Orientation

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New Graduate Student Orientation

Sponsored by the Office of Graduate Studies for all new students, Orientation brings together faculty, staff, and current students who will share information and advice to ease your transition and enrich your graduate experience at USF. Please make every effort to attend. A flexible schedule is designed to share important information across several topics.

Orientation Canvas Course Information:

All newly admitted graduate students are automatically enrolled into the Graduate Student Orientation Canvas Course provided by the Office of Graduate Studies. The course was developed to provide new students foundational knowledge and tools needed to navigate university life and graduate academics with confidence at USF.

Discover helpful welcome videos, guides, and links from key campus services, including Financial Aid, Health and Wellness Services, Account Services, and more. The course will remain available throughout the student's first semester. Note: You may not see the course in Canvas yet. It will populate before in-person orientation date.

Click here to access Canvas.

Tampa campus: The upcoming in-person orientation is designed to be both interactive and engaging, you can choose from a variety of 20-minute sessions tailored to your interests. Each session is offered multiple times throughout the event, giving you the flexibility to attend the topics that matter most to you.

The evening concludes with a Resource Fair in the MSC Ballroom, with over 25 departments and organizations in attendance. Throughout the program, students will also have opportunities to connect informally with their peers.

Note: Please review the 'Welcome Videos' available in the Graduate Student Orientation Canvas Course, before the in-person orientation date.

Directions to Marshall Student Center (MSC)

➤ August 15, 2025 - Graduate Student Orientation (In-Person)

✅ Registration / Check-In

Opens at 2:00 PM

Marshall Student Center (MSC) – 1st Floor Atrium Lobby

Mini Sessions I

2:30 - 2:50 PM

🎓 Strategies for Success in Graduate School
MSC Room: 2708
Presented by: Dr. Ruth Bahr, Dean of Graduate Studies

👔 Tailoring Your Graduate Education to Your Career Path
MSC Room: 3709
Presented by: Dr. Tracy Costello, Assistant Dean, Postdoctoral Affairs & Graduate Student Development

🤘 Graduate Connect: Engagement & Support
MSC Room: 3711
Presented by: Dr. Gary Oliver, Assistant Director, Graduate Student Services

💻 AI vs. AI: Using Artificial Intelligence without Compromising Your Academic Integrity
MSC Room: 2709
Presented by: Mr. Evan Fruehauf, Assistant Librarian, USF Libraries

⛓️‍💥 Breaking the Mask: Conquering Imposter Syndrome
MSC Room: 2707
Presented by: Dr. Tangela Serls, Associate Professor of Instruction of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and Special Advisor to the College of Arts and Sciences Dean

🗣️ Graduate Student Panel Q&A
MSC Room: 3705
Presented by: Current USF Graduate Students

Mini Sessions II

3:00 - 3:20 PM

Mini Sessions III

3:30 - 3:50 PM

💬 Graduate Student Resource Fair

3:30 - 5:00 PM

Marshall Student Center (MSC) – 2nd Floor Ballroom

Featuring 25+ Departments / Organizations
(View partial list of participants below)

USF Departments	External Organizations
Alumni Association	Tampa Tarpons
Recreation and Wellness	Cultivate the Writer
USF Dining	Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI)
Graduate Assistants United	Visit Tampa Bay
Ombuds Office	Tampa Museum of Art
Center for Student Involvement	and more!
International Student Support
Office of Veteran Success
Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement (CLCE)
Student Government Federal Branch
Center for Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention
and more!

View past virtual Orientation Videos

Interested in seeing more of campus? The Office of Admissions offers in-person, self-guided, and virtual tours of all three campuses! Click here for details.

For immediate 360 virtual tours, click here.

Office of Graduate Studies

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