New Graduate Students

Student ID

How To Get An ID Card:

- For Students Based at the Santa Cruz Main Campus:

For more information please see ID Card Services Office.

Please upload a photo to the site listed here following the photo submission guidelines. Your ID will be at the Bay Tree Bookstore pickup window.

For more information, call 831-459-2990 or e-mail idcards@ucsc.edu.

- For students based at the Silicon Valley Campus (i.e., GPM, HCI, and NLP students):

For more information please see ID Card Services Office.

Please upload a photo to the site listed here following the photo submission guidelines. Once you sign up for your SlugCard through ID Card Services please allow five (5) business days for processing. You can pick up your SlugCard after day five from the Silicon Valley Campus front desk. Please note that when you pick up your card you will need to show a government-issued photo ID (e.g., Driver’s License, Passport, Military ID, etc.) along with your UCSC student ID number.

PLEASE READ: After you receive your UCSC Student ID card, you'll receive an email from ADCKEY, the key request services system managed by BE Facilities. This email will instruct you on how to agree to the terms and agreements for access to our two main buildings: Jack Baskin and Engineering 2. Confirming your agreement with these terms requires that you enter your new badge number as a kind of electronic signature. This badge number is the 6-digit series of numbers found on the back of your new ID card that is followed by a separate 12-digit series of numbers.

If your ID card does not enable you to access these buildings, please email bsoe-ga@rt.ucsc.edu for assistance. To gain access to specific rooms relevant to your coursework, research, or employment needs, you can request keys and key card access through BE Facilities. Please be advised that a faculty or staff member will need to approve key requests you submit.

What You Can Do With Your ID Card:

Take the bus! – It is a Santa Cruz County Metro Bus Pass. A valid quarter sticker will be available each quarter from the BE Graduate Advising Office (Engineering 2, Room 595).

Go to the gym! – It is a Recreation Facilities Pass – with a valid quarter sticker.

Go to the library! – It is a Library Card – UPC code on the front of your ID card is your library check out number.

Eat! – It is a Food Service/Flexi-Dollar Card – Cafeteria food plans and declining balance Flexi card plans. Flexi Dollar Info.

Get into the building! - Your ID is also your access card into the Baskin Engineering and Engineering 2 buildings.

Access to Buildings

Once you obtain your UCSC student ID card you will need to visit keys.adc.ucsc.edu to submit a request for any buildings or rooms you will need access to. Once the request is approved by your PI or Supervisor, you will receive a confirmation email asking you to accept the terms-and-conditions. The system will automatically forward your request  through the system and the building and/or rooms will be added to your card.

For access or codes to individual research labs your faculty advisor will submit a request to facilities on your behalf.

Computing Support

All e-mail correspondence generated from UCSC and Baskin Engineering will be directed to your @ucsc.edu e-mail account. PLEASE CHECK IT REGULARLY!

UCSC and BE Computer Usage Policies: All BE computer users need to be familiar with the computer usage policies of UCSC and BE. Failure to follow policies can result in termination of computing access, financial penalties, and in some extreme cases dismissal from the University. Ignorance or failure to understand usage policies may not be accepted as an excuse. Please ensure you read, understand, and follow the policies listed. If you do not understand the policies, please contact the BE help desk for direction to someone that may assist.

Computing support/help can be accessed through IT Request: http://itrequest.ucsc.edu

Enrolling in Classes

Online registration can be done at the MyUCSC Student Portal. The first time you access this registration process you will be asked for your student ID number and password.

For help enrolling in a class, first check the enrollment FAQ's on the Registrar's website; call the Enrollment Help Line at 831-459-4357; email help@ucsc.edu, or go to their website MyUCSC Help.

Adding Classes: Enrollment will open on June 22, 2023 for new graduate students. For some graduate courses, a permission number is required (see below). You must be enrolled in at least five units by the "Minimum Credit Limit Enforced" deadline listed on the Academic Calendar if you have any form of financial aid for the quarter. If you do not have financial aid, you must be enrolled in at least 5 units by the "Graduate Student Enrollment and Fee Payment Deadline". A $50 late fee will be charged If you have not registered by that date. You can also check the Academic Calendar for more important dates. The most important thing to do is to talk to your faculty advisor. Together you and your faculty advisor should determine which courses would help you pursue your goals and what, if any, courses should be taken in preparation. During the summer months, it is easiest to reach faculty via e-mail. If you are unsure of who your advisor will be, contact your appropriate departmental graduate student advisor. 

