Congratulations again on your admission to graduate school! We’re excited that you’ll be starting your graduate studies at Memorial University. The School of Graduate Studies (SGS), your academic unit, and all of Memorial’s service units are here to support you at every stage of your journey. Please ensure you review and follow the steps for new graduate students (including information on registration, fees payment, IT services for graduate students, etc.) before you commence your program. Also, please review the resources for graduate students page for specific information about the Fall 2020 semester.

To help you prepare and start your graduate program on the right foot, we’ve pulled together a number of online meetings, information sessions, and resources that will be accessible to you over the next few months.

• Graduate registration: Please remember that you can register now as a graduate student for the Fall 2020 semester opened earlier this week. You should be able to register now through Self-Service. You’ll find detailed information on our website about registration for graduate students. If you have questions about course selection, please don’t hesitate to contact your supervisor (for research programs) or graduate officer.
  
  
• Graduate Commons (online community for graduate students): Once you have registered, you’ll be able to access in Brightspace the Graduate Commons, our online community for graduate students at Memorial. The Graduate Commons is a virtual place for graduate students to meet and share ideas. Graduate officers and staff are also available to participate in discussions and answer any general questions.
  
  
• MUN 501 (graduate orientation): On August 17, you’ll be able to access a virtual orientation experience for new graduate students, entitled MUN 501, through the Graduate Commons. MUN 501 consists of a welcome video from the Dean followed by 6 modules for you to review and to complete at your own pace. Each module consists of a powerpoint presentation with audio, and you can enable captioning if you choose. Transcripts of each module will also be provided. Each module includes links to relevant on and off-campus resources. The modules are intended to help set you up for success in your graduate program and include: planning for your graduate program; roles and responsibilities as a graduate student; personal and community connections; finance and financial literacy; wellness and self-care; and equity, diversity and inclusion. We strongly encourage you to take the time to go through each module.
  
  
• Welcome session for new graduate students: As part of graduate orientation, SGS will host a special welcome session on September 8, 2020 for all new graduate students. The session will include presentations from Memorial’s senior administrators, faculty advisors and student leaders. We’ll offer two identical session to accommodate graduate students in different time zones. Please register for the session that works best with your schedule: you can either register for the welcome session from 9-11 a.m. NDT on September 8, 2020, or register for the welcome session from 3-5 p.m. NDT on September 8, 2020.
  
  
• EDGE workshops: There are many other opportunities for you to get engaged and connected now as a graduate student. Please consider the free online resources and workshops on academic and professional skills development available to you now through our EDGE website. EDGE also includes a number of resources to prepare you with your transition to graduate school.
  
  
• Departmental/program orientation sessions: Your faculty/school/department/program will likely hold separate orientation or welcome meetings, which are a great way to become familiar with academic requirements and expectations and meet other new and current students in your program. Please contact your supervisor (for research programs) or your graduate officer for more information.
  
  
• Weekly online meetings and information sessions for new graduate students: From July 17 to September 18, SGS will offer two weeks every Friday for new graduate students. General meetings are offered each Friday at 10 a.m. NDT and open to all new graduate students. Faculty and staff from SGS, academic units, and the IO will be present to answer any questions you might have as you prepare to commence your graduate program in the Fall 2020 semester. Information sessions are also offered every Friday at 1 p.m. NDT and focus on helping you acquire key competencies and knowledge important for you to be successful in your graduate program. To register, please view the schedule below.
  
  
• Immigration advising sessions (hosted by the Internationalization Office): Memorial’s Internationalization Office (IO) offers information sessions every Thursday from June 11 to August 20 for new international students on general immigration updates, general Q&A, study permit applications, and the post-graduation work permit. All new international students are encouraged to attend. For more information and to register, please visit the IO website.

Your graduate diploma/degree is an important milestone. We are so happy that you have chosen to pursue your graduate education at Memorial, and we want to assure you that Memorial will continue to maintain the very high quality of graduate teaching, supervision, and student experience that we are known for. Please remember that faculty and staff at Memorial are here to help you. If you ever have a question, please don’t hesitate to contact your supervisor (for research programs) or graduate officer or email us at sgs@mun.ca. We’ll get back to you right away.