WELCOME

We think you have made a good choice in attending graduate school in psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Our department has over 100 graduate students currently enrolled and about 30 core faculty members. We rank in the top 40 nationwide in scholarly activity, and have produced hundreds of PhDs to date. We're happy to have you with us.

FINANCIAL AID

Before you do anything else to prepare for graduate school, consider whether you want to apply for financial aid. Currently enrolled UIC students begin the fall financial aid application process as early as January or February, and with good reason--it takes several months to receive a financial aid award. May is the unofficial deadline for fall aid, but they take applications throughout the summer as well. It is best to get complete/correct information in as early as possible.

First, you may wish to visit www.fafsa.ed.gov to learn about and complete the Application for Federal Student Aid form. This form is the universal application for student financial assistance. The UIC Financial Aid Office is located in the Student Services Building at the northwest corner of Racine and Harrison Streets. Once filed, you must then seek out a lending organization (bank or credit union) and complete a promissory note for their loan.

If, for some reason, your loan application isn't processed quickly enough, there are a variety of emergency loans that you may elect to draw upon. For information about these loans or anything else pertaining to Financial Aid, call 312-996-3126.

Important Note: When you receive your award letter you must report your fall and spring tuition wavers under section 2 which is on the back of the award letter. If you are taking 6-11 hours your tuition will be $2597 for residents and $6596 for non-residents. For other tuition rates see www.uic.edu/depts/oar/rr/tuition.shtml. Make sure you add in the service fee, which is currently $304. Failure to report your tuition and fee wavier may result in your loans being revoked and you having to repay your loans immediately.

How to get started!

1. Looking up your University Identification Number (UIN)

Your first step will be to activate your UIN, which is your student identification number. This number is being used instead of your social security number in most cases. You can go to this website: www.icard.uillinois.edu/secure/act_tellme.cfm to look up your UIN. Make sure you write your UIN down because you will need this later.

2. Activating your NetID and UIC email address.

Now that you have your UIN you can activate your NetID and UIC email address. Your UIC email address will be listed in the university phone book and it is the most common way people from the university community will contact you. Your UIC email address will also be added to the various Psychology Department listserves. You can activate your NetID and UIC email address by going to: tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/password/pass.cgi?dispatch=activate_panel. During the activation of your NetID and UIC email address you will be asked to set a password, which will allow you access to your email and other application such as blackboard. It is important that once you have activated your UIC Email address that you contact Aly Kiep (aekallas@uic.edu) so she can add you to the Psychology Department listserves.

3. Activating your Enterprise ID

On to the third step, activating your Enterprise ID. Your Enterprise ID will give you access to the Enterprise system which will allow you to register for classes, view the status of your financial aid, see your grades and event see your entire academic history during your time at UIC.

You can activate your Enterprise ID by going to: apps.uillinois.edu/selfservice/ Then completing the following steps,

1. Click on UIC.
2. Scroll down and click on: eas.admin.uillinois.edu/eas/servlet/EasBluestemReset.
3. Click log in.
4. Log in with your full NetID yourNetID@uic.edu (this is one of the rare times you will have to put @uic.edu).
5. Now enter your ACCC common (email) password.
6. Now create your Enterprise password this must be different from your ACCC common (email) password.

Now that you have your Enterprise password you can register for classes provided you have no holds on your account. Contact your advisor to go over what your specific schedule.

4. Getting your I-Card

Once you have registered for your classes or at least one class you can then get your I-card from the Photo ID Office in SSB. You must bring a Photo ID (Drivers Licenses, State ID, Passport) AND a copy of your current fall schedule. Your I-card will have three different numbers: first your UIN, second your library ID, and finally your I-card number. Your I-card will be used for borrow books from the library, using campus recreation facilities, and using computers other than those in the Department of Psychology, getting in parking lots if you purchase parking, among other things.

After you complete the four steps you will be ready for the Department Orientation in August. You must complete steps 1 & 2 before July 1st.

ORIENTATION

There will be both a departmental and University-wide orientation the week before classes start (typically the third week of August). The complete department orientation schedule will be mailed and emailed to students in mid-June. The graduate coordinator will register the new students for the University orientation that takes place the same week.

REGISTRATION

During Orientation week in August, you will be given the opportunity to register for Fall Semester courses. Please seek the assistance of your advisor in selecting the courses that are appropriate for your program of study. You may register ahead of time on line as well. Visit the University Web site at www.uic.edu to begin the process and to review the on-line fall timetable.

