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New Student Information

CISE graduate student programs

Congratulations and welcome, future Gator! We’re excited to have you here as part of the Gator Nation! To help you start your journey with us and put you on the best path, please take some time to go through the following information. The information here has been compiled from questions we have received from students in the past, so it will answer almost any question that you have! 

Do This First! Set up your account and check your holds

Once you receive your admission decision, you should receive an invitation from UF to set up your GatorLink account within 48-72 hours of your information being released. You will need to set it up as soon as possible to gain access to ONE.UF, where you will register for classes and review your holds and to-dos. You will need an invitation code and your UFID. If you do not receive these items within 72 hours after being admitted, you can have the invitation code resent. The link to where you can set up your GatorLink Account and send the invitation link again (if needed) can be found here: Information Technology – University of Florida

If you have any issues with setting up your account, please check with the UF Computing Help Desk FIRST: Information Technology – University of Florida

If there are further issues that the Help Desk cannot assist with (they will explicitly let you know if this is the case), please reach out to CISE Academic Advising – the contact information is in the “Contact Information & UF Resources” section at the bottom.

Once you have your account set up, you will want to get acquainted with the following sites:

  • ONE.UF – one.ufl.edu: This is your student portal, where you will register for classes, check your holds and to-dos, view and pay charges, and many other things.
  • UF eLearning – elearning.ufl.edu: Also known as Canvas, this is where you will find the online resources for your class (all classes will have a module on Canvas – this does not imply that it’s an entirely online class; this is just where all the resources are stored). Your courses will not appear here until closer to the start of classes for the term you start.
  • GatorMail – mail.ufl.edu: This is your official UF email address. All emails from your professors, academic advisor, and all other official notifications will be sent here – NOT to your personal account. Students are NOT permitted to forward emails to a personal email address. This is done not only for convenience, but also for account security.
    • Academic advising will send you emails to your personal email address up through when you start classes to ensure that all important information gets through to you. However, after the first day of classes, all information will ONLY be sent to your UFL email.
    • EMAIL SIGNATURE (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED): We strongly encourage students to adopt the following style for their email signature in official UF communications:
OutlineExample
[Name]
[Degree]
[UFID without spaces or dashes]		Albert Gator
MS in Computer Science Student
UFID: 12345678

For your security, we recommend NOT putting any other information in your signature, such as your phone number or personal address, or sharing your UFID unless you have confirmed you are corresponding with someone you know and trust.

New student orientations

  • The Orientation for Spring 2026 will be held on: TBD
  • Physical Location: TBD
  • Zoom Link: TBD

It is HIGHLY recommended that you attend this orientation. Options will be available to attend in person or via Zoom.

Past semester orientations are available on the CISE Master’s Advising Canvas Module.

There will be no Spring 2026 orientation. Please contact your advisor, Adrienne Cook, directly at alcook@ufl.edu to make an initial advising appointment.

Fall 2025 Ph.D. new student orientation presentation

The Graduate School will hold general orientations for students covering various topics. These are not required*, but we highly recommend you attend or view the recordings of these orientations.

*If you are an International Student, you do have a mandatory International Student Orientation that you must attend.

You will be emailed about these orientations, and you can also find the information and past recordings here: Orientation – Office of Graduate Professional Development – University of Florida

International students will be required to attend an Orientation by the UF International Center (UFIC). Students will receive emails from the International Center about this orientation.

If you have any questions, please contact an advisor at UFIC.

Pre-arrival information and to-dos

If you have been offered a Graduate Teaching/Research Assistantship, you will receive information from our Human Resources personnel via email well before your contract period begins. This will include forms and a list of items needed before you can be placed on the payroll. Please note that there are strict deadlines associated with this process. Due to additional federal regulations for foreign nationals, it can take 8-10 weeks from the contract start date to receive your first paycheck.

All students attending UF are required to carry medical insurance that meets the mandated level of coverage. You have the option of using your own insurance if it meets those levels of coverage or buying insurance from UF that does.

All students are required to submit proof that they have received certain vaccinations. You must have all proof submitted before you are able to register for classes and attend any in-person classes.

You can access the Immunization Portal directly through the hold on ONE.UF or here: Immunization Clearance Instructions » Health Compliance Office » College of Medicine » University of Florida

Note: You CAN request that the registration hold be temporarily removed to allow you to register for classes. You will need to email the Health Compliance Office directly to request this. Be aware that they are not required to lift the hold. Academic advising CANNOT do anything with this hold.

Academic advising CANNOT assist with immunization matters. You will need to reach out directly to the Health Compliance Office directly with any questions: Health Compliance Office » College of Medicine » University of Florida

Students will receive information about their visa/I-20 paperwork from the UF International Center and Ms. Sapp. If you have any questions about your Visa/I-20, please email Ms. Sapp at klsapp@ufl.edu.

Degree & registration information

Register as soon as possible!

As part of your admissions application, you were permitted to use incomplete or pending transcripts and degree certificate/diplomas. However, to finalize your admissions, you MUST submit your final and complete transcripts and degree certificate/diplomas once your undergraduate institution has them available. You will be allowed to register for your first semester without restriction, but you will have a registration hold added to your account that will prevent you from registering for your second semester if you do NOT have your final transcripts in.

All official transcripts must be sent directly to the UF Office of Admissions. This means the sealed transcript must be sent directly from the issuing institution to the Office of Admissions. It can be mailed directly, or they will accept transcripts sent electronically by Parchment, National Clearinghouse, or Escript. Please be aware that any transcripts that are copied, scanned, or opened by the student in any way or emailed/faxed directly from the student will not be deemed official.

You’ll want to send or forward your official transcripts in their original sealed envelope directly to the University of Florida’s Office of Admissions at:

Office of Admissions
201 Criser Hall – PO BOX 114000
Gainesville, FL 32611-4000

If you are ordering your transcripts by PDF, please be aware that we only accept PDF transcripts from Parchment, National Student Clearinghouse, and eScrip-Safe. The email address for receipt of these transcripts is TE@admissions.ufl.edu.

Degree information is located on the following pages:

  • Graduate students are not permitted to take undergraduate-level courses.
    • Undergraduate classes have course codes of 4999 and below. Courses with codes of 5000 and above are graduate courses and are eligible.
  • Full-time is nine hours, and you will NOT be permitted to enroll in more than nine hours in a semester, no exceptions will be made – with the possible exception of your final semester ONLY.
  • FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ONLY: You are limited to taking only ONE online course in nine hours – six hours must be in person and three hours may be online. For more information: Registration Requirements | International Center University of Florida.
  • You are limited to only nine hours (three courses) of Special Topics (CIS6930) over the entire program. There are no limits in a semester, but once you take nine hours, the system will prevent you from enrolling in more hours of CIS6930.
  • CIS 6910, CIS 6940, CIS 7979, and CIS 7980 are NOT permitted for Master’s students.
  • CISE students are not permitted to take courses listed as EDGE courses – this will be clearly stated on the course description on ONE.UF.

Please consult with your Ph.D. advisor before registration, then email your advisor, Adrienne Cook, directly at alcook@ufl.edu. She will review your request and register you.

Master’s students will register for their classes on their own via ONE.UF. Staff will not register students for classes unless there is a proven technical issue preventing the student from adding a class.

You will need to log on to ONE.UF to register for your classes. If you do not have access yet, you will need to speak with the UF Help Desk for assistance in getting it set up. You can find their info here: https://helpdesk.ufl.edu/.

Once you’ve logged in, you will need to navigate to the registration tab. Here you will have the option to enroll in a class and view course offerings. In the “Search Schedule of Courses,” you can narrow down the classes based on the department and program level (“Graduate”) and see all the basic information about the class.

