Getting Started

Your academic journey begins with enrolling in your classes, connecting with your advisor, and learning to navigate some important advising tools, like the graduate catalog and your program handbook.
- Enrollment and Registration
- Important Enrollment Tips
- Common Enrollment Errors
- myUCF
- Advising
- Important Information in Your Program Handbook
- Important Information Available in the GPS

Orientation
CGS hosts a university-wide orientation each semester, see the orientation page for more information.
Enrollment and Registration
You’ll first need to determine how many classes you want to enroll in and when registration occurs. For graduate students, full-time enrollment for the fall or spring semesters is a minimum of 9 credit hours, for example 3 3-credit hour classes (for summer semesters, full-time enrollment is 6 credit hours). This may seem different than your undergraduate degree – and it is! Graduate coursework is designed to be more intensive and therefore 9 credit hours is plenty of work, especially if you plan to be working or completing an assistantship. To learn more about full-time or part-time enrollment, review the Full-time Enrollment Requirements Policy in the Graduate Catalog.
Registration occurs during a defined period every semester. The Academic Calendar displays these dates each term and can be added to your calendar. Failure to register before the end of Add/Drop week each semester may result in not taking classes at all for that semester. The end of Add/Drop week is always the last day of the first week of classes.
Register Before Add/Drop
This is the open enrollment period. Changes can continually be made to a schedule. Nothing is officially a part of the academic record, and bills are not due until after the end of Add/Drop Week. If you are unable to register for a course, to avoid a late fee, register for a placeholder course before the first day of the semester.
Register During Add/Drop
A late fee will be assessed if no enrollment occurs before the first day of classes. This does not include schedule changes if a student was enrolled before the first day of class. Class selections may be limited, and you may miss the first day or two of class.
Register After Add/Drop
Not permitted unless there is a documented extenuating circumstance outside a student’s control. A late fee will be assessed. Also, the student will need permission from the instructor and will need their graduate program to submit on their behalf. This is only during the second week of classes. Late Adds are not permitted after this time frame.
Important Enrollment Tips
First Semester Enrollment
You must enroll in your first term of admission. If you do not, your admission will be revoked, and you will need to submit a new application.
Continuous Enrollment
To continue “Active Student” status, you must maintain an active enrollment each semester. If you do not enroll for 3 consecutive semesters, you will be discontinued from your program. If you are discontinued and wish to return later, you must reapply to your program.
Thesis or Dissertation Hours
Work with your Graduate Program Director or Program Coordinator to register for thesis or dissertation hours. An approved committee must be on file with the College of Graduate Studies before registration is permitted.
Special Leave of Absence
If a situation will prevent you from enrolling for a semester or longer, consider applying for a Special Leave of Absence.
Common Enrollment Errors
When you enroll in a course, you’ll either see a green check mark, confirming successful enrollment and your official seat in the class, or a red “X,” indicating an error in processing your request. An accompanying message will explain the issue. Common errors may occur if the course is full or if a prerequisite or required step is missing, such as:
Course Overrides
Contact the department or program offering the course to ask for a permission code to enter for successful registration.
Term Activation Error
This error occurs if you were dropped for non-payment in the current semester, which disables future enrollment eligibility. To resolve this, contact Student Account Services to pay your fees. The error may also occur if you attempt to enroll shortly after being admitted to UCF.
myUCF
myUCF is an online portal for managing your personal, financial, and academic information. Accessible from anywhere, it allows you to:
- Search for and enroll in classes
- Check your final grades each semester
- Review your GPS to track progress toward graduation
- Access your unofficial transcript
- Review financial aid information
- Pay tuition and fees
- Manage account holds and to-dos
- Request official transcripts

Where can I access myUCF?
The myUCF portal can be accessed from any device with a connection to the Internet.
On a Computer
- Navigate to myUCF.edu.
- Click the Sign On button at the top left of the page.
- Login with your NID and NID password.
On a Mobile Device
- Navigate to myUCF.edu in your mobile browser.
- Login with your NID and NID password.
Advising
Graduate advising is managed by your respective graduate program. Each program has a Graduate Program Director who can provide guidance and support. Here are the key individuals who may assist you:
- Administrative Support Staff: Handle general questions and help you connect with the appropriate resources or individuals.
- Graduate Advisors: Assigned to specific students or programs, they are experts in the field who can answer questions about the program, courses, and industry, while discussing your academic and professional goals.
- Graduate Program Directors – Experts in the field of study, these are individuals who oversee the advisement and administration of the graduate program.
Also, the College of Graduate Studies serves as a resource for general policies and procedures applicable to all UCF graduate students. While not specialists in specific degree programs, we are here to help navigate broader graduate requirements.
To determine what classes specifically to take, you’ll want to seek advising from your Graduate Program Director.
Advising Tools
Advising tools allow you to take ownership of your education and experience. Please be aware of where different information resides.
Graduate Catalog
The Graduate Catalog houses all policies and requirements for each graduate program at UCF. There is only one catalog per year that all students reference, specific to their admit term. It’s essential to use the catalog for your admit year and not just bookmark the general catalog, as your specific catalog requirements remain the same until you graduate.
A catalog year includes students starting in the Fall, Spring, and Summer terms. For example 2024-2025 catalog year would be for students admitted in Fall 2024, Spring 2025, and Summer 2025.
The Graduate Catalog serves as a contract, outlining your responsibilities as a student and what you can expect from your program. If both parties fulfill their obligations (you complete the program’s requirements), UCF will award your degree.
Important information in the Graduate Catalog about your program includes:
- Degree Requirements
- College or Program
- Department of Program
- Program Website
- Program Handbook Link
- Program Contact Information
How to Access Your Graduate Program Information Page Tutorial

Program Handbook
The Graduate Program Handbook serves as a detailed instructional guide tailored to your specific program. Each program has its own handbook, so if you are enrolled in multiple programs, you’ll have a handbook for each one.
The handbook complements the Graduate Catalog by providing instructions on completing program requirements, such as required satisfactory grades, comprehensive exam procedures, and thesis/dissertation committee member requirements. Handbooks are updated annually to ensure current and relevant guidance.
Important Information in Your Program Handbook
- Consequences
- Policies
- Program Requirement Processes
- Procedures
- Resources for Success
- Norms for Graduate Students
Graduate Plan of Study (GPS)
The Graduate Plan of Study (GPS) is a degree audit tool in myUCF that tracks your academic progress, much like a real GPS tracks your journey. It shows where you stand on the path to your degree and provides an overview of your planned route. The GPS pulls information from the catalog while reflecting your specific enrollment and completed courses.
Important Information Available in the GPS
- Course History
- General Graduate Policies
- Program Section listing the course requirements
- Program Graduate Policies
- Program GPA
- Thesis/Dissertation Milestones (if applicable)
- Program-Specific Requirements