Student Resources - Durham

• Graduate Assistant Orientation (GAO): GAO provides teaching, research and graduate assistants with the tools needed to understand and meet the demands of an assistantship. This is a mandatory program for all newly appointed graduate assistants and fellows (as well as those who hold an appointment but have not yet been able to attend an orientation).
• International Student Orientation: This orientation provides connections to Office of International Students & Scholars (OISS) staff and returning UNH students, and gives essential information related to immigration, cultural and academic adjustment, as well as campus life and resources. Attendance is mandatory for all incoming international students. Please contact oiss@unh.edu for more information.

It's recommended that all students be aware of important school-specific due dates. The UNH Graduate School Academic Calendar shows grad student registration deadlines, add/drop dates and refund periods. Please note that the UNH e-term calendar operates on a different schedule from the traditional semester model. Online students should reference the online calendar at the link above.

Add a course via Webcat through the published deadlines posted on the Master Academic Calendar. Download Step-By-Step Guide.

1. Contact your advisor, other appointed department representative or a graduate academic counselor to help you choose courses for the semester.
2. Find Course Registration Numbers (CRN) for each class you plan to take. Note: All courses must be listed at the 800 level or above for graduate level credit. You can browse and find specific courses using the time and room schedule.
3. Go to Webcat and login. For login assistance call 603-862-4242.
4. Select Registration.
5. Select Registration Information.
6. Select Register for Classes.
7. Select Term (ex: Fall 2020).
8. Enter your Alt PIN (Registration Access Code if applicable) and click Continue.
9. Select the Enter CRNs tab to enter the five-digit Course Reference Number (CRN) or use the Find Classes Search.
10. Select Submit in the Summary block.
11. For a printout of your schedule: go to Registration Information and select View Registration Information.
12. Please note when you go to register, all students must sign the Student Financial Responsibility Agreement as a condition of registration. This ensures that students are aware of our billing policies and processes. This must be done by the student through Webcat. Please see the below tutorial.

Student Financial Responsibility Agreement

For additional registration information, visit the Registrar's Office website, or view the complete guide to Graduate Student Course Registration.

Your UNH ID card is important to the campus. It allows you to get check out books at the library, gives you access to the fitness center, and gets you into approved buildings. Your ID card can also be used for Dining Dollar and Cat's Cache purchases as it holds the fund balances and works like a debit card. All graduate students can get their UNH ID at the Dining ID Office, located on the 2nd floor of the Memorial Union Building (MUB).
For full information on ID cards (including what you can get with a UNH ID), visit UNH ID Cards.

All full-time degree students are required to have health insurance as a condition of enrollment. Action must be taken each year (information doesn’t roll forward year to year), and plans must be effective by September 1. Students are enrolled in and charged for the UNH Student Health Benefits Plan by default if they don’t submit a waiver by the semester deadline. Students can be seen at Health & Wellness regardless of what insurance they have.
Visit Student Health Insurance  for more information.

Student Accessibility Services (SAS) provides services to students who have permanent or temporary disabilities, including students with physical or learning disabilities and students with health issues (mental or physical) which impact their UNH experience. We seek to create a welcoming, universally accessible environment where all students are able to participate in the myriad aspects of the UNH experience. Students have the right (and responsibility) to self-disclose and make use of the services available. To begin this process, students are encouraged to contact SAS to discuss what services, resources, and accommodations exist. The choice –to use or not –is yours. Make an informed choice. We invite you to connect with us to learn about the options available. If at any time you cannot access forms or pages on this site and need to request an accessible format, please email SAS.office@unh.edu for assistance.

If there's anything that UNH loves, it's acronyms. Here is a list of common acronyms you'll hear in the community. As a general rule of thumb, if there's a way to pronounce the acronym as a word (like PACS or MUB or COLA), you should do so. Additional acronyms you’ll hear in the graduate community include: GSS (Graduate Student Senate), ABUGS (Advisory Board for Underrepresented Graduate Students), 3MT (3-Minute Thesis), GRC (Graduate Research Conference), DYF (Dissertation Year Fellowship), STAF (Summer Teaching Assistant Fellowship), and RCR (Responsible Conduct of Research).

• Academic Honesty Policy
• Graduate Degree Requirements
• Grading Policies
• Leave of Absence and Withdrawal
• Transfer Credit Policy

A comprehensive list of forms and policies related to admissions, academics, financial aid, and more can be found on the UNH Graduate School Forms & Policies Webpage. 

A UNH Wildcat email account has been created for you. This will be the primary mode that many University departments use to communicate their processes and deadlines, so it is imperative you check your email on a regular basis. To activate your account visit the Accessing Student Email – WildcatsMail webpage.

Students can use Webcat to view course schedules, register for courses, view grades, view holds, request enrollment verifications, request transcripts, view degree evaluations, view their bill, pay online, request a refund, and view financial aid information, among a number of other important tasks.