Search schedule of courses

Screenshot of one.uf showing the location of the search schedule of courses button

View after searching

Screenshot of view after course schedule search in one.uf

Once you’ve decided which classes you would like to enroll in (you will want to have a few in mind, at least 4 or 5), you will then go to the register option to search for the class to add. Keep in mind that you will also see the number of seats available in the class on the registration screen. If there is nothing showing on the top right-hand side of the course, the class is full, and you will not be able to register for that class until a seat opens up by a student dropping the class. You can find guides on how to add a course and how to swap it here:

Some courses are listed with prerequisite courses that need to be fulfilled in order to enroll. Depending on the level of the prerequisite courses, you will need to take one of two paths:

  • Undergraduate Courses: Identified with course codes 4999 and below (e.g. COP3503, CDA 4102), these prerequisites are not department-enforced, but they still appear in the registration system. Because those catalog prerequisites remain in the system, you will be blocked from adding a course until we issue an override. To request an override:
    • Email: GAdvisors@cise.ufl.edu (do not email the instructor for overrides).
    • Subject line: “Prerequisite Override Request – [COURSE & SECTION] – [Term]”
    • Include: Your UFID, the course & section (e.g., CIS6930-12345), and nothing else.
    • DO NOT include: Transcripts or explanations of your request.
    • Timing: Requests will be reviewed and answered during business hours in the order they’re received.
    • After approval: You will receive an email confirmation; then you will add the course in ONE.UF.
  • Graduate-Level Courses: Identified with course codes of 5000 and above (e.g., CAP 5100, CIS 6930), their prerequisites ARE being enforced, and Academic Advising will not provide an override to these prerequisites. You must take the prerequisite in order to take the course that requires it.
  • Full Classes: If a class is full, we are not able to overfill a course, nor are there waiting lists for any CISE courses. Students will need to monitor ONE.UF for any open seats that become available and enroll when a seat is found.
  • Out-of-Department Electives: Students are permitted to take APPROVED courses outside of the department that relate to computer science. We do not recommend taking a course outside of the department during your first semester. However, if you wish to take a course outside of the department, you can refer to the file below for all the courses that have been pre-approved. Courses NOT on that list will not count towards your degree as an approved elective.
    • Out-of-Department Limits:
      • Master’s students are allowed six (6) hours over the entire program.Ph.D. students, please check with Ms. Cook if you wish to take a course outside of the department.
      Pre-Approved Electives
      • Master’s Students will find this file in the Canvas Course as well
    • CISE Advising CANNOT assist with issues registering for courses outside of the department. You must speak with the department that manages the course for assistance.
      • The department information is listed on the course in ONE.UF when you look it up.
      • Department contact information can be found by searching for the department via the UF search bar or via Google.
  • If you are looking for information on EGS 6681, EGS 6629, EGS 6039, or EGS 6626, while they’re labeled as being in the “Engineering – General” department, they are under the Engineering Leadership Institute: UF Engineering Leadership Institute – Engineering Leadership Institute

Students will be eligible to get internships and have them count toward their degree progress. Internships are NOT provided for students – it is the student’s responsibility to find their own internships. Resources such as the Career Connections Center (C3) are available to help in this search (more information about the C3 can be found below). The requirements to take an internship are:

  • International Students ONLY: You must have attended school at UF/in the US for one year,
  • Must have a minimum 3.0 GPA,
  • Must not have taken more than six (6) credits outside of the department (Internships are not considered CISE courses; they will count against your out-of-department elective limit – see Degree Requirements), and
  • Internships must be 12 weeks long (fall & spring), summer internships will vary based on various factors.

If you have questions about internships, email Ms. Sapp (see Contact Information & UF Resources below) for more information.

Arriving in Gainesville

  • Buses: With your UFID, students are able to ride the buses in Gainesville for free, not just on campus.
  • UF Safe Rides/Ride Share: UF provides discounts to students on Lyft rides Monday – Sunday from 11 PM to 3 AM. You must sign up to get this discount.
  • Bicycles: Bikes are a convenient and cheap method to get around campus and Gainesville. UF is a Gold-level Bicycle Friendly University with many resources to support bike riders; from free bike registration with UPD to on-campus bike repairs – with free or reduced cost replacements and repairs. More information can be found here: UF Bikes – Supporting cycling at the University of Florida
  • Personal Vehicle: If you will be using a personal vehicle while in school, you will need to obtain a parking permit from UF Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS). Be aware that you do not receive an ‘assigned parking spot’ on campus with a parking permit; parking spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis wherever you can find one that matches your decal. More information can be found here: TAPS – UF Transportation and Parking Services

Living in Gainesville & getting around UF

UF provides information and options for students wanting to live on & off campus:

There are a lot of things to do in Gainesville, more than we can list here! Here are some recommendations, but know there are a lot of different things out there – don’t be afraid to explore!

