Information for New Graduate Students

Welcome, Huskies!

Community. Collaboration. Preparation.

The Graduate School is excited you will be joining our graduate student community of around 7,000 graduate students across the University of Connecticut.  As you get started, we want to support your transition to graduate school by providing a multifaceted orientation experience designed to help your academic, personal, and professional success. See below for the available opportunities.

UConn Nation

Access Orientation

Whether this is your first time as a graduate student at the University of Connecticut or whether you’ve been here for many years, we are looking forward to supporting you on your new academic journey.

All new graduate students are encouraged to participate in our orientation program, as it will provide important information about academic and everyday life at UConn, and is the first step to ensuring your success and getting you connected to our community.

What you need to do

Activate Your NetID and UConn Email

Your UConn NetID and Activation Code were emailed to you at the time of admission. Once you find and activate your NetID and set the password, you will be able to log in to the Student Administration System. If you need assistance with your NetID, please contact the ITS Help Center at (860) 486-4357 or by email at techsupport@uconn.edu.

ITS also offers a Technology Training, which will walk you through available technology tools and how to activate them.

University email is sent to your official UConn email address. We encourage you to use this account. If you do not plan to use the campus email service, it is very important that you forward your University email to your active personal email address.

Complete Your Student Health History Form

You need to complete your mandatory Student Health History Form through your Student Health Portal, and submit the form and any attachments to the Student Health Portal under “Document Upload”. The Student Health History Form must be submitted by July 1 for the Fall semester and January 1 for the Spring semester.

Students in Clinical Training Programs (Nursing, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, Psychology, Social Work and Allied Health Sciences) have advanced medical and immunization requirements that will be outlined in your Letter of Acceptance from your individual program. Distance Learners with all courses online or students participating in UCAPP do not need to meet the immunization requirements. It is each student’s responsibility to notify Student Health and Wellness on an annual basis if that is the case. The University of Connecticut requires all incoming students, regardless of age, to complete a Tuberculosis Risk Questionnaire, found within your Student Health History Form on your Student Health Portal. For more information regarding your immunization requirements please visit Student Health and Wellness.  Please email studenthealth@uconn.edu with any additional questions.

Complete Required Interpersonal Violence Prevention Training

Graduate students must complete a one-time online interpersonal violence prevention training. A hold is placed on a student’s registration to ensure that you meet this requirement.

Required once during your graduate career.

The University of Connecticut is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all of our students, staff, and faculty. As part of that commitment, the University now requires that all graduate students complete an online interpersonal violence prevention program titled U Got This 2!, this video-based program provides critical information about Consent, Bystander Intervention, Sexual Assault, Dating and Domestic Violence, Stalking, and more. U Got This 2! will help you better understand how vitally important these issues are to creating a safe environment and to our community expectations, and what you can do to help make your campus safer for everyone.

U Got This 2! is a 40 minute training.  Upon completion, it will take 2-3 days for the hold to lift.  If you have any questions, call The Graduate School at (860) 486-3617 or email gradschool@uconn.edu.

 

Register for Classes

The Office of the Registrar provides helpful registration information. You can also reference step-by-step guides for Student Admin, including how to add a class, drop a class, and view holds, among others as you manage your class schedule for the semester.

Please note that programs conducted at locations other than Storrs (including the off-campus MBA programs and the Master of Social Work program) may have separate registration practices. Students in online programs should contact the department for registration instructions. All students are encouraged to consult their program and/or advisor for assistance in choosing classes for the coming term.

If you are a graduate assistant, please note that you must be registered for classes prior to the start date of your appointment, which is noted in your graduate assistantship offer letter.

Pay Your Student Fee Bill

Students will receive an email notification from the Office of the Bursar once tuition and fees have been posted to their account. Graduate student fees bills are generated in late July/early August for the fall semester and in December for the spring semester. Your bill must be paid by the Friday before the first day of the semester. You can view your fee bill through your Student Center in Student Admin. Payment options, as well as deadlines, student fee information, and the late fee policy, can be found on the Office of Bursar's website. Students who are receiving financial aid should contact the Office of Student Financial Aid Services with any questions about their aid package.

Upload Your Husky One Card Photo

The Husky One Card is your official UConn ID, as well as your way to access a variety of services across the university, including the UConn Library, the Student Recreation Facility, and Husky Bucks. Graduate students can obtain their card from the One Card Office located in the Wilbur Cross Building on the Storrs campus (or at the designated One Card office at your regional campus). Uploading a photo for your ID card in advance can make picking up your card even easier! 

Get Your Parking Permit

Parking Services provides parking information for UConn Storrs, Avery Point, Hartford, Stamford, and Waterbury campuses. Learn about the different types of permits available, apply for your permit online, and check out the campus parking maps to see which lots will be most convenient for your schedule. Please be aware that parking regulations are strictly enforced year round.

Graduate students on the UConn Health campus can use the Parking, Transportation and Event Services website to access parking permits and check out campus parking maps.

Complete Technology Training Tutorial

The Student Technology Training is a tutorial to familiarize you with the important technology-related services that you will use frequently as a UConn student. The tutorial is divided into three parts: One – New student to-dos; Two – Before Orientation/Registration; and Three – Before Classes Begin.

What you need to know

Campus-specific Student Resources

The UConnALERT System

UConnALERT is the university’s official emergency alert system and your go-to resource for campus status and scheduling changes. As an incoming student, you will be auto-enrolled into UConnALERT. Be sure to keep your contact information up to date in Student Admin. 

Student Health Insurance

All full-time students are required to maintain health coverage. Full-time students are automatically enrolled in and billed for the University-sponsored Student Health Insurance Plan. If you wish to decline the university plan because you have comparable coverage already, you must waive it via the Health Insurance Waiver in Student Admin.

If you are a graduate assistant, you will have the option to enroll in the Connecticut Partnership Plan. Enrollment will be available after the start date of your appointment (noted in your graduate assistantship offer letter) and you will have 31 days from that date to enroll or waive coverage.

Graduate Assistantships

Visit our Graduate Assistant Onboarding webpage for information specific to GA appointments, including payroll deduction, payroll, benefits, and tuition waivers.

Transportation To and Around Campus

UConn Transportation Services provides a variety of transportation options to students, including a Storrs campus bus line, a shuttle to the UConn Health campus, and accessible van services. The Windham Regional Transit District operates the WRTD bus line, which can be a helpful options for students commuting to Storrs, and UConn Transportation Service’s website has information about bus routes, U-Pass, bicycle share programs, and many alternatives travel methods to reach all UConn campuses.

Housing Options

Find off-campus housing and roommates near your UConn campus. On-campus housing for graduate students enrolled at the Storrs campus is available at Northwood Apartments. 

Courses, Programs, Policies, and Procedures

By accepting admission, you assume responsibility for knowing and complying with the University regulations and procedures. The Graduate Catalog contains information about regulations and procedures, as well as programs and course descriptions. Similarly, the Undergraduate Catalog describes advance undergraduate courses that sometimes can be applied toward a graduate degree. The Graduate School’s website is also an essential resource for information for current students. 

Late Arrival

In order for students to have the best chance for academic success, it is critical that they arrive and begin classes on time. Graduate students enrolled in on-campus programs are required by The Graduate School to arrive by the first day of the semester. Some departments may expect students to arrive prior to the first day in order to attend required orientations. Graduate students who have been appointed as a Graduate Assistant (GA) are expected to begin work on the start date of their appointment, but not before. In rare instances, a department may wish to request an exception for one of their graduate students to arrive after the first day of the semester.