New Graduate Student FAQ

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For All New Students

When and where can I get my Pitt Student ID?
You can get your Pitt ID at Panther Central, located in the Litchfield Towers Lobby, once you have enrolled into classes. Students who are required to take the English Language Proficiency exam upon arrival to campus are able to get their Pitt ID prior to enrolling into classes.

What is my Pitt email address?
You should receive computing account verification information from the University’s Information Technology department (CSSD) within 1 to 3 weeks of accepting your admissions offer; be sure to check your spam folder as well for this email. If you have not received an email from CSSD after 3 weeks, you may contact them directly.

What is my PeopleSoft ID and where can I find it?
Your PeopleSoft ID number (i.e. Student ID number) is a 7-digit number that identifies you in the University of Pittsburgh records system. You can find your PeopleSoft ID number via your Student Center in your my.pitt.edu account or on the bottom right hand corner of your Pitt Student ID. Students are encouraged to include their PeopleSoft ID number in all email exchanges with faculty and staff members.

I have a hold on my student account that is prohibiting me from enrolling in classes. How do I remove the hold?
You may send an email to scireg@pitt.edu to initiate a review of the hold(s) on your account. Please note that some holds may not be removed until you have arrived on campus or may need to be removed by another office on campus.

How do I enroll in classes?
Please check both your personal and Pitt email accounts for communications from the SCI Records Office (scireg@pitt.edu) on course registration and enrollment. Helpful course registration links:

My admissions letter states that I am required to complete a college-level mathematics, statistics and/or programming course in addition to my graduate course requirements. However, I feel I have completed a similar or equivalent course(s) in my previous academic career. Am I able to petition to waive this requirement(s)?
Yes, students are able to petition to waive a prerequisite course requirement for their degree by submitting a Provisional Condition Review form, a course description/syllabus of the previously taken course, and a copy of the transcript with the grade earned in the course to scireg@pitt.edu. You will receive an email from the Graduate Admissions Committee regarding their decision in 3 to 10 business days after all required documents have been submitted.

When and where do I submit my official transcripts?

You will need to request an official transcript from all previous institutions you have attended, regardless of whether or not a degree was conferred, before the first day of your first term of study. Please contact scirecords@pitt.edu if you cannot obtain official copies of your final transcript(s) before this deadline. We will update your student checklist once your official transcripts have been received and processed. No transcripts will be accepted or considered official if not sent directly from the originating institution to the SCI Records Office. All official transcripts should be sent to the SCI Records Office directly from the originating institution either via email (scirecords@pitt.edu) or to the address below:


SCI Record Office
Fifth Floor, Information Sciences Building
135 North Bellefield Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA, 15260

When do I have to submit my official test scores?
You must submit all official test scores as soon as possible, as you will not be able to enroll into classes until all official test scores are submitted. Please contact your test agency if you have not yet submitted them.

Does SCI offer a new student orientation?
The SCI Student Services Team will provide you with a schedule of both the required and optional orientation events for new students roughly 2 to 4 weeks before orientation. Please check your Pitt and personal email account for communications from the Student Services office closer to the start of your first term of study. While you will receive a detailed schedule according to the timeline described above, please be prepared to make yourself available between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. for orientation events that will take place on-campus during the week before classes start.

For International Students

I accepted my offer of admission. When can I receive my I-20?
Once you have accepted your offer, it takes about 2-3 weeks before the Office of International Services (OIS) contacts you regarding your I-20. They will guide you through the final remaining procedures regarding your Visa and financial documentation.

My admissions letter states that I am required to take the English Language Proficiency test. How do I sign up?
You can find out more about this exam or sign up for it here. Please sign up and take the exam at your earliest convenience. Your ability to enroll into courses for the upcoming term is dependent on completing this exam.

When will I receive my English Language Proficiency test results?
You can receive your test results as early as one day after you take the test. To receive your exam results, please visit the fifth floor of the Information Sciences building. Based on these test results, you may or may not need to take an English Language course(s) in your first term of study.

If I am required to take an English class, what information do I need to know?

  • If you have to take an English course in your first term of study, you do NOT need to enroll in the course yourself. Our office will automatically enroll you into the required course(s). No class change requests will be accepted.
  • You must save room in your schedule for our office to add in your English course(s). If you are enrolled in too many courses for our office to add the required course(s) into your schedule (i.e., 13 or more credits), we will drop a random course from your schedule in order to add the English course. You may NOT remove an English course from your schedule if you are required to take one. If you drop an English course from your schedule, the SCI Records Office will automatically re-enroll you into the course and place a hold on your student account that will prohibit you from any further enrollment activity.
  • If you do not receive a passing grade in your English course, you will be required to retake it the following term. Failure to achieve a passing grade in an English course after two terms will result in dismissal from the program. NO EXCEPTIONS.
  • If you are recommended to take 3 English language courses, you may require more intensive English Language Training before pursuing a degree at Pitt. Please contact Sung-Min Kim (suk103@pitt.edu) if you have any questions regarding your English Language test results.
  • Credits earned from courses taken to fulfill an English language course requirement are considered as additive, which means they will NOT be counted towards the minimum credits required to graduate in your degree. Although credits earned from an English Language course(s) will be factored into your overall credits earned on your academic record, they will NOTfactor in towards the minimum credits required for graduation. However, English language courses taken for a letter grade will factor into your overall GPA.

Where do I submit my immunization form?
Please upload your immunization form to your MyOIS account. Please see the details here.

I am required to obtain health insurance. How do I obtain it?
Please see the detail of Student Health Insurance here.