Welcome to EDP! 

We are delighted that you will be joining us this Fall! The Calendar, Checklist and information on this page are designed to assist you in your transition to the University. Be sure to bookmark this page and check regularly for updates. 

EDP New Student Calendar (Fall 2025)

EDP 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 Student Orientation

All incoming EDP students are required to attend the EDP Orientation. The Calendar at the top of this page has dates for orientation activities.

The 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. Orientation will be followed by program-specific 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!

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 strongly 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: Events | Texas Global

Course Advising & Registration

Course advising and registration for new graduate students takes place during EDP Orientation in August. During Orientation, you will meet with your program's Area Chair or Director to determine what classes to register for in your first semester.

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 is removed after you attend program course advising during Orientation in August. 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

• UT Parking

• 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

EDP suggests you submit any waiver requests before 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: the Course Waiver process is being changed, and the updated form will be available starting in July. The EDP Graduate Coordinator will email incoming students in early July with information about the Course Waiver form and submission process.

Living in Austin

• About Austin / Exploring Austin

• Grad Life at UT

• Campus Community

• Housing Overview / Housing & Transportation for grad students

• Health & Wellness

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: 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: Campus Parking Map

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 may be interested in taking). 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 cohort’s Degree Plan and track their course progress there.

• Graduation - medical students have a different graduation process, as the graduation application paperwork is processed manually through the medical school first.