Follow and complete the steps below to get started.
OSC Graduate Student Orientations
Main Campus Students starting the Fall semester
Mark your calendars for the Optical Sciences New Graduate Student Orientation, which are always scheduled for the Thursday and Friday immediately before the first day of classes. There will be a lot of valuable information at the OSC Orientation, and you will have a chance to meet your fellow classmates! Orientation takes place at the Optical Sciences building. All new Fall semester students are sent information about orientation around mid-summer before school starts, so if you haven't heard from us please let us know! (And also please check that your are using your new University of Arizona email address if you have one.)
International students who are admitted to Main Campus programs must also complete check-in with International Student Services.
Online MS/Certificate Students
We also offer a Distance Learning/Online Grad Student Orientation over Zoom in around the second week of August. Zoom meeting Info will be sent to new Distance Learning students about two weeks before the online orientation announcing the date, time, and Zoom link.
Optional Orientations
Graduate & Professional Student Council Orientation, which is offered to all incoming University of Arizona grad students.
Set up your NetID and Password
You will need:
- Your PIN Number (Personal Identification Number, found at bottom of your original Admission Offer letter from the Graduate College);
- Your SID Number (Student Identification Number, emailed to you after you accept admission through the online application).
Using your new NetID and Password, Login.
This portal will be your go-to for all enrollment, financial aid, personal information updates – almost everything you do as a student.
One of the first items you will notice once you log in to UAccess Student Center are any holds on your record. For first-year students, these holds include the following:
- Immunization Hold – An Immunization Hold will prevent Main campus students from enrolling for the first semester. Upload your immunization documents to clear any related holds on your account. You can also access this website by choosing the Personal tab in UAccess Student Center, then the Campus Health Info link.
- Subject-to Hold – A Subject-to Hold will prevent you from enrolling for your second semester. This is a hold placed by the Graduate College, which can be cleared by submitting any official transcripts/diplomas requested in your original admission offer email to the Graduate College, preferably within the first 30 days of your first semester. You can have your official university transcripts sent to the UA Graduate College by email at transcripts@grad.arizona.edu, or by mail to:
Primary mailing address:
Graduate College
The University of Arizona
Administration 322
PO Box 210066
Tucson, AZ 85721-0066
Express mail (for FedEx, DHL, etc):
Graduate College
The University of Arizona
1401 E University Blvd, #322
Tucson, AZ 85721
You can also deliver official transcripts/diplomas to the Graduate College when you arrive on campus. Former UA students do not need to submit official UA transcripts.
If necessary, you may enroll in a student health insurance plan by selecting the Personal tab in UAccess Student Center, then the Campus Health Options tab. See here for information on student health insurance. Enrollment is required for on-campus international students.
You may view and enroll in classes by selecting the Enrollment tab in UAccess Student Center, then the Add/Drop/Swap Classes tab. A short-cut to finding all graduate level courses offered is to choose the Class Search option, then enter the following criteria:
Subject = OPTI
Career = Graduate
Please contact the Graduate Advisor if you wish to enroll for either OPTI 599: Independent Study or OPTI 792: Directed Introductory Graduate Research (for first-year Ph.D. students only). Both of these enrollments require Department Consent and submission of a written contract. Find this form under Graduate Student Forms.
Some classes may have extra restrictions that prevent students from enrolling directly. For OPTI 792, you will be enrolled by the Graduate Advisor after submitting an OPTI 792 project form at or after the beginning of the semester. Another class with restrictions is OPTI 570: Quantum Mechanics. First-year Optical Sciences PhD students and QISE MS students are all allowed to enroll in this course, and others may enroll with instructor permission. In all cases however, the Graduate Advisor will enroll you upon notification by the course instructor. Please send email to the OPTI 570 course instructor when you are ready to enroll for the course.
Obtain your CatCard at the Student Union. The CatCard Office located in the basement in room 142. As well as serving as your Student ID card, cash can be loaded onto your CatCard for use in purchasing meals, copy services, etc. Be sure to take your PIN (on your formal Certificate of Admissions) or student ID number and a photo ID to the CatCard Office with you. Not required for Online students.
To obtain keyless entry to the Meinel building after-hours, complete the Graduate Student Keyless Access Form. ** There is also a Key Request form (with faculty approval). You will need your CatCard for this step, so you will need to complete this step after arrival on campus.
Complete the 3 online lab Safety Training courses by selecting EDGE Learning after logging into UAccess. All new students must complete these trainings before being able to take lab courses/work in a lab. Each course takes between 45-60 minutes to complete.
- Login to UAccess Edge Learning with your UA email, NetID and Password.
- Using the search bar, search for each training; register for and complete:
- Fire Safety Awareness**must be completed before Chemical Safety Training.
- General Laboratory Chemical Safety Training
- Laser Radiation Protection Course
After completing each training sessions, save your certificate of completion in pdf format.
Upload your safety certificates at for the Wyant College here.
All students receiving in-state tuition or financial aid funded by the State of Arizona are required to verify their US Citizenship, permanent residence, or lawful immigration status.
Verify lawful presence. You can verify lawful presence in one of 2 ways:
- Complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), OR
- Complete the Verify Lawful Presence forms (VLP) in UAccess Student Center by following the steps below.
- Log into UAccess Student Center.
- Choose the Demographic Data link under Personal Information.
- Choose the Lawful Presence tab. If there is a need for you to complete this step, a link will appear, with instructions for uploading the necessary information.
OR
Complete the Statement of Residency Classification (SORC)
Verifying lawful presence in the first semester is especially critical for Main Campus students who are residents of Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and the Federal States of Micronesia. Students of these states qualify for in-state tuition WRGP in-state discounted tuition rate. However, you can only register as a WRGP state resident in your first semester.