Graduate Student Orientation (GSO)
ATTENTION UCLA STAFF/DEPARTMENTS/OFFICES:
Looking for ways to get involved with GSO? Click on the button below to find out how!
Ways to Connect
IMPORTANT DATES
The UCLA Graduate Student Resource Center (GSRC) and various campus partners invite all new incoming graduate and professional school students to participate in our 2023 Graduate Student Orientation. What a way to begin your graduate career at UCLA on a positive note!
To get started on your UCLA journey, please complete the New Graduate Student Checklist before proceeding!
August 1 (9AM)
GSO-Online Launches and Goes Live
August 28 (8AM)
GSO Event Registration Goes Live! Register for events here.
September 5 (11:59PM)
Deadline to register for food - check your email from the Division of Graduate Education from August 24th!
September 15 (11:59PM)
Deadline to register for GSO events
September 18-22
GSO-In person
September 27 (4-6:30PM)
New GRAD Student Welcome
GSO-Online
The GSO-Online portal is now live to new graduate and professional students!
GSO-Online stands for Graduate Student Orientation-Online. GSO-Online is a web-based resource designed to introduce new students to graduate and professional school and campus resources and services. Once you log in, the portal will be available to you anytime and can be used as a reference source as you navigate your first year and all that UCLA has to offer.
GSO-Online Units:
- Welcome Message & UCLA 101
- Being a Graduate Student
- Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity
- Finding Community at UCLA
- Los Angeles Life
- Health & Wellness
- Funding & Employment
- Basic Needs
- Emergency & Safety
- New Student Checklist
How to Access:
- Go to the GSO-Online portal
- Sign-in with your MyUCLA account
- Complete the module at your own pace
GSO-In Person Events
When: September 18-22 (various days/times)
Where: In-person, on campus
See instructions below to register for events. Instructions on how to register for lunch coming soon.
A series of in-person synchronous events from the GSRC (Graduate Student Resource Center), ASUCLA (Associated Students UCLA), and their partners providing an introduction to some graduate school basics along with information about services and opportunities UCLA has to offer! This programming is intended to help participants make personal connections, receive allyship training, and promote an inclusive campus climate, personal well-being, and overall academic success. It is designed for new students to have the opportunity to learn about resources, meet other graduate students from across campus, and engage with UCLA resources in a supportive environment.
The first day (September 18) will serve as an introduction to UCLA and to the GSO structure. Each subsequent day will feature workshops, socials, panels, and networking opportunities created to introduce students to the essential campus resources that exist to support them in two of the eight dimensions of their wellness. For example, workshops regarding career planning and budgeting will be offered on the Career/Financial Wellness day (September 22). By the end of the week, students will have received an introduction to campus resources that support all 8 dimensions of their wellness. See the basic schedule below for a breakdown of the dimensions covered each day!
BASIC SCHEDULE:
- September 18 - Introduction and Resource Fair (see details below)
- September 19 - Intellectual/Existential Wellness
- September 20 - Environmental/Physical Wellness
- September 21 - Social/Emotional Wellness
- September 22 - Career/Financial Wellness
Resource Fair:
The Graduate Student Resource Center (GSRC) and the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC), formerly known as the Center for the Advancement of Teaching (CAT), have partnered to host an in-person resource fair. The resource fair is designed to connect you with UCLA services and programs that support the graduate student and TA experience. ALL new graduate students and future, current, or returning TAs are welcome to attend the resource fair. The Resource Fair sessions are designed to be a more direct opportunity to connect with resources of interest and get your questions directly answered.
Check out our directory, which contains information about participating organizations and information about those who can’t make it to Resource Fair, but want to support and connect with you throughout your graduate school journey! Note: the directory will be continually updated until the event.
New GRAD Student Welcome
Hosted by the Division of Graduate Education
When: Wednesday, September 27th (4-6:30pm)
Where: In-person, on campus
For more information please visit the Division of Graduate Education website. (link coming soon)
How to Register for Events
***REGISTRATION IS OPEN***
We will be updating events until the end of September. Check back in regularly.
Your UCLA Handshake Account is REQUIRED to sign up for events. If you have never used UCLA Handshake before. Activate your account:
- Go to ucla.joinhandshake.com and log on using your UCLA logon email and password.
- After logging on, you have activated your account. Nothing else is required.
How to find GSO events:
- Click on the "Events" tab in the top menu
- In the search field, type "GSO" to view all events for Graduate Student Orientation
How to sign up for events
- Once you are logged into Handshake and viewing the events list, click on each event you are interested in attending and select "Register"
- You will receive an email confirmation for each event you sign up for which will include information about how to access the virtual session during the day and time it is scheduled. All events are in Pacific time.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How can I view a list of all the events I signed up for?
- From the "Events" tab on Handshake, a list of all events you have signed up for will appear on the left side of the page
- I cannot attend some events, will recordings be made available?
- We acknowledge that some graduate students will not be able to attend all of the sessions and we are trying our best to work with campus partners hosting workshops to make recorded versions and materials available. We will share resources with students when they are available.
- I am having trouble logging into or accessing Handshake
- Make sure you are logging onto Handshake using this link: https://ucla.joinhandshake.com/
- A common issue is that your Handshake account is still linked to a previous institution. To correct this issue, please log onto MyUCLA, click on settings (in the upper right hand corner), and select official email/ address/ phone. Update your official email to your UCLA email and you should be able to access your account within the next business day.
Events
***REGISTRATION IS OPEN***
We will be updating events from now until the end of September. Check back in regularly. We are adding all orientation events to one calendar (seen below) for easier viewing.
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