New Student Toolkit

We will have our own program-specific orientation in August. We will let you know when the final details are available.

In addition to our orientation, Georgia Tech hosts an additional orientation through the Office of Graduate Studies.

As for now, please check the Graduate Studies Orientation Resources page for more information about orientation and incoming graduate students.

Provided by the Office of Graduate Studies

• Check your status. Visit the status check page (https://grad.gatech.edu/status-checking) to see if you have any outstanding required documentation and to let us know you are coming. Note that although you may have uploaded unofficial transcripts and degree documents to apply, you must now submit the original, official documents prior to enrollment. If your previous institution offers delivery of secure electronic transcripts, please have documents sent to transcripts@grad.gatech.edu. Scanned or emailed documents will not be accepted, but official documents in sealed envelopes may be mailed or hand-delivered to the following address:

Office of Graduate Studies
Georgia Institute of Technology
631 Cherry St., Suite 318
Atlanta, GA 30332-0321

• Complete international student check-in (only for international students). Complete the International Student Check-In to have your OIE registration hold removed. More information is available here: https://oie.gatech.edu/isss-check-in.
• Verify Lawful Presence. In accordance with the University System of Georgia policy, students must verify their lawful presence in the United States prior to enrollment. For more information, visit
  https://grad.gatech.edu/lawful-presence.
• Activate your Georgia Tech account. Visit PASSPORT (https://passport.gatech.edu/) to start the process.
• July 1st: Complete MS-GMC/MS-ALIS Entry Survey
• Learn about Grad Groups. Grad Groups (https://grad.gatech.edu/grad-groups) is Georgia Tech’s extended orientation program for new graduate students. Navigating the nuances of graduate school can be challenging, so don’t embark on this journey alone. Participants are organized into groups of about 16 students from a variety of degree programs, academic interests, and cultural backgrounds. Each group is led by a senior graduate student, which allows participants to tap into their group leader’s valuable experience and leverage that for their own success. You can register for Grad Groups (GT8801) during course registration. Just pick a section that fits into your course schedule.
• Complete your I-20 request (for international students). I-20s and DS-2019s for study on the Atlanta campus are issued by the Office of International Education after you have been officially admitted to Georgia Tech. You will receive emails from info@oie.gatech.edu asking you to complete information needed for the I-20/DS-2019. You will also upload a copy of your passport and any required financial documents in these electronic forms. (For financial document requirements, visit http://b.gatech.edu/UA0H4s.) After an I-20/DS-2019 is made, your academic department will send it to you directly. For more information on Georgia Tech I-20/DS2019, visit http://b.gatech.edu/1rNhm2T.
• Read over the Graduate Guide, which is a document that will fill you in on all of the policies and resources you need to know about as a new graduate student at Tech. You can find it at https://grad.gatech.edu/student-handbook.
• Submit health and immunization information. All students on the Atlanta campus are required to meet immunization and health requirements specified by the Board of Regents. Visit Health Services (https://health.gatech.edu) to complete the required forms. (You won’t be able to register for classes until this is finished.)
• 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. Visit http://rcr.gatech.edu to learn more.
• Complete any GRA or GTA paperwork. If you were offered a graduate research assistantship (GRA) or graduate teaching assistantship (GTA) by your admitting department, you’ll need to complete any new hire paperwork and visit the Office of Human Resources or one of their distributed Graduate Student Employee Processing sites to complete the process.
• Schedule your Campus Visit and Tour. Learn about the graduate student visit and tour experience and schedule your next visit to Georgia Tech at https://grad.gatech.edu/visit-the-campus
• Attend orientation(s). The Office of Graduate Studies hosts several orientation sessions for new students on the Atlanta campus that provide an overview of resources available to you at Georgia Tech. For more information, visit the New Student Orientation Resources page (https://grad.gatech.edu/orientation-gradexpo) to sign up for a session. Your program may also offer its own orientation that you should plan to attend.
• GTAs Attend TA Orientation. New GTAs are encouraged to attend TA Orientation in the Center for Teaching and Learning.
• Attend GradExpo. In August, the Office of Graduate Studies hosts the GradExpo event to help new graduate students learn about campus services, student organizations, and local businesses in the surrounding community. For more information, visit the GradExpo page (https://grad.gatech.edu/orientation-gradexpo).
• 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 (https://registrar.gatech.edu/calendar). You will have an assigned registration “time ticket” indicating the specific date/time your access to the registration system will begin. You will be able to continue to register and make schedule changes through 4:00 p.m. on the Friday of the first week of the semester (when registration closes for all students). To access the online registration, go to the BuzzPort (https://buzzport.gatech.edu) 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 Studies or Lawful Presence (contact Graduate Studies for information), Health (contact Health Services for information), SEVIS (contact the Office of International Education for more information), and Departmental (contact your home department).
• Complete Two-Factor Authentication enrollment. Georgia 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 (https://passport.gatech.edu/).
• 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 Georgia Tech email account. The payment deadlines are provided on the Bursar's Office Calendar (https://bursar.gatech.edu/calendar).
• Get your BuzzCard. 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. The BuzzCard office is located on the second floor of Barnes and Noble at the corner of Spring Street and Fifth Street in Technology Square.
• Purchase your parking permit. You’ll need a permit if you will need to park on campus. For more information, visit the Office of Parking and Transportation Services website (https://pts.gatech.edu). [We will have significant hybrid components to our program this year, and it is unlikely that you will need to come to campus regularly. We do not recommend purchasing a parking permit unless you are certain that you will need to come to campus multiple times a week as per specific faculty instructions.]
• Review all of the resources. We've compiled a list of resources that are available to you ranging from information about child care to the Language Institute. Find the complete graduate resource list online at https://grad.gatech.edu/resources.
• Review graduate sections of the catalog. This contains useful information about Georgia Tech, degree programs, and graduate policies and procedures. For more information, visit the Georgia Tech Course Catalog (https://catalog.gatech.edu).
• Take the Admissions Survey. Help us improve our processes for future new graduate students by taking the Admissions Survey.
• Learn More about the HAVEN training requirements: http://healthinitiatives.gatech.edu/alcoholedu-haven

Georgia Tech Graduate Student Handbook

The Office of Graduate Studies has created a policy handbook for Graduate Students that covers everything from student-faculty expectations at Georgia Tech to resources that support diversity to information about financial resources. Please familiarize yourself with the policies and procedures outlined in this document.

Georgia Tech Grad Guide

Please check out the Office of Graduate Studies website (https://grad.gatech.edu/) for more information about campus resources, transitioning into graduate student life, and the opportunities available to you on campus. We strongly encourage you to take advantage of these resources, including Grad Groups, an extended orientation for graduate students, which is offered as a 1-credit course in Fall semester.

Georgia Tech offers on-campus housing for graduate students (please see links below). The majority of students live off-campus, such as in Midtown, West Midtown, or Home Park, which are walkable from campus. We recommend that you check out the link below to learn about the various neighborhoods in Atlanta and think about what best fits your needs.

• Georgia Tech Housing Website
• Recommendations for Off-Campus Housing

Visas and Study Abroad

The Office of International Education is your first point of contact for all things related to traveling abroad. They support students to prepare for study abroad and handle visa processing for international students. OIE also hosts the Global Internship Program, which can help you identify internships abroad.

• Office of International Education