Advising and Planning

As a learner in Gies Online Programs, our Student and Academic Success Specialists are here to provide guidance as you progress through the program. We run on a team advising model and all our specialists are expertly trained to assist you.

Before you begin course planning, it is important to review and become familiar with our degree requirements. Here are some planning tools and tips to get you started:



Our specialists are here to help

A modified Express Advising schedule will be in effect for the remainder of 2025. Due to Graduation week, Express Advising will not be available on Thursday, December 18, or Friday, December 19. In addition, Express Advising will be unavailable from Wednesday, December 24, through Thursday, January 1, during the University's Winter Break Closure. 

Regular Express Advising Hours will resume on Friday, January 2.

Management Express Advising

Questions about the iMBA, iMSM, or a Management-based Graduate Certificate? Drop in to express advising, where a Specialist will answer your questions in a 1-1 setting via Zoom. Specialists will only be able to answer questions that can be handled in 15 minutes or less. For conversations that may take longer, such as degree planning, we recommend you make an individual appointment.

Express Advising Schedule:

  • Mondays: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM CST
  • Tuesdays: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM CST
  • Wednesdays: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM CST
  • Thursdays: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM CST
  • Fridays: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM CST

Management Express Advising Includes:

  • iMBA (Degree, PAT & Non-Degree)
  • iMSM (Degree, PAT & Non-Degree)
  • Joint Degree (iMBA + iMSA)
  • Business Analytics Graduate Certificate
  • Digital Marketing Graduate Certificate
  • Entrepreneurship and Strategic Innovation Graduate Certificate
  • Financial Management Graduate Certificate
  • Global Challenges in Business Graduate Certificate
  • Managerial Economics & Business Graduate Certificate
  • Strategic Leadership & Management Graduate Certificate
  • Value Chain Management Graduate Certificate

Join Express Advising Queue

Express Advising is accessed through the Queue tool.  When you are ready to join, open the Queue and follow the on-screen instructions. You may also view a full tutorial on how to access Express Advising here.

Accountancy Express Advising

Do you have questions about the iMSA, Joint Degree, or an Accountancy-based Graduate Certificate? Connect with our Student & Academic Success Specialists during Express Advising.

Express Advising Schedule:

  • Tuesdays: 1 PM - 2 PM CST

Accountancy Express Advising Includes:

  • iMSA (Degree, PAT & Non-Degree)
  • Accounting Data Analytics Graduate Certificate
  • Accounting Foundations Graduate Certificate
  • CPA Pathways Graduate Certificate
  • Taxation Graduate Certificate

Join Express Advising

Express Advising is accessed through a direct Zoom link. When you're ready, click here to join. Learner will be admitted from the waiting room into the Zoom by the Specialist on a first-come, first-served basis.

Meet with a specialist 1:1

Current students can meet with a member of the Student & Academic Success team in a 30-minute individual appointment. You can view available time slots and book your appointment here: https://go.gies.illinois.edu/onlineadvising.

Appointments are held between 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Central Standard Time (CT). Students can update their time zone when scheduling appointments using these instructions. If you do not see any available times, we highly recommend you utilize our Express Advising or Office Hours. 

To book an appointment, we recommend you follow these steps:

  1. Select “Schedule an Appointment” from the home screen
  2. Select  “Anyone on this team”
  3. Select appointment type
  4. Select a time and location to connect with the specialist
  5. All set! Once you complete the booking, you will receive an email confirmation to your Illinois email account.

All of our specialists are expertly trained and will be able to assist you. This system is specifically designed to assist you in a more efficient manner. For detailed instructions, click here.

Email us at any time

You can reach out to us at i-support@illinois.edu with your questions using your Illinois email account. A Specialist will respond to your email within 24-48 hours during business days.