The University utilizes the LMS system MyCourses (also referred to as Canvas), to deliver all online course content. MyCourses is the platform you will use to access your online courses. The login credentials you received during the application process can be used to access the platform. For information on how to navigate Canvas, visit the Canvas: Student Overview webpage.

UNH has created a Tech Checklist where you'll find detailed information on all sorts of online resources and services that you will be using throughout your time at UNH. The checklist includes info on setting up your UNH email, installing Microsoft Office 365, accessing Box (file storage service), and much more.

Students can find and order the textbooks required for their classes on the UNH Bookstore website by visiting the Find Course Materials webpage. To look up courses, you will need to know the term, department, course number and section of the class.

Mandatory fees provide services such as access to the Hamel Recreation Center, transportation on and off campus, and support through Psychological & Counseling Services (PACS). Mandatory fees are automatically billed to graduate students on the Durham campus who are enrolled in 5 or more credit hours, in addition to tuition. Mandatory fees are not covered by assistantships. For more information, visit the Information on Fees webpage, and contact business.services@unh.edu with any questions.

Business Services is UNH's student billing office. They initiate billing, process payments, loans, and scholarships, and counsel students relative to their financial obligations. On Business Services’ webpage, students can view tuition costs and read more about how to pay their bill while accessing other important information related to the billing and payment processes.

UNH’s Financial Aid Office can help students understand the different types of financial aid available to them and guide them through the process of applying for aid and filling out the Department of Education’s FAFSA Form.

UNH and the greater New Hampshire community provide housing, food, and financial support for people experiencing financial crisis or periods of homelessness. For food insecurity, check out the Swipe it Forward Program, the Cats' Cubbard, and the Waysmeet Cornucopia Food Pantry. 

The Graduate School Office serves to connect and direct graduate students from all programs. Our Durham offices are on the ground level and first floor of Thompson Hall, the clock tower building in the center of campus. In our first-floor office, you will find the Graduate School Deans, as well as administrative and recruitment/retention staff. In our ground floor offices, you will find admissions, IT, and academic services staff. Visit our staff directory for more information, and email grad.school@unh.edu for general inquiries.

UNH’s main campus, Durham is just an hour north of Boston and an hour south of the White Mountains. It's easily accessible by many means of transportation, including Amtrak train (we have our very own station right on campus). The main UNH website provides a virtual tour of the campus, as well as directions and campus maps.

Our first recommendation to new graduate students in search of housing is to contact their advisor or program coordinator. A few of the most convenient options for housing are in Durham on-campus at Babcock Hall or off-campus through Torrington Properties.

Many students find housing and roommates through their departments, typically on or off-campus—in Durham, as well as in neighboring towns such as Dover, Newmarket, and Portsmouth. Information for off-campus housing is available at CollegePads, UNH Pads, Places4Students, Housing Marketplace or the UNH Housing website. You can also email housing.office@unh.edu for help with finding off-campus housing options. 

Students, faculty and staff may be eligible for campus parking permits. Be aware that cars without permits and cars illegally parked may be ticketed and/or towed by the City of Durham or UNH Police. Student permit decals are sold online in advance of semester openings, or over the counter at other times of year. Some categories are subject to availability, and resident permits can and do sell out. Visit the Student Permits Webpage to learn about available permit types.

The Wildcat Transit is a bus system that connects across campus and to neighboring towns, including Portsmouth, Dover, and Newmarket. Wildcat Transit is covered by student fees, so all you need to show is your UNH ID for a ride. A UNH ID also enables free rides on the Coast Bus, a local bus system that connects beyond the Wildcat Transit routes.

Allergies? No problem. Gluten free? There are stations just for you. Vegetarian or vegan? Tons of options. Personal dietician? We have one of those, too. UNH Dining has something for everyone at locations all across campus. Check out their meal plans, and if food insecurity is a reality for you, refer to the "Financial Crisis Help" tab above for links to helpful resources. 

Cat's Cache is a debit account encoded on your UNH photo ID card. It provides cashless access to on-campus vending machines, many products and services across campus, and at many local businesses. It's available for students, faculty and staff. Graduate students can have a Cat’s Cache account added to their ID by simply requesting one through the Dining and ID Office.

We encourage you to explore all information regarding services of the UNH Police Department such as campus advisories and alerts, crime statistics, crime prevention, victim/witness advocacy, personal safety, escort service, and how to report an emergency situation or other calls for service. To stay up to date on all safety items, check out RAVE Guardian and uSafeUS.

The New Hampshire Seacoast is full of gems—we have both mountains and beach, and a string of towns each with their own vibe. Whether you’re looking for a great cup of coffee, running trails, where to see live music, or a place to grab a beer after class, we’ve got you covered. Check out this guide to get started exploring all that the Seacoast has to offer!