Welcome New Graduate Students!

We are pleased to welcome you to UCSF and to San Francisco. We’ve provided helpful resources and information to make the most of your time here.

Orientation for New Master’s and PhD Students

You may have an orientation with your program, but the Graduate Division orientation is an additional orientation that includes information required by the university. The Graduate Division orientation takes place on UCSF’s Mission Bay campus.

Save the date for Friday, September 5, 2025! More details will be available at the event nears. It's helpful to watch the Student Services video below prior to orientation.

Virtual Integrated Student Services Orientation

This video orientation, prepared by the Student Success Center, introduces you to the key resources, services, and people dedicated to supporting your success at UCSF!

 

 

Community Circles

New PhD students will be invited to participate in Community Circles within their specific program. These facilitated conversations encompass community building, understanding personal values and identities, and collectively developing community values that align with the individuals in the program. Please contact your program administrator if you have questions.

Important Reminders and Resources

First Year Rotations

Basic and biomedical science PhD students: Good rotations set you up for finding a good dissertation lab ... but what's a good rotation and how do you have one? Visit the new Conducting Successful Rotations webpage. It covers what you need to do and understand before, during, and after your rotations.

Basic Needs

Visit basicneeds.ucsf.edu to learn about the resources available to support your well-being, including the Student Food Market, CalFresh, the Food4Students app, and more.

Discounts

Members of the UCSF community have exclusive access to a variety of discounts, including some that are just for students! Learn about discounts available to you.

Flu Vaccines

Flu vaccinations are mandatory for learners, employees, and physicians across UCSF. Each fall, UCSF offers free flu vaccine clinics for all members of the UCSF community at various campuses. We'll post the schedule here in September.

UCSF Mobile App

Powered by Campus Life Services, the UCSF Mobile App offers information on shuttles, parking, campus retailers, news, events, and more. Find more details and download the app.

WarnMe Alert System

WarnMe is UCSF's enterprise-wide alerting and warning service. Your UCSF-assigned email address is automatically added to WarnMe. You can also receive alerts via a personal phone, text message device, mobile app, pager or personal email. Sign up to receive WarnMe alerts via text message.

Communications

Social Media: Follow us on X/Twitter @UCSFGradDiv and Instagram 

Campus Email: Now that you have a UCSF email address, please check it regularly. We send important notices and we don't want you to miss them!