New Student Orientation

Academic and Student Affairs

Congratulations!

The School of Health Professions welcomes and congratulates you on your admission to the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

New Student Orientation (NSO) is a program aimed at providing you with an introduction to life on campus, in the classroom, and at UTMB. All new students are required to participate in NSO either onsite or if you are a distance student, the online orientation program. A companion Proud Parent program is available for parents that will be traveling to Galveston with you for NSO.

New Student Orientation is designed to help answer questions you may have, and provide you with information about campus resources, programs and services. You will also get the opportunity to build a network of resources that can help you start your UTMB journey on the right path.

What to expect at orientation

  • Information about the University and the school will be provided.
  • Key University and school officers will be introduced.
  • Special attention will be given to the student’s academic program, including academic advisement.
  • Information about various UTMB services will be provided. Representatives of the areas will be introduced, and they will provide information about the services offered.
  • Representatives from the Student Health Service will discuss available health services and the health requirements that must be completed prior to registration.
  • Students will have the opportunity to meet other new students, as well as faculty and staff in their areas of study.

UTMB Orientation Schedule (held in the Fall)

Here is a general outline of events and information for new incoming students.

All Schools Orientation Day

All-School Orientation hosted by Student Services will be held on Monday, August 21, 2023

2023 Dates – More information to follow soon
https://www.utmb.edu/studentlife/incoming-students/orientation

Welcome Back Week - Hosted by Student Life (held in the Fall)

2023 Dates - To Be Announced. Events will be announced by Student Life and/or Student Government Association (SGA).

First Day of Class

  • 2023 Spring Semester - Thursday, January 5, 2023
  • 2023 Summer Semester - Monday, May 8, 2023
  • 2023 Fall Semester - Monday, August 28, 2023

University Online Orientation

Each new student is required to complete on-line orientation. The purpose of this required New Student Online Orientation program is to provide information and tools for each student’s success from the point of program entry to degree completion. An email with instructions and the access link will be emailed to your UTMB student email account 2-3 weeks prior to the start of the semester. Students are encouraged to use this online orientation as a resource throughout your career here at UTMB.

Online Orientation is mandatory and must be completed by the deadline provided in your email notification. Failure to do so will result in a hold on your account. (Please note: the hold can take up to 24 hours to be removed upon completion of the Online Orientation.)


SHP Orientation Schedule

Orientation Events

Spring Semester – Students will receive program-specific schedules regarding orientation events directly from their departments and are highly encouraged to monitor their UTMB student email for communications and updates. All incoming students are required to complete the mandatory University online orientation must be completed prior to the first day of class. An email with instructions and the access link will be emailed to your UTMB student email account 2-3 weeks prior to the start of the semester..

Summer Semester – Students will receive program-specific schedules regarding orientation events directly from their departments and are highly encouraged to monitor their UTMB student email for communications and updates. All incoming students are required to complete the mandatory University online orientation must be completed prior to the first day of class. An email with instructions and the access link will be emailed to your UTMB student email account 2-3 weeks prior to the start of the semester.Fall Semester

Monday, August 21, 2023

New Student Check-in with the SHP Office of Academic and Student Affairs

8:15 am - 9:00 am
Upon arrival to campus, students must report to the William C. Levin Hall Foyer.

All School Orientation (Hosted by the University Student Services)

9:00 am - 12:45 pm
All School Orientation Sessions will be held in the William C. Levin Hall Main Auditorium.
Full Schedule – Coming Soon

School of Health Professions Orientation (Hosted by the SHP Office of Academic and Student Affairs)

1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Check-in & Session in the William C. Levin Hall (South)
Full Schedule – Coming Soon

Department Orientation Sessions

Tuesday, August 22, 2023 – Thursday, August 24, 2023
Full Schedule - Coming Soon

Students will receive program-specific schedules regarding orientation sessions directly from their departments and are encouraged to continue to monitor their UTMB student email for updates.

Student ID Photos

Tuesday, August 22, 2023
William C. Levin Hall,
4th Floor Photo Studio, Room 4.444

Departments should report as scheduled below:
Full Schedule - Coming Soon

Badge Distribution

Students will be notified by their departments

Student Parking Instructions, Shuttle Parking Lot and Shuttle Schedule

Parking will be available at a EZ Cruise Shuttle Lot which is located at located at 706 Holiday Drive. Please note that this lot has a pay station, however students attending orientation will not have to pay to park.

From there, the shuttle buses will transport students to campus where they should exit the shuttle at the 11th Street drop off near the Health Education Center and the SHP Building. Students utilizing the Shuttle Lot should allow for extra time to reach campus. The buses will run in the afternoon to return students to their vehicles.

It is highly recommended that students who do not have student parking secured utilize the shuttle lot to avoid parking tickets. 

Note: This lot is reserved for new students during orientation week only and the fee for this parking lot is only waived on UTMB Orientation Days and the shuttle buses do not operate on campus outside of new student orientation days.

Orientation Shuttle Schedule - The shuttles will run from the Shuttle Lot to the 11th Street Drop Off/Pick Up spot during the dates and times provided below. Please be sure to be back on the shuttles before the last run of the day.
Full Schedule - Coming Soon

Student Curbside Parking and Hangtags

For students who have pre-purchased a student parking student parking hang tag, there is curbside parking on campus reserved and you may park in those designated areas. Parking in the neighborhoods surrounding the UTMB Campus, as well as some spots located on city streets within campus, are restricted via the City of Galveston regulations. Regardless of where you park, please take notice of the signs whether posted by UTMB or the City of Galveston to avoid any frustration or parking citations.

Please visit Student Parking / UTMB Auxiliary Enterprises for more information.

New Student Resources


Staying informed with Social Media

The SHP Office of Academic and Student Affairs is committed to making the best use of all available technology and innovation. This includes using social media to improve communication and interaction with the students we serve. We are working towards minimizing the amount of emails students, faculty, and staff receive from our office. To meet that goal, we limit email announcements of non-essential and/or non-emergency content and use social media as another tool of communication.

To stay informed, follow us on the following social media forums

We have created a Facebook Group for New Students
https://www.facebook.com/groups/3025415804145277/

Become a member and start posting some new student discussions and make new friends before you arrive!


New Student Housing & Roomate Forum

Students have asked for an online platform to find housing opportunities in Galveston, and Student Life listened! We created a Student Housing & Roommate Forum for UTMB students seeking roommates and/or housing. It will act as an online bulletin board for students to connect with each other, as well as find housing opportunities posted by the Galveston community. Feel free to join, post, and share with anyone that you think might benefit from the group.

Join the Student Housing & Roommate Forum Facebook Group today!

Contact Us

Office of Academic and Student Affairs
301 University Blvd.
Galveston, TX 77555-1036
O: SHP/SON 4.224
P: 409-772-3030
F: 409-772-1550
E: shp.academicaffairs@utmb.edu

Site managed by the School of Health Professions • Last Updated: 14-MAR-2023