Student Resources

New Students

We are so excited that you have chosen to pursue a degree at SCI!

All students should continue to check their Pitt email and Canvas dashboards for updated information about orientation events and activities.

New international students should view the Office of International Services (OIS) orientations to ensure they know relevant dates, times, and locations of any immigration-related activities.

Undergraduate Orientation
This will occur towards the end of August 2026. Final date, time, and location information will be posted here once it is finalized. 

Graduate Orientation
This will occur towards the end of August 2026. Final date, time, and location information will be posted here once it is finalized.

All new graduate students are welcome to attend University-wide graduate student events.

Welcome to Pitt!

Whether you’ve already joined the Pitt community or you’re considering a move here, we hope this guide will help you to get the most out of our hometown.

Learn More About Pittsburgh
Living at Pitt

SCI UBelong Summer Bridge Program

Move onto campus one week prior to Welcome Week to connect with University peers, faculty, and staff! Each day, engage in social activities, community engagement, and workshops on academics, resources, and opportunities.

Check back here for information on the 2026 SCI UBelong Program. 

Apply to SCI UBelong
SCI UBelong students pose for a photo.

New Student FAQs

You get your Pitt ID at Panther Central, located in the Litchfield Towers Lobby, once you have enrolled in 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.

You should receive computing account verification information from the University’s Information Technology department 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 after three weeks, you may contact Pitt IT directly.

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.

Please contact your program or department administrator to initiate a review of the hold(s) on your account:

  • Department of Computer Science: Keena Walker, keena@cs.pitt.edu
  • Department of Informatics and Networked Systems (DINS): you may send an email to Academic Records at scirecords@pitt.edu
  • Department of Information Culture and Data Stewardship (ICDS): Debbie Day, ded15@pitt.edu
  • Intelligent Systems Program (ISP): Heidi Davis, hld46@pitt.edu

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.

View the new student guide to the University Registrar to find steps on how to use PeopleSoft CX to enroll in classes.

Students can access PittPay through the Pitt portal. All details on due dates, setting up accounts to issue payment, setting up payment plans, etc. can be found at the PittPay site.

Visa and travel restrictions may create unusual challenges for international students’ ability to arrive on campus by the first day of the term. However, there are valid academic reasons that graduate students must be present in classes as soon as possible in order to fully participate in their program.

However, the Office of International Services will create an I-20 with their determined “late arrival date” under the following conditions:

  1. An exception will only be considered for graduate students.

  2. The student must confer with their advisor to discuss the viability of their plan to arrive late while maintaining successful progress in their courses. The late arrival exception must be approved by the student’s advisor and the SCI Dean’s Office.

After conferring with their advisor, the student should fill out the SCI Late Arrival Exception form in order to gather the appropriate approvals. Once the student finishes their portion of the form, it will automatically route to the advisor and the Dean’s Office for final decisions and signatures. The Dean’s Office will ensure the form is submitted to the Office of International Services.