If you have questions about Admissions or Records and Registration you can get information between 8:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. Monday - Friday (312-996-4350). The Office of Admissions and Records (OAR) is located in the Student Services Building, 1200 W. Harrison St. If you have questions about or need to clarify your Immunization status (312-413-0464), the office is also located in the Student Services Building.

PUBLIC TRANSIT U-PASS

Graduate students who are registered for at least 9 credit hours will be assessed a nonrefundable CTA Transportation fee each semester that entitles them to a UIC CTA U-PASS valid for that semester. The U-PASS allows students unlimited use of CTA buses and trains. The U-PASS will be valid for CTA travel during the semester, as well as the five days before classes begin and the five days after finals end. Students with documented disabilities that impact on their ability to use CTA service (including the CTA Paratransit special services) should contact the Office of Disability Services, 1190 SSB, to petition for a fee waiver. To pick up your U-PASS, bring your i-card and class schedule to the U-PASS check in station on the 2nd floor south of the Student Services Building (for more information visit www.vcsa.uic.edu/MainSite/departments/Upass/distribution/ or call 312-413-5940.

STUDENT EMPLOYMENT

As soon as possible on your arrival in Chicago, you will be required to verify your eligibility for employment at UIC. Be prepared to provide proof of citizenship and residence (i.e., bring a passport or copy of your birth certificate as well as current identification such as a driver's license and student ID card). See the department’s human resources staff person Diana Martinez in 1066C BSB.

TEACHING AND RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIPS, FELLOWSHIPS

The Department of Psychology has made a commitment to support incoming graduate students for at least the first academic year of their study at UIC, with support through the fourth of academic year pending funding availability. (In the past, we have been able to provide funding through the fourth year for all who have requested it.) This support tends to take four forms: Teaching Assistantships, Research Assistantships, Clinical Assistantships and tuition and fee waivers. Assistantships that are 25% - 67% time also include a tuition and fee waiver. All University appointments, which include a tuition waiver, require that students complete a Graduate Waiver Acceptance Form each time an appointment is processed. Be sure to provide a signed form to the department’s human resources staff person in 1067 for each appointment you will have (generally each term).

The first assignment for many incoming students tends to be a Teaching Assistant appointment. Every effort will be made to match you with a teaching opportunity that fits your general area of interest. The first part of your training to become a Teaching Assistant will occur during the University TA Orientation, the week before classes begin. This is mandatory for all new students. You may also be required to take Psch 508: Practicum in Teaching, a one credit hour course which will help prepare you for classroom contact with undergraduate students. The 508 course may be changed we will inform you of any changes at the orientation. In order to allow adequate preparation time, we will inform you as soon as your assignment has been made. There are often summer assistantships available for interested students, however, don’t forget that the summer semester is shorter and you should plan accordingly.

The department has a large number of grants and other support for a variety of ongoing research projects. As a result, there are often Research Assistant opportunities available for first-year graduate students. You can always ask your advisor if he or she has a research assistant position available or knows of a fellow faculty member who might. You might also speak with your mentor to get a feel for other opportunities in the department.

One note for fellowship recipients: under Graduate College regulations, you will be allowed to take on a research or teaching assistant position only if it does not exceed 50% (approximately 20 hours per week). Fellowship recipients also receive the standard tuition and fee waiver afforded teaching and research assistants. You should be aware that no taxes are deducted from Fellowships, so if you have a fellowship you should put some of the award aside for taxes.

The maximum appointment allowed any full-time graduate student without jeopardizing the tuition waiver is 67%. It is strongly recommended that you restrict yourself to a 50% appointment for at least your first year at UIC, in the interest of avoiding overload.

A tuition and fee waiver is just like it sounds--in return for working for UIC as a teaching or research assistant, the University will waive your tuition costs and the University's service fee. You will still have to pay activity and insurance fees (a breakdown of fees can be found in your University account statement, and you may check the current course timetable for the breakdown as well). Occasionally, more advanced students may choose to devote themselves solely to their research. The department does have a limited number of tuition waivers available for such individuals. Contact the Director of Graduate Studies to have your name placed on the list for consideration for a tuition waiver prior to any effective term. Every tuition waiver processed by the University requires the completion of the Graduate Waiver Acceptance Form. All teaching and research assistant contracts as well as waiver acceptance forms will be completed during orientation.