Resources for New Students

Welcome to the Global Human Development Program! We hope you are as excited to begin the program in the fall as we are to meet you! We recommend familiarizing yourself with resources on The GHD Hub over the coming months as you plan out your two years. If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to reach out to Kristen Robinson, Associate Director of Academic Programs, at keb65@georgetown.edu. 

Connect with Your Classmates!

We invite you to begin communicating with your classmates in the classes of 2026 and 2027 by requesting to join our Facebook group! 

WhatsApp Groups:

- GHD ‘27 Cohort: 

https://chat.whatsapp.com/COyHVgYG32qCEiEomiAB25

- GHD ‘26-‘27 Cohorts:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/LLDYQ6UDrFNE8TrvZfIJOi 

Fall 2025 Schedule

You can view both grid and day-by-day versions of the Fall 2025 schedule here. Note that classrooms will be subject to change, so we recommend referring to GU Experience prior to your first class meeting. Kristen will automatically register you for your fall courses, with the exception of language courses. Students can find GU Experience training videos and guides here.

Student Employment

For students who are interested in obtaining on-campus employment during the academic year, you can find the portal for campus job opportunities here. This database will continue to be updated throughout the summer, and we hope to have GHD-specific positions posted in early-to-mid August. Note that international students are not able to work off-campus during their first year in the program, so must obtain an on-campus job if they are interested in working during their first year. International students are also capped at 20 hours per week total (so, even if you have multiple on-campus jobs, they cannot add up to more than 20 hours per week).

Visa Process

All international students applying for an F-1 or J-1 visa should click here for detailed instructions about how to complete the I-20/DS-2019 process and set up your visa interviews. The visa process takes a minimum of 6-8 weeks, and many consular offices may be experiencing additional delays. You can view current wait times at the consulate nearest to you here. In some cases, you may be allowed to interview at a consulate in a neighboring country and city, so, if the wait times at the nearest consulate are too long, you can inquire with other consulates about the possibility of interviewing there. In some cases, you may also be able to request emergency, expedited visa appointments.

We encourage you to submit your documentation as soon as possible to avoid any delays. You can find more information on OGS processing times here and learn more about the timeline and required documentation for the visa process here.

Note that you are required to provide proof of funding for the first year of your studies, including tuition and living costs. The Cost of Attendance page should be updated shortly to reflect the price-per-credit-hour rate of $2,652 for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Newly admitted international students should contact newinternational@georgetown.edu with any inquiries or requests.

Newly admitted international students must attend the International Student Orientation and Mandatory Immigration Session in order to activate your Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS) record. More information is on the OGS new student webpage.

Please email Kristen Robinson, Associate Director of Academic Programs, to let her know when you have obtained your visa, as well as which visa (F-1 or J-1) you have secured.

Claiming Your NetID and Password

As a member of the Georgetown community, you have been issued a University ID (GoCard) number and a University NetID that will enable you to access all Georgetown systems. Your University ID (GoCard) number is a series of nine numbers, and begins with the number 8. Your NetID is your initials (depending on whether or not you have a middle name, 2-3 letters) and a number. You can find both pieces of information in your original admissions letter.

Your University NetID password: if you have already set your Georgetown password, that password remains the same. If you have not, your temporary password is "gu" followed by the last six digits of your University ID number. For example, if your university ID is 123456789, your temporary password is: gu456789 (this is case sensitive). You will need to go to http://password.georgetown.edu/ to change this password. This site will enable you to securely enroll in Password Station, and create a permanent password and set responses to security questions.  

If you have questions regarding your NetID or password, contact the University Services Student Help Desk at 202-687-4577 or techhelp@georgetown.edu. 

Accessing Your Georgetown Email and Other Systems

Once you have claimed your NetID and password, you will be able to log into your Georgetown email account. You will also need to enable two-factor authentication using the Duo app in order to access any Georgetown systems, including your email. You can find instructions on how to enroll in Duo here.

Once you have activated your NetID, password, and Duo, you should also create a Zoom account, review technology resources for new students, and log into other platforms, such as:

• GU Experience, a student portal that contains information about registration, student accounts, and student services. If you have any questions about the platform, you can review the GU Experience training and documentation site.

• Canvas, a learning management platform through which students can communicate with faculty, submit assignments, receive grades, etc. You can find an overview of Canvas and frequently asked questions here.

GOCards and Printing Access

Your GOCard will allow you to access university buildings, GUTS buses, and more. For instructions on how to obtain your GOCard, click here. Note that students will no longer be issued a physical GOCard; you will receive an electronic version of your card to keep on your phone. You will use your digital GOCard to access printing at Georgetown via PaperCut. You can find instructions about how to install PaperCut on your device here.

Student Health Insurance

All students are required to purchase the Premier Plan or show proof of equivalent coverage under another plan. You can find more information about the Premier Plan, and student health insurance more generally, here. If you are interested in waiving the student health insurance plan because you already have a comparable plan, you can learn more about plan requirements and access the waiver application here. You can reach the Student Health Insurance team at shi@georgetown.edu.

Enrollment in the Premier Plan is required for international students, with limited exceptions. You can learn more about the policy here.

You may also choose to enroll in Georgetown’s Voluntary Dental Plan for dental insurance.

Laptops and Computer Software

All GHD students need a laptop that can run STATA. As a Georgetown student, you have access to computer software subscriptions through the university's software webstore. You can specifically request STATA access using this form. You can learn more about how to print on campus here.

Billing and Financial Aid

You can find a schedule of billing dates for the upcoming academic year here. Bills are due on August 22, 2025, but you will not be charged any late fees until August 29, 2025, meaning that you will have a grace period of several days to make changes to your schedule. You can find instructions for viewing your bill here. Georgetown also offers you the option to enroll in a payment plan in order to pay your bill in installments. You can learn more about payment plan enrollment here.

If you have applied for financial aid, please stay in touch with Kevin Mahaney (kevin.mahaney@georgetown.edu) from the Office of Student Financial Services at osfsgradfinaid@georgetown.edu. To check/accept your financial aid award letter, please log in to GU Experience and follow the next steps after receiving your financial aid.

International students can find a list of resources around financing and budgeting for their degree here. 

Housing Resources

Check out our GHD Housing Resources folder, where we've compiled a few resources to help you navigate the DC housing search process. There you'll find an overview of the various neighborhoods in the DC area, as well as a few resources (both GU-affiliated and non-university affiliated) to help you find the perfect place!  You can also find ideas crowdsourced from the Classes of 2026 and 2027 here, and some other tips below.

• The vast majority of graduate students live off-campus while studying at Georgetown. The only on-campus housing option currently available to graduate students is 55 H St. NW, which is located on the Capitol Campus.

  • 55 H St. NW is an apartment building operated by Georgetown’s Residential Living team. The property offers furnished single bedrooms in 2-, 3-, and 4-bedroom apartments in addition to a studio option, all at competitive rates for downtown DC and with all utilities included. 55 H St. enjoys the same security protections offered to undergraduate on-campus housing options: Access to the building requires an active GoCard, and the property is monitored by the Capitol Campus Department of Public Safety. More information on 55 H St., including application requirements, is available at Residential Living’s website.

  • Students can choose their preferred apartment configuration and be paired with other students. Watch a video of students living at 55H who were paired as roommates. 

• Georgetown’s graduate students live across the DC metropolitan region, including neighboring areas of Virginia and Maryland. The university’s Office of Neighborhood Life (ONL) offers support and resources to all Georgetown students who live off-campus and hosts a searchable database of available rental properties in the areas surrounding Georgetown. The search is customizable with filters to fit students’ individual housing and accessibility needs. ONