Advising
Make Every Semester Count
Seek advising regularly. Meeting with an academic advisor at San Francisco State University is essential to staying on track with your academic goals.
Whether you're an undergraduate or graduate student, advisors help you navigate course selection, degree requirements, and career planning, ensuring you make informed decisions about your academic path.
Advising Resources
Use the table below to guide you to the best advising resource based on your needs.
| Advising Need | Advisor Recommendation |
|---|---|
Undergraduate Students:
| Academic Advisors at the Undergraduate Advising Center (UAC) OR For EOPP Students - Academic Advisors from the Educational Opportunity and Pathway Programs (EOPP)
|
Undergraduate and Second Baccalaureate Students:
| Faculty Advisors (see advisor list and hours below)
|
| School of Design Office
|
| See Study Abroad as the first step
|
Graduate/Second Baccalaureate Students:
| Division of Graduate Studies & Career Development Advising
|
Graduate Students:
| See the Graduate Coordinator for your program or contact your Culminating Experience Committee Chair
|
New DES Students
Incoming DES students starting the major in Fall 2023 will be assigned a faculty advisor to help complete their DES contract and academic roadmap toward graduation. Advisor assignments are based on the first four letters of your last name, so please check the Advising Office Hours page to find your assigned advisor and their availability. If you are already in the Design major, have met with an advisor, and completed your roadmap, you will stay with your current advisor and do not need to follow the new assignments. Appointments should now be scheduled through EAB Navigator. To stay on track for timely graduation, students should meet with a faculty advisor at least once each semester. Design faculty advisors are available during the Fall and Spring semesters, with limited advising offered during summer and winter. If you have any problems making an appointment, contact design@sfsu.edu.
Undergraduate students will be assigned advisors within their degree area (BSVCD or BSID) prior to the start of classes. See the Professor biographies here.
All newly admitted students are required to see their advisors during their first semester of attendance. It is recommended that students see their advisors early in that first semester and regularly as they progress to their degrees.
• Industrial Design Majors: Check details on our BSID_PPD page
• Visual Communication Design Majors: Check details on our BSVCD page
• Minors: Check details on our Design Minors page
Please email design@sfsu.edu with general questions (registration, etc), and if they cannot answer your questions, they will route you to a Design Faculty Advisor.
Check details on our SF Scholars page for details about our accelerated Undergraduate + Graduate program.
For details on the University Scholars programs, see University 4+1 Program.
Graduate students work first with the department’s Graduate Coordinator, Dr. Hsiao-Yun Chu. As their course of study takes shape, graduate students can meet with advisors throughout the department based on the student’s interests and the professor’s areas of expertise. All advisors are available to students in the M.A. program, particularly for their graduate Culminating Project.
Faculty Advisors
During Summer Sessions there are limited Design Faculty Advisors. Line Faculty who are teaching classes in Summer advise, the rest of the faculty are on break.
Regular advising will resume in Fall, after the first week of classes, and all faculty will be available.
Check Navigator Appointment Scheduler Quick Reference Guide for step-by-step instructions.
| Name | Position | Phone | Appointment Website | Office Information | Advisee Assignments by First 4 Digits of Last Name for Incoming Majors | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carvalho, Fernando | Associate Professor Industrial Design | fcarvalho@sfsu.edu | (415) 338-7316 | Navigator Appointment Scheduler | Zoom Mon: 1:00pm - 3:00pm Thu: 4:00pm - 5:00pm | Industrial Design Study Abroad Advisor for incoming students |
| Christensen, Ellen | Assistant Professor | ellenchristensen@sfsu.edu | (415) 338-0509 | Navigator Appointment Scheduler | Zoom Thu: 1:00pm - 3:00pm | Vis Com Design Incoming SP26 Students AAAA–BRAD |
| Chu, Hsiao-Yun | Professor Industrial Design / Graduate Program Coordinator | hychu@sfsu.edu | (415) 338-2430 | Navigator Appointment Scheduler | Zoom Mon: 1:00pm - 3:00pm | Graduate Coordinator SF State Scholars Advisor
|
| Gomes, Ricardo | Professor Industrial Design | ricgomes@sfsu.edu | (415) 338-2229 | Navigator Appointment Scheduler | In-Person HUM 112 or Zoom Wed: 3:30pm - 5:00pm | |
| Hulick, Mari | Professor Vis Com Design / School Director | mh@sfsu.edu | (415) 338-2211 | Navigator Appointment Scheduler | In-Person FA 121 or Zoom Tue: 1:00pm - 3:00pm | All Programs CRISIS / MINORS / UNDECLARED Dept Chair |
| Hussaini, Sana | Assistant Professor Vis Com Design | skhan08@sfsu.edu | (415) 405-0314 | Navigator Appointment Scheduler | On Leave Spring 2026 | Vis Com Design |
| Linn, Silvan | Associate Professor Industrial Design / ID Coordinator | silvan@sfsu.edu | (415) 338-7984 | Navigator Appointment Scheduler | Zoom Tue: 9:00am - 12:00pm | Industrial Design Incoming SP26 Students GROW–LIGN |
| McVeigh-Schultz, Josh | Associate Professor / Vis Com Design | jmcvs@sfsu.edu | (415) 338-6525 | Navigator Appointment Scheduler | Zoom Fri 9:00am - 11:00am & 11:30am-1:00pm | Vis Com Design Incoming SP26 Students BRAE–GUAR |
| Singer, Joshua | Professor Vis Com Design | jsinger@sfsu.edu | (415) 338-6067 | Navigator Appointment Scheduler | Zoom Tue & Thur: 2:00pm - 3:00pm | Vis Com Design Incoming SP26 Students GUAS–LUIZ |
| Sosa-Tzec, Omar | Associate Professor Vis Com Design | omarsosa@sfsu.edu | (415) 338-7392 | Navigator Appointment Scheduler | Zoom Tue & Thu: 2:00pm - 3:00pm Fri 10:00am-11:00am | Vis Com Design Incoming SP26 Students LUJA–TOKU |
| Trogu, Pino | Professor Industrial Design / Vis Com Design | trogu@sfsu.edu | (415) 338-1954 | Navigator Appointment Scheduler | In-Person HUM 248 or Zoom Tue: 9:00am - 12:00pm | Industrial Design Incoming SP26 Students LIGO–SAVI |
| Van Kampen, Saskia | Associate Professor / Vis Com Coordinator | saskia@sfsu.edu | (415) 338-1547 | Navigator Appointment Scheduler | In-Person HUM 107 Mon: 2:00pm - 4:00pm | Vis Com Design Incoming SP26 Students TOKV-ZZZZ |
| Young, Eugene | Assistant Professor / ID and Vis Com Design | eryoung@sfsu.edu | (415) 405-0316 | Navigator Appointment Scheduler | Zoom Mon & Weds: 1:15pm - 2:45pm | Industrial Design Incoming SP26 Students SAVJ–ZZZZ |
Advising Checklist
Please bring the following to your first advising appointment:
- Your SF State Unofficial Transcript (available in your Gateway Student Center)
- Your Unofficial Transcripts from your other college (if you are a transfer student)
- Course Description, syllabus, and digital samples of work completed in the course you are looking to substitute
- Blank advising contract
If you have received permission to substitute a class for a DES requirement or elective from your advisor and you don't see that class on your Degree Progress Report, please make an appointment with your advisor to ensure your DPR is updated. This is how we make sure the Registrar's office has a record of the substitution.
DES 699 and 899 Independent Studies
Independent studies are self-directed research projects into unique topics that students are passionate about. Independent study allows our students to learn about a subject that's unavailable in our regular course offerings, and is one that a student wants to investigate in great depth. Students propose a project and determine their course of study with a sponsoring professor. The first step in this process is to have a good idea of what you want your project to be. Then, work with a line faculty member to complete the proposal form. Undergraduates take a 699 Independent Study, and Graduate students take 899.
Faculty and Director approval is required for DES 699 and DES 899. Students must proactively reach out to DES faculty members with whom they have a prior connection, such as professors from classes where they have performed well.
Once a student and faculty member reach an agreement on the depth of and deliverables for the project, they will complete a formal Petition for Course by Independent Study. This serves to document their shared understanding of the student's learning objectives, project scope, and grading criteria. The student then sends the faculty-signed document to the School Director. If the Director approves the petition, they will send an Add Code to the student who can then add the class.
DES 699 and 899 count as Design electives.