Independent Studies: Unless otherwise instructed by your department, all students planning to enroll in an independent studies/thesis research course must submit a petition, signed by your faculty advisor, to the BE Grad Advising Office in order to receive a course number by e-mail. Please see the detailed instructions on the Independent Study page.

Permission Numbers: Permission numbers are required for all undergraduate courses and graduate level courses that have prerequisites. To obtain a permission code, you must contact the instructor directly. Note - some instructors will provide permission numbers on the first day of instruction.

See the online schedule of classes for more information.

Employment

If you are a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) or a Teaching Assistant (TA), you must fill out important payroll paperwork with a Baskin Engineering Payroll Analyst. Please sign up online at your earliest convenience to meet with a BE payroll analyst.  Please review the list of acceptable documents that you must bring with you to your payroll sign-up appointment.  Note - we will not accept photocopies of these documents.  You must bring originals to your appointment.

If you are an international student, you must obtain a Social Security Number (SSN) to complete the payroll sign-up. However, you do not need to have your SSN prior to your appointment with the BE payroll analyst. This step can be completed after your initial sign-up.  Additional information on obtaining a SSN can be found here.

Paychecks are issued on the first of each month (following your start date).  It is highly recommended you enroll in direct deposit, which can be done in the UCPath Dashboard in the Income and Taxes section. (Resources for navigating UCPath can be found here.) If you are not enrolled in direct deposit, paper paychecks are mailed to your home address on file in UCPath.

For any payroll questions, please contact the Payroll Office.  Make sure you submit your full name and email address in any correspondence.

Housing

For general housing information, please see the Student Housing Services website. For off-campus housing we recommend that you begin your search early and that you apply for on-campus housing as soon as you find out that you have been accepted into the graduate program. Family student housing apartments are offered on a priority basis, with students with children receiving first priority. Here are a few numbers where you can find housing assistance:

Family Student Housing - Hagar Court Community Room 831-459-4080

Graduate Student Housing - 125 Hahn Student Services 831-459-5712

Community Rentals Office - 104 Hahn Student Services Building 831-459-4435

UCSC Community Housing Email List - Email lml-housing+owners@ucsc.edu to be added to the weekly UCSC Community Housing Email List. Be sure to email from your UCSC email account, and add [Housing] in the subject line. This housing list is available only to UCSC Faculty, Visiting Researchers, Postdocs, Graduate Students and Staff.

Bay Area Craigslist

Parking Permits & Transportation

More information regarding parking permits can be obtained from Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS). There are alternative transportation services listed below are also available:

Campus Shuttle
Carpool
Vanpool
Zipcar

For more information regarding the Santa Cruz Metro buses visit Santa Cruz Metro/Transit Online or call 831-425-8600.

Establishing Residency

Domestic students from out-of-state must establish California residency at the end of the first year (or before fall quarter of the second year) in order to avoid out-of-state tuition assessment in subsequent years in the program. If you do not establish California residency, you will be responsible to pay the non-resident tuition if your funding source does not cover this.  It is your responsibility to establish your residency for tuition purposes! 

See the California Residency for Tuition Purposes guidelines for full details.

International Students

I-20/DS-2019 Request

Visa Check-in

Mandatory International Graduate Student Orientation

Welcome Guide

Graduate Preparation Program (GPP)

In order to be a teaching assistant, international students whose first language is not English must demonstrate their skills in spoken English with a passing TOEFL score (minimum of 26 on the spoken portion), or a passing IELTS score (speaking score of 8 or higher),  or enrollment in the Graduate Preparation Program course.

*Please note: The Graduate Preparation Program course will be held in person from August 21 - September 14, 2023. Tuition for this program is $1,200 per student. More information can be found on the Graduate Preparation Program page.

The Global Engagement Office serves as the international student advising center. Staff members provide visa/immigration counseling concerning required course loads, financial problems and employment, plus a variety of other services to help international visitors adjust to academia and life at Santa Cruz. International students should email istudent@ucsc.edu with visa and immigration-related questions.

Social Security Number 

For more information on obtaining a social security card/number contact International Student and Scholars Services by calling 831-459-2858 or emailing istudent@ucsc.edu

Immunizations