. Please make sure you check your VT email daily for updates. If you have any questions, please email Karen Drake-Whitney at kdrake@vt.edu if you are a CSS, IAT, PLSC, LDT, or HORT major. Please email Paige Normand, paigenormand@vt.edu if you are an ENSC or ER major.

Department Majors

  • Ecological Restoration
  • Environmental Science
  • Crop and Soil Sciences
  • Environmental Horticulture
  • Integrated Agricultural Technologies
  • Landscape Design and Turfgrass Science
  • Plant Science

If you have any questions, please email Karen Drake-Whitney - SPES Undergraduate Student Coordinator

Email: kdrake@vt.edu | Phone: 540-231-9785

If you have any questions Paige Normand - SPES Academic Advisor

Email: paigenormand@vt.edu | Phone: 540-231-3061

We look forward to meeting you this summer!

Welcome to Exploring Life Sciences! This program is designed for students who know they have an interest in the life sciences but haven’t quite identified that perfect-fit major. The Exploring Life Sciences program is a great first step to exploring majors within agriculture and life sciences or other areas of studies. I will be your advisor for the program and look forward to working with you to offer guidance tailored to your individual goals. 

So that we may best assist you during your one-on-one Virtual Academic Advising and Course Registration (VAACR) session, please continue to check your VT email for a survey I will be sending you. Along with this survey you will receive a link to schedule your VAACR meeting with me during my advising blocks between June 15-19 or July 6-10. You only need to attend one Virtual Academic Advising and Course Registration meeting.

I am excited to welcome you to the program and look forward to working with you!

Email Michelle Kovaac (agtech@vt.edu) with any questions

Welcome to the Agricultural Technology family! We look forward to working with you over the next two years as you prepare to be a leader in your field! 

We will discuss course registration, along with other pertinent information during our academic advising sessions on EITHER:

  1. June 16 from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm or June 22 from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm.
  2. You will only need to attend one session.
  3. Please continue to check your VT email as we will be sending a link to register for one of these times. 

Associate Degree Options

  • Applied Agricultural Management
  • Landscape and Turf Management

Email Michelle Kovac (agtech@vt.edu) with any questions


How to send information about transfer credit: 

  • To view transferable credits pleaase visit: https://www.registrar.vt.edu/Transferable-Credit.html
  • Transfer students need to send their high school transcript if they completed 2 years of a single foreign language in high school.
  •  Dual Enrollment must be sent by the institution through which you completed the courses. The official transcripts for dual enrollment courses or courses taken at other universities to Virginia Tech’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Virginia Tech will not process transfer credit for dual enrollment courses on high school transcripts; we must receive official copies from the community college or university where the course was taken.
  • Official high school, college, and university transcripts 


All transcripts should be sent to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions through electronic transfer (i.e., Parchment) or through mail to the address below.

Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Virginia Tech 
925 Prices Fork Road 
Blacksburg, VA 24061

AP, IB, CLEP, and Cambridge Scores:

To view equivalencies for courses you wish to transfer, please visit those guides at

AP, IB, CLEP, and Cambridge scores to Virginia Tech’s Office of the University Registrar. AP & CLEP must be sent to VT from CollegeBoard (they will not process copies of scores). Use School Code #5859

Virginia Tech Registrar
Student Services Bldg., Suite 250
800 Washington Street
Blacksburg, VA 24061

For more on academic advising visit see Welcome to the Hokie Academic Advising Site!

Click here to go to the CALS Family webpage