Excelling as a student

Students are expected and required to be aware of the important dates and deadlines:

Get involved! Students who get involved and build their leadership skills have better job prospects than those who don’t. It doesn’t even have to be related to computer science; on top of academics, companies look for students who have shown leadership and teamwork, regardless of where it comes from. We HIGHLY recommend that you get involved at some level while you are here!

*To access the information on GatorConnect, you must have your GatorLink account set up.

It’s never too early to start looking for career or internship opportunities! The Career Connections Center (C3) is a free service for students that provides assistance with resume writing, job interviews, and job search support.

Career Connections Center Main – Career Connections Center

All master’s Students will be added to a Canvas Course that will provide students with information about the department, their degrees, and UF resources. All students are required to complete the Ethics Agreement and the Orientation Quiz by the start of classes (you must read and mark all sections in the Orientation Module as complete to unlock the quizzes). Once both quizzes have been completed with 100%, the rest of the course will unlock. The rest of the Canvas course is designed as a self-paced course providing students with the information they need to know for their current semester (second semester, third semester, fourth/final semester).

Students will also receive announcements via this Canvas module regarding events, organizations, and anything else that can help their academic and professional journey.

While you need to complete the Orientation and Ethics quizzes, this is not a course, so you will not receive a grade for this, nor are you required to pay for it.

New students will be added monthly, but if you wish to be added early, please email GAdvisors@cise.ufl.edu with your UFID to request access.

There are a lot of resources available to students at UF. To help guide students to find what they need, students have access to “Whole Gator” that helps them locate whatever they’re trying to find!

Whole Gator – ONE.UF

All CISE students are expected to adhere to the following requirements and expectations:

  • CISE Students are expected to follow the CISE Ethics & Code of Conduct found here: Ethics & Code of Conduct – Department of Computer & Information Science & Engineering
    • This includes following the UF Student Honor Code, IEEE-CS/ACM Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice, and the National Society of Professional Engineers: Code of Ethics for Engineers
  • Students will NOT spam faculty, staff, or anyone else for jobs or other opportunities.
    • Students can and WILL face consequences for breaking this expectation.
  • Students are expected to check ONE.UF at least once a week for any holds or other issues on their account.
  • Students are expected only to use their UFL email when communicating with faculty and staff.
  • Students are expected to check their UFL email at least once a day during the week and read any emails from their professors, academic advisors, or any other important notifications and respond as appropriate within 24 hours.
  • Students are expected to know and abide by all dates and deadlines for their classes, the department, and the University.
  • Students are expected to take advantage of the resources provided to them, so they can be the best students and future industry leaders they can be!

Graduate program FAQ

Frequently asked questions about grad program admissions, enrollment, logistics, funding and more. Continuously updated.

CISE graduate program FAQ

Contact information & UF resources

Always include your UFID!

If you have any questions or issues relating to academic advising or other issues that you’re just not sure about, do not hesitate to reach out to GAdvisors@cise.ufl.edu.

If you need to reach your UF International Center (UFIC) advisor, you can find their contact information here: Contact an Advisor | International Center University of Florida

For help with questions about medical insurance and immunization requirements, please reach out to the UF Health Compliance Office: Health Compliance Office » College of Medicine » University of Florida

If you have any questions about financial aid (which includes any private loans) or charges on your account, please reach out to the UF OneStop for assistance: UF OneStop – OneStop for Enrollment Services

Exception: If you have a question about the Achievement Award, please email Academic Advising instead – this scholarship is handled through Academic Advising.

If you have any questions or issues accessing your ONE.UF account, GatorMail, Canvas, or any other UF account service, please contact the UF Computing Help Desk: Information Technology – University of Florida