Info for New Grad Students

Graduate Student Orientation for new students takes place in August. The program will include both Department-specific and University-wide information.

Important Events – for specific dates and times, please check the links and look for communication from Prof. Andrew Dombard, EaES Director of Graduate Studies:

• Grad College – New Graduate Student Orientation
• Grad College – New Teaching Assistant Orientation
• OIS – New International Student Summit
• EaES Dept – New Graduate Student Orientation (Mandatory)
• EaES Dept – New Teaching Assistant Orientation

Other events:

• International Graduate Student Orientation Events
• Campus Events

UIC NetID: Your UIC NetID will give you access to your UIC email account. Activate your NetID and from this point forward, please be sure to check your UIC email address for school related communication.

MyUIC: Our student portal website can be found at my.uic.edu. This is where you will enroll for classes and access your financial and academic records, among other things.

The i-Card is the official identification card of the University for students, staff, and faculty. It is important to obtain an i-Card and carry it with you at all times. The i-Card is needed to enter certain labs and buildings, for access to certain student-related events and services, and to check material out of the library.

Obtain your i-Card:

• Register for courses
• submit your ID photo online in advance OR have your photo taken at UIC’s ID Center
• Bring your passport/state ID and a copy of your class schedule to pick up your i-Card
• The ID Center are located in Student Center East

More information is available from the i-Card ID Center.

After you receive your official admission letter, via email, from the Office of Admissions and Records you will receive information on when you may register and instructions for that process.

Registration begins a few months before the term and continues through the first official ten days of the term (first official five days for summer session). Students may want to consult with their faculty research advisor to discuss course selection, but will be individually responsible for finalizing their course registration through my.uic.edu.

All Teaching and Research Assistants must register for a minimum of 8 semester hours. Nine hours is the minimum for the CTA UPass. Graduate students who are supported either by a fellowship or a tuition-and-service-fee waiver alone must register for a minimum of 12 semester hours.

Register for courses:

• Discuss course selection with your faculty research advisor and Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), Andrew Dombard. Please connect with Andrew who can help get registration holds removed.
• Log into my.uic.edu with your NetID and password
• Click on the Student Service link
• From the next screen, select the Registration & Records option and then click on Registration
• Click on the Add/Drop Courses link to register for courses

A majority of our graduate students are supported through Research and Teaching Assistantships. These Assistantships often come with a tuition waiver and cover a portion of student fees. Please refer to your Official Offer Letter from the department, which should have been received via email, for information regarding your acceptance into the graduate program.

More information:

• Graduate College Tuition and Fee Waivers
• Graduate Student Tuition and Fees Schedule from the Office of the Registrar

Tuition and fees are set by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

If you are enrolled as a full-time student, you are eligible for a CTA U-Pass, which allows unlimited access to the CTA system. The CTA includes the ‘L’ elevated train and local bus routes that can take you throughout the city. The CTA U-Pass can be picked up at the UIC ID Center in Student Center East.

The Office of International Services (OIS) provides assistance for international students who need help Getting Started with the Visa Process.

There are many types of international students at UIC studying on different visas. The exact visa you need often depends on a combination of your academic program and funding source. OIS will help you figure out, based on your situation, which type of visa you will need and how to obtain it. If you already hold an immigration status that allows for study in the U.S., OIS can explain how to report that status to our office.

All members of the UIC international community must complete an Immigration Check-In with OIS upon their initial arrival to the U.S.

During the Immigration Check-In, OIS advisors will review your immigration documents to ensure that you have entered the U.S. in the appropriate status to begin your planned activities at UIC, whether that be study, research, training, or employment. The immigration check-in must be completed online via myOIS unless otherwise noted. Failure to complete the Immigration Check-In by your deadline could result in a loss of status.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

• Andrew Dombard, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies – Email: adombard@uic.edu
• Edna Fuentes, Assistant to the Head – Email: eriver15@uic.edu

Interactive UIC Campus Map

Important locations:

• EaES Offices are located in Science and Engineering South (SES)
• Student Center East houses the ID Center, the UIC bookstore, the main dining center, an Amazon pick-up, and much more

Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Map

UIC campus is served by multiple CTA routes:

• Blue “L” train line
• #8 Halsted St. bus
• #157 Streeterville / Taylor St. bus
• #12 Roosevelt St. bus
• And much more…

Chicago Neighborhood Map

Chicago is divided into 77 neighborhoods. The UIC campus is located in the Near West Side neighborhood which includes University Village, Medical Center, Tri-Taylor, Little Italy, and Greektown.