New Graduate Student Checklist

1

View and Accept Offer

Many departments have deadlines for you to accept their offer of admission—contact your department admissions coordinator or your Director of Graduate Studies to ensure you accept your admission before the deadline. Log into your Admissions Status Portal and complete the Admissions Acceptance form on your checklist. This form confirms your intent to enroll at the University of Louisville.  

Request Change of Start Term
If you have been admitted and cannot attend in your intended term of entry, you can complete the Deferral Request Form in your Admissions Status Portal. Note, your admission can only be deferred for up to one academic year, and the deferral is subject to departmental approval. After this period, if you have not started with the program, you will be asked to reapply for the program. 

2

Submit Final Documents

Your admission letter will indicate if we are still missing admission materials from your file. Failure to submit documents may result in your inability to register for classes after your first semester.

Missing documents can be uploaded in your Admissions Status Portal or emailed to gradadm@louisville.edu.

3

Activate UofL Accounts

You must activate your ULINK ID and UofL email account to register for classes. Moving forward, important communication will only be sent to your UofL email account, so be sure to check it often. This is also how you will access important technology on campus.

Many applications, including Blackboard require two factor authentication. To set this up, download the Duo app and enroll. If you encounter any issues, please contact Information Technology. 

Once you have ensured your academic account is set up to begin courses, be sure to view the academic calendar. 

4

Contact Your Program!

Contact the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) or assigned advisor for your program to discuss course selection and to understand your degree requirements. Connecting with your advisor early can help prepare you for your first term and the terms to come! 

5

New Graduate Student Orientation

Complete the online orientation module before the semester begins and sign up to attend our in-person orientation. Be sure to attend any required program-specific orientation sessions as well. Contact your DGS for more information about your program-specific orientation.

International students are required to attend a mandatory orientation session. For more information, contact the Office of International Student and Scholar Services. 

6

Register for Classes

Registration for courses can be completed through your ULink account.  While you can drop/add courses within your first week of classes, be sure to register for classes as soon as your registration window opens, as sections may fill up fast. For more information about registration, please contact the Registrar’s Office at regoff@louisville.edu. 

Do you have credits from a previous graduate program that need to be transferred to UofL? Students can transfer up to six (6) credits. For more information, visit the catalog. 

Before each term's enrollment, you must complete Pre-Registration questions found on the Tasks page of your ULink account. Failure to do so before your enrollment period will result in a hold being placed on your account.

7

Complete Campus Checklist

Student ID
Your first Cardinal Card is free and can be set up online. If you will be attending courses in-person on any of our campuses, be sure to visit the Cardinal Card Office in Houchens Building to receive your student ID. If you attend courses online, you can request your card be mailed to you. 

Parking Permit
Visit the Belknap Campus parking office (2126 South Floyd Street in the Floyd Street Parking Garage), the HSC parking office (414 East Chestnut Street in the Chestnut Street Parking Garage) or complete a permit request online to obtain a parking permit for your appropriate campus. You must be an enrolled student to obtain your parking permit. Students can also use their Cardinal Card to ride the Louisville Public Transportation System (TARC) free of charge.

Pay Your Bill
It is important to be familiar with your due dates and payment methods for tuition as well as payment policies. If you are receiving an assistantship or fellowship, please follow any directions given to you to ensure proper disbursement of funds.   

Purchase Textbooks and Supplies
Prior to the start of courses, your professors should be posting the syllabi for your courses to Blackboard. Be sure to come prepared on your first day and order your textbooks and supplies ahead of time! You can get more information about textbook ordering from the campus bookstore.