New EDP Graduate Students
Welcome to EDP!
We are delighted that you will be joining us this Fall! The Orientation Calendar, Checklist and other information on this page are designed to assist you as you get started with your graduate program in EDP. Be sure to bookmark this page and check regularly for updates.
Orientation Calendar - Fall 2026
Tuesday, August 18 | EDP New Student Orientation (REQUIRED) 9 AM-12 PM - Welcome and General Orientation with EDP Graduate Advisor |
Friday, August 14 | International Student Welcome Events (Optional) |
Thursday, August 20 | New Student Course Registration
|
DATE TBD | Graduate School Orientation for new UT graduate students (Optional) |
Monday, August 24 | Fall Semester Begins! |
DATE TBD | College of Education New Graduate Student Meet & Greet (Optional) |
New Student Checklist
New EDP Students are encouraged to use the EDP New Student Checklist. EDP will not track your progress through the checklist - this is simply a helpful list for new students, to use if you wish.
EDP Orientation
All incoming EDP students are required to attend EDP Orientation in August. The Calendar at the top of this page has dates for orientation activities.
EDP Orientation is conducted in person only. The EDP Graduate Advisor will provide important guidance and advice to all new students, and discuss EDP Departmental and University of Texas procedures. During Orientation you will also meet with your program cohort and Area Chairs to determine your Fall courses (course advising), which is required in order for you to enroll in classes.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us in the meantime!
Course Advising & Registration
Course advising is the process of meeting with your program’s Area Chair to determine what courses to register for in an upcoming semester. For new EDP graduate students, course advising happens during EDP Orientation in August.
Before arrival - clear Registration Holds
Registration holds prevent students from enrolling until specific requirements are met. These are set by a variety of departments across UT, like Accounting, Health Services, and Admissions. Check for any registration holds via your Registration Info Sheet.
Typical holds students see on their Registration are:
Advising Hold: this hold is removed after course advising August Orientation. You can ignore this one for your first semester!
Admissions: check for any missing requirements via MyStatus. For transcript questions, see the Admissions Transcript FAQ.
Financial: view any outstanding balances via What I Owe or My Tuition Bill. Learn about payment methods available on the paying your tuition web page.
University Health Services: requirements for new US students and International Students
Texas Global/International Student & Scholarship Services (ISSS): you may need to submit additional paperwork or complete your check-in via MyIO. For assistance, contact 512-471-1211 or hotline@austin.utexas.edu.
Emergency Contact: students must update emergency contact info annually via the online update form in UT Direct.
Financial Responsibility Statement (FRS): The FRS is a semesterly acknowledgement required by UT.
Course Waivers
We suggest submitting any waiver requests before August Orientation if possible, as waivers may affect what courses you take in your first semester. See the EDP Course Waiver page for info and process: https://cloud.wikis.utexas.edu/wiki/x/WIHZAQ
Note: if you’re not sure about waivers, it’s absolutely fine to submit during EDP Orientation after meeting with your program advisor. Just be sure to have any waivers submitted by the day after Orientation to ensure enough time for processing.
International Students
UT's International Student Office has helpful information on their website, as well as a Pre-Arrival Checklist for International Students. Before arriving, be sure to:
Required: Complete the New International Student Check-In
Review UT's International Student Handbook - lots of helpful information, including important policies, procedures, terminology and resources.
New International Student Orientation
UT International students are encouraged to attend the University's International New Student Orientation in addition to the required EDP Orientation.
Helpful Workshops and Events
Texas Global hosts many helpful webinars, workshops and events for new international students, covering topics from the MyIO checkin, applying for student visas, health insurance, budgeting, housing, etc. Events Calendar: https://global.utexas.edu/events/search?unit=2493&topic=30
Summer-Start Students
Some EDP programs allow students to start early in the Summer vs. the Fall semester (this is rare and only when there are certain classes available in the Summer that new students could take). If you are in a program that permits Summer-start, your program’s Area Chair will reach out to you with details after your admission. There are several steps and approvals necessary to switch your admission date - if you have approval from your Area Chair to start early, you must contact the EDP Graduate Coordinator by May 1st to start the paperwork needed.
Dual-Degree Medical Students
For medical students earning a dual-degree in EDP, a few processes are different due to separations between the Medical School systems and ours. Specifically:
Advising & Registration - medical students will attend course advising with their EDP faculty adviser and submit an EDP Advising Form, but the actual course registration is done by medical school staff vs. through the UT registration system.
Degree Plans / Programs of Work - medical students do not have access to the EDP Program of Work through the Graduate Degree Planner, due to software limitations in the Graduate School’s system. Instead, dual-degree medical students will download a copy of their admit-year Degree Plan and track course progress there.
Graduation - medical students have a different graduation process, as the graduation application paperwork is processed manually through the medical school first.
Living in Austin
How to Get Here
Location
The Educational Psychology Department is located in the Sanchez Building, or "SZB". The physical address of the Sanchez Building is 1912 Speedway, Austin, TX 78712 (northwest corner of Speedway and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., across the street from the Texas State History Museum).
Transportation from the Airport
Bus: Capitol Metro’s Route 20 departs AUS every 15 minutes. The cost is $1.25, and the bus stops at several locations on campus. Schedule available on capmetro.org.
Supershuttle: This is a shared-ride van services, with fares that vary depending on time of day and distance driven. Reservations are recommended: http://supershuttle.com
Taxi and ride-share transportation options are also available from the airport to campus. Fares vary by time of day, distance and traffic conditions.
Parking
Parking is very limited at UT, and there is no free parking on campus. The closest parking garage to the Sanchez Building is the Brazos Street (BRG) parking garage. There is an hourly fee for parking. Parking & Transportation officers give tickets very quickly, so be careful not to park illegally (parking tickets are expensive, and unpaid tickets may affect your ability to register). See the UT Parking map for more information about parking on campus: https://parking.utexas.edu/maps/campus-parking-map