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You’ve been offered acceptance to a ºÚÁÏÍø graduate program. Congratulations and welcome to ºÚÁÏÍø! We are excited to welcome you as a member of ºÚÁÏÍø’s graduate student community, and the ºÚÁÏÍø Panther community. 

Now what?

There are key steps to take and resources to learn about:

Receive your ºÚÁÏÍø login credentials
Accept your offer and pay your tuition deposit
Request a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) and apply for a study permit
Login to myºÚÁÏÍø and set up your Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Check your ºÚÁÏÍø email
Identify important dates and deadlines
Connect with your research supervisor to discuss arrival at ºÚÁÏÍø
Review the International Student Office online resources and attend information sessions
Search for housing
Register for your courses
Consider registering with ºÚÁÏÍø Accessibility Services
Arrange payment of tuition and fees
Connect with the ºÚÁÏÍø Graduate Student Association (GSA)
Register for and attend ºÚÁÏÍø orientation activities

Receive your ºÚÁÏÍø login credentials

You will receive your login credentials in two separate emails from the ºÚÁÏÍø Admissions team. The messages include your ºÚÁÏÍø identification number (commonly called your ºÚÁÏÍø ID), username, and PIN.

Accept your offer and pay your tuition deposit

When you are ready to confirm your intent to attend ºÚÁÏÍø, complete the payment of your tuition deposit. Be sure to check your Letter of Acceptance carefully to find the deadline for paying your tuition deposit.

• If new to ºÚÁÏÍø: visit the ºÚÁÏÍø tuition deposit website and use your ºÚÁÏÍø username and PIN to sign in to pay the deposit. 
• If returning or existing ºÚÁÏÍø student: to pay the deposit on the Student Finance tab.

You must use a credit card to make this deposit payment, or email studentaccounts@upei.ca for assistance.

Request a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) and apply for a study permit 

International students looking to study in Canada require a Canadian Study Permit. 

The Canadian government has recently announced that graduate students will require Provincial Attestation Letters (PALs) as part of the study permit application process. After paying your tuition deposit, request your PAL via the .

The Canadian government’s department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issues study permits. to find out more information about study permits, and the documents required. Remember, the processing times for study permits can be lengthy, and will depend on what country you are in.

Login to myºÚÁÏÍø and set up your Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

After paying your tuition deposit (typically 1–2 business days after) you will receive two emails informing you of your access to the MyºÚÁÏÍø portal. Following the instructions in the email, and using your username and password you can login to this ºÚÁÏÍø platform. Upon first login you will be prompted to set up multi-factor authentication (MFA) for added security when accessing ºÚÁÏÍø services. Verifying your identity using a second factor (like your phone or other mobile device) prevents others from accessing your accounts, even if they know your password. 

Visit the ITSS Multi-Factor Authentication page to learn more and set up your MFA.

Check your ºÚÁÏÍø email

After logging in to myºÚÁÏÍø, on the top right corner of the main page of the portal you will find the Outlook email icon; this is how you will launch and login to your ºÚÁÏÍø email account. Check this ºÚÁÏÍø email regularly for updates on New Student Orientation, Pre-arrival sessions from the International Student Office (if applicable), and details from your program and/or Research Supervisor.

Identify important dates and deadlines

For the smoothest transition into your ºÚÁÏÍø studies, be sure to take careful note of important dates and deadlines, such as course registration and registration change deadlines, when each semester’s classes begin, and fee payment deadlines. Visit the ºÚÁÏÍø Calendar Dates page.

Connect with your research supervisor to discuss arrival at ºÚÁÏÍø

If completing a research based degree your research supervisor will play a key role in your time at ºÚÁÏÍø, and we encourage you to keep them updated regularly as you get ready for your time at ºÚÁÏÍø. Be sure to discuss with them the status of your arrangements, and consult on your arrival timing and any pre-arrival tasks for you to complete. Upon arrival, a meeting of your supervisory committee should be organized to develop a plan for your time at ºÚÁÏÍø.  

Review the International Student Office online resources and attend information sessions 

The International Student Office (ISO) provides a wide range of supports to ºÚÁÏÍø international students including a on key topics about living and studying at ºÚÁÏÍø, PEI and Canada. 

Online sessions from the International Students Office are offered leading up to each new semester and cover topics like finding housing, and applying for a study permit.

Tip: While some ISO resources are specific to an international student audience, many resources are helpful to any new ºÚÁÏÍø student.

Search for housing

ºÚÁÏÍø offers on-campus housing in residence, and an off-campus housing Homestay program. ºÚÁÏÍø students are also welcome to organize their own off-campus living arrangements.

To learn more about ºÚÁÏÍø Residence (dormitory and apartment style) and meal plans, visit the Residence website or learn more about homestay (private room in a local home with three meals a day) visit the Homestay page. For resources to assist you in searching for off-campus housing, and information about rights and responsibilities as a renter visit the Off-campus Housing website.

Tip: Finding housing in PEI can be challenging, and advice is to start your search early, apply strong critical analysis skills as you search, and ensure you have housing secured before you travel to ºÚÁÏÍø.

Register for your courses

Learn about the ºÚÁÏÍø registration system, how to plan and register for your courses on the How to Register for Courses page. 

• For course-based program students: your graduate program will guide you on which courses to register for either through advising, a provided course plan, or a program handbook. If you are unsure which courses to register for, reach out to your program coordinator. Contact names and information for each program can be found on the Future Graduate Students page.
• For research- and thesis-based program students: you will register into thesis and seminar courses and select your substantive graduate courses with guidance from your research supervisor and supervisory committee. Reach out to your supervisor to discuss course registration.

It is essential to register for your courses by the published final day for registration deadline found on the ºÚÁÏÍø Calendar Dates webpage.

Consider registering with ºÚÁÏÍø Accessibility Services

ºÚÁÏÍø Accessibility Services supports students with documented functional limitations or needs related to a disability that adversely impact their ability to participate in the learning environment. Students in course-based and research-based programs (on and off campus, online, or in experiential education opportunities, including but not limited to practicums, service learning, internships, and land-based learning) may be eligible for support and accommodations. The first step is to register with Accessibility Services - visit the Accessibility Services website for more information.

Arrange payment of tuition and fees

You can view a breakdown of your tuition and fees on your student account on myºÚÁÏÍø by . You can arrange payment by the method that works best for your context, and view the Payment Options. Remember that some some options may have a few days delay before the funds are received by ºÚÁÏÍø, and to avoid late fees or interest charges you are encouraged to arrange payment at least 2–3 business days before the payment deadline. Visit the Payment Deadlines page for more information, and contact studentaccounts@upei.ca with any payment questions you may have.

Connect with the ºÚÁÏÍø Graduate Student Association (GSA)

"For graduate students and led by graduate students", the Graduate Student Association (GSA) represents all current ºÚÁÏÍø graduate students as members. The GSA provides an interdisciplinary network of support, social connection, and an avenue of advocating on behalf of shared Graduate student concerns. We cannot recommend strongly enough getting involved in the GSA! Find GSA on their social media pages including , , and the .

Register for and attend ºÚÁÏÍø orientation activities

If starting in September or January, we recommend registering for the New Student Orientation (NSO) program ºÚÁÏÍø hosts for all new students to the university. You will meet other new ºÚÁÏÍø students, learn about ºÚÁÏÍø’s services and life in Charlottetown. More information and registration can be found on the ºÚÁÏÍø NSO website.

Many graduate programs at ºÚÁÏÍø provide specific orientation activities for their students, these will orient you to your program, key people and roles, and program expectations and resources. Information will be provided by ºÚÁÏÍø email from your program about the schedule of orientation, if applicable.  

If you are a research student, it is recommended in your first days to have a meeting with your research supervisor to learn more about what you can expect from your research and academic plan, and to plan a meeting with your full supervisory committee.