New Student Checklist | Graduate Education

Winter Break Office Closure

The Office of Graduate Education will be closed for Winter Break beginning December 23 through December 27 and January 1, 2025.

New students at Tech Week of Welcome

Welcome, Yellow Jackets!

We are thrilled that you have decided to join the Tech community. To ensure a smooth transition to Tech, please complete the checklist items below by their completion dates.

Checklist for Spring 2025 Admitted Graduate Students

*TBD dates will be updated as they become available.

As Soon As Possible

Recommended Completion Date	Checklist Item
Now	Check your status in the Application Status Portal to see if you have any outstanding required documentation and to let us know you are accepting your offer of admission.
Now	Connect with us! Join the official Georgia Tech Graduate Student Facebook group. Feel free to ask questions in the group about campus, Atlanta, travel, life in the United States, etc. Follow us on Instagram @gtgradpostdocs Connect with us via LinkedIn Like the Office of Graduate Education Facebook page
Now	Investigate housing options. Once your admission is verified and finalized by the Office of Graduate Education, you may apply for on-campus housing in our Graduate and Family Housing community. Note: on-campus housing is not required and not guaranteed for any student. On-campus housing fills up quickly however you may join the waitlist. For those seeking off-campus housing, check out the Off-Campus Housing site. In addition, here is information from the Office of International Education on Housing on Campus and Around GT.
(for international students) Upon receipt of e-form link from Office of International Education (OIE)	Once your academic credentials/documents have been successfully verified and evaluated by the Office of Graduate Education, the graduate coordinator in your academic department will initiate the I-20 or DS-2019 form request in iStart on your behalf. Please be patient as this process can take up to 8 weeks from your initial admission. After your academic department submits this request, you will receive an e-form link from info@oie.gatech.edu to submit necessary information and documents. For more information about how to request your I-20 or DS-2019 form, please review OIE’s New Student Arrival Guide.
As Soon As Possible	Verify Lawful Presence. In accordance with University System of Georgia policy, all students must verify their lawful presence in the United States prior to enrollment. If you did not upload an approved citizenship document with your admission application, please upload one to your Application Status Portal now. You can also use the portal to check if we already have your document.
As Soon As Possible	Activate your Georgia Tech Account/Passport by visiting passport.gatech.edu.
As Soon As Possible	Enroll in Two-Factor Authentication. Tech requires all students to enroll in Two-Factor Authentication to enhance the security of student accounts and online access to sensitive information. You can self-enroll through Passport.
December 6	Upload your BuzzCard Photo (On-Campus Students, optional for online students). Your BuzzCard student ID is your campus passport, library card, facilities access key, and can even be loaded with money to use at restaurants/dining halls across campus. Online students are not required to get a BuzzCard. Online students can purchase a non-chip one for $20. The non-chip card cannot be used for on-campus purchases. If an online student plans to visit campus and wants to swap their current card for a regular chip card to use for on-campus purchases, they can make the switch for an additional $5. Once you arrive on campus you can pick up your BuzzCard. The BuzzCard office is located at the Pavilion, 460 4th St NW, Building #216, Atlanta, GA 30332.
December 9	Submit health and immunization information. All students attending classes on campus are required to meet immunization and health requirements specified by the Board of Regents. Visit the Health Services website to complete and upload the required forms. You won’t be able to register for classes until this is finished.

Before the First Day of Class

Recommended Completion Date	Checklist Item
December 3	Register for the Graduate Institute Orientation. Graduate Education hosts several Graduate Institute Orientation sessions for new students that provide an overview of resources available to you at Tech. Spring 2025 registration will open December 3.
Two to four weeks prior to first day of class	Access your Georgia Tech email. Do not attempt access more than one month prior to arriving on campus. If it is two weeks prior to your arrival and you are still experiencing access issues, please request help via Office of Information Technology.
Before first day of class	Learn about the RCR training requirement. Some master’s and all doctoral students will need to complete online and/or in-person Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training. Your graduate program will provide you with more information.
Before first day of class	Read over the Grad Guide. The Graduate Student Guidebook informs you of the policies and resources you need to know about as a new graduate student at Tech.
Before first day of class	Review student life resources. We have compiled a list of Student Life resources ranging from information about childcare to health and wellness.
Before first day of class (if applicable)	Purchase your parking permit. If you plan to park a car on campus, you will need a parking permit.
(for international students) Before arriving to campus	Start international student check-in process. Complete the first part of the International Student Check-In process online.

January Deadlines

Recommended Completion Date	Checklist Item
(for international students) Upon Arrival to Campus	Complete international student check-in process. To have your OIE registration hold removed, complete the second part of the International Student Check-in after you arrive. If you experience any delays with your visa process or arrive late, make sure to inform your department and submit the information in the check-in e-forms in iStart. An OIE advisor will follow-up with you as needed.
Virtual: December 11 at 10 a.m. In-Person: January 7 at 11 a.m.	Attend orientation sessions. Attend the Graduate Institute Orientation (GradIO) session for which you are registered. Your program may also hold an orientation that you should plan to attend.
January 2 through January 10	Register for classes. New graduate students will be able to register for classes during the Phase II registration window according to the Registrar's academic calendar. You will have an assigned registration “time ticket” indicating the specific date and time your access to the registration system will begin. You will be able to continue to register and make schedule changes through 4 p.m. on the Friday of the first week of the semester. To access online registration, go to the BuzzPort student tab. This tab will appear before the start of the semester for new students. If there is something called a “hold,” you will not be allowed to register until you have submitted the missing information. Types of holds include: Graduate Education or Lawful Presence (contact Graduate Education for information) Health (contact Health Services for information) SEVIS (contact the Office of International Education for more information) Departmental (contact your home department) Before registering for classes, you should consult with your program of study to determine appropriate first-semester classes.
TBD	Complete GRA or GTA HR hiring process. If you are offered a graduate research assistantship (GRA) or graduate teaching assistantship (GTA) by your academic program, you will need to complete the hiring onboarding process through human resources before you start working.
January 6	Complete Part 1 of Sexual Assault Prevention for Graduate Students. Completion of this one-hour training, which will open on December 4, is required for Atlanta campus students in order to register for classes in your second semester. To fulfill this training requirement, access the course via the portal and use your Georgia Tech email address to sign in (e.g., student@gatech.edu). Email healthy@gatech.edu with questions or concerns. Graduate students in online degree programs are not required to complete this course.
January 6	Attend first day of class.
January 13 at 4 p.m. Eastern	Pay all fees and tuition. This needs to be done after you register for classes. You will receive information about the status of your account from the Office of the Bursar via your Tech email account. The payment deadlines are provided on the Bursar website.