New Graduate Students

Step 1: Determine your admission

After submitting all your application materials, and upon university review, you will receive and download your letter admitting you to a graduate program at OU. You will then:

• Accept, Decline or Defer your admission offer. The form will be available in your application status page as soon as a decision is posted. 

Please note: students who applied through NursingCas or PTCas do not have to fill out our form and should move on to Step 2 below.  

Step 2: Activate your OU accounts

Prior to registering for classes, you must activate and verify login for your Grizzly ID and PIN and NET ID accounts. Learn how to activate your accounts, and watch tutorials on how to activate your NetID.

Step 3: Register for classes

Web registration is staggered by class standing and earned credit hours. Register for your classes today. Specific registration dates are posted on OU’s web registration page.

Step 4: Pay your bill

Oakland University offers four ways for you to pay your tuition:

• Online
• By mail
• In person
• Via Flywire (for international payments)

Please view OU’s how to pay page for complete details. Contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships if you need help financing your education.

Step 5: Get your GrizzCard

A GrizzCard, the official picture identification card of Oakland University, is required to

• Access residence hall meal plans
• Check out library materials
• Access the Recreation Center
• Enter Vandenberg and Hamlin halls from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
• Print at any open lab on campus
• Make copies in the Oakland Center or Kresge Library
• Receive discounts to select campus activities and services

Get your GrizzCard before the start of your first semester to take advantage of all these resources.

Step 6: Find scholarships and assistantships

Support your best investment with financial assistance from Oakland University. More than half of all OU students receive financial assistance totaling more than $175 million annually. You can benefit from those funds, too — you just have to apply.

Step 7: Confirm your enrollment

When you confirm your enrollment, OU is able to accurately schedule and offer classes for all students.

Step 8: Review the Graduate School welcome guide

The Graduate School is happy to provide and present a welcome guide to help all new graduate students get started on their OU journey.

Completed in consultation with your faculty program adviser, the Plan of Study details specific courses, exit option and other requirements you must complete in order to earn your graduate degree.

Plan of Study Approval

You should consult with your faculty adviser during the first semester, and no later than the end of the first year in your graduate program, to develop a written Plan of Study. The Plan of Study, approved by your graduate program adviser, must be submitted to the Graduate School in order to update your Online Degree Evaluation (WebCAPP).

Approved Plan of Study

An approved plan of study may be amended at any time. Until formal approval of an updated Plan of Study is made, your original or current modification of the plan will remain in effect. You are responsible for meeting with your faculty adviser on an ongoing basis and keeping your Plan of Study updated, as needed.

It is your responsibility to comply with all Oakland University policies, procedures and applicable graduate program requirements that govern your individual program of study. The following tools will help you maintain good academic standing at OU

• Graduate Program Catalog: this is the official OU publication governing academic programs, degree requirements and academic policies, and regulations for the graduate school.
  

The Graduate School administers academic policies and procedures, and enforces graduate degree requirements which are determined by the Graduate Council and are applicable to all graduate students. In unusual circumstances, an exception to policy may be requested. For information on requesting an exception, please visit the student responsibility section in the catalog.

Oakland University's Annual Campus Safety and Security and Fire Safety Report is available online or you may request a paper copy from one of the following offices:

• Oakland University Police Department
  • 10 Police and Support Services Building
• University Human Resources
  • 413 Wilson Hall
• Academic Human Resources
  • 517 Wilson Hall
• Office of the Dean of Students
  • 144 Oakland Center

This report is required by federal law, and contains policy statements and crime statistics for Oakland University. The policy statements address the school's policies, procedures and programs concerning safety and security and include topics such as: crime prevention, fire safety, university police law enforcement authority, crime reporting policies, disciplinary procedures, and other matters of importance related to security and safety on campus. The report also contains crime statistics for the three previous calendar years for certain types of crimes that were reported to have occurred on campus, in on or off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by the law and on public property within or immediately adjacent to the campus.

Athletics & recreation

• Golden Grizzlies your home for OU Athletics, tickets, schedules and player information.
• Recreation Center features: indoor track, fitness center with cardio and & strength equipment, 3 court gym, racquetball courts, and more.
• Golf & Learning Center

Culture

• Meadow Brook Theatre
  
• Meadow Brook Hall
• Art Gallery 
• OU Acronyms

Health services

Graham Health Center provides convenient, affordable, high quality health care right on campus. They are staffed by certified nurse practitioners and physician assistants who have extensive education and clinical training. A physician visits weekly to review cases, consult, and see patients who require physician care.

Housing and dining

• University Housing
• Dining Services

Student activities

• Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning The CETL is open to all OU Graduate Students, even if teaching is not a part of your career plan. Teaching opportunities can manifest themselves in many non-traditional ways these days, an IT professional may be asked to lead a training initiative or a researcher may need to report their findings to colleagues in a classroom venue. The CETL is here to help you develop the skills necessary to thrive in any educational setting.
• Center for Student Activities and Leadership Development The mission of the Center for Student Activities and Leadership Development is to complement classroom learning through co-curricular experiences that promote student’s engagement with the university, local and global communities.