Admitted Graduate Students
Welcome
Congratulations on your admission to our graduate program!
Important Next Steps
Activate your account
To activate your student portal account, visit my.uic.edu (look for the activation link on the left side of the page). Activation requires your university identification number (UIN) and token (sent to all newly admitted students within two days of decision notification).
Submit your Intent to Enroll
Admitted students intending to enroll in our program must secure their spot by submitting their intent to enroll.
In addition, all master’s students must submit a nonrefundable deposit of $300 as part of the intent-to-enroll process. The $300 nonrefundable deposit will be credited to your account when you enroll. If you do not enroll, you will forfeit the deposit.
Plan your arrival on campus
New students should plan to arrive in Chicago and on campus with plenty of time to find housing, remove registration holds, enroll in classes, attend various campus-wide orientations (refer to section below), complete hiring paperwork if you were offered aid (see “New hire paperwork” accordion below), and get familiar with the campus.
Notes for international students:
Fall 2025 semester begins on August 25, 2025.
Prepare for registration
- CS graduate students are not required to be advised before registering for courses.*
- Only CS 4XX and 5XX courses count toward degree requirements. Students are responsible for understanding their respective degree requirements.
- Check course descriptions and prerequisites when selecting courses.
- Prerequisites should be used as guidelines for the required background of the course.
- As a new student, please be advised that you might not be able to register for your first choice of course. Come prepared with multiple course options.
- New students are not allowed to register for non-CS courses or for CS 597 / CS 598 hours during their first semester.
- Computer science has a strict registration policy. Review it here.
- Degree requirements will be discussed in detail at the mandatory CS graduate student orientation.
*PhD students should consult their assigned advisor for guidance.
Learn about registration holds
As a new student, you may have several holds on your account, some of which may prevent you from registering.
- New student hold: Placed on the accounts of newly admitted graduate students.
- Domestic: Email cs-grad@uic.edu with your first name, last name, date of birth, and UIN. Please be advised that all classes will be held in person, and you must be in Chicago to attend classes.
- International: Once you have arrived and your SEVIS hold has been removed by OIS, email cs-grad@uic.edu with your first name, last name, date of birth and UIN. You must be in Chicago to attend classes.
- SEVIS hold: Placed on the accounts of newly admitted international students. You must check in with the Office of International Services (OIS) for removal of this hold.
- Immunization hold: See UIC’s policy on immunization requirements.
Get all the ID cards you’ll need
- UIC photo ID: Your university ID is called an iCard. You can get one after you have registered for classes. Once you register for classes, you will be able to get one at the ID Center.
- U-Pass: This is a transit pass for Chicago public transportation, including CTA buses and trains. Visit the ID Center’s U-Pass webpages for information on eligibility and distribution.
information
All students who have been offered an assistantship and have never before worked at UIC must complete new hire paperwork.
Typical fall appointment dates are August 15 to December 31, and spring dates are January 1 to May 15.
Paperwork must be completed prior to the start date for the student to be paid from the start of the appointment dates. If paperwork is completed after the start of the appointment date, the student can only be paid from the date hiring paperwork was completed.
Orientations
There are several orientations available to new graduate students that are required or recommended. Some orientations include:
CS Graduate Student Orientation
All new CS graduate students are required to attend this mandatory session. Degree requirements, department policies, student expectations, and other important topics are covered in this session. This orientation is held only once per year, prior to the start of the fall semester. An email with the finalized date and location will be sent by the CS Student Affairs office. The mandatory New CS Graduate Student Fall Orientation will be held on Friday, August 22nd. Time and location TBA.
New TA Orientation
Information coming soon.
International Student Orientation
UIC’s Office of International Services (OIS) runs an orientation program that is mandatory for all new international students. There is an orientation fee for this program, which is charged to international students’ accounts. Visit the OIS website for information and schedules.
Graduate College Orientation
UIC’s Graduate College holds an orientation session for new graduate students from across UIC’s colleges each fall. There is no session in the spring term. Limited spaces are available for this orientation, which has no fee, and registration is required. The CS department highly recommends that new graduate students choose to attend. Learn more on the Graduate College orientation page.
Contact us
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Email us
Admitted students can reach us at cs-grad@uic.edu.
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Call us
You can reach us by phone at (312) 996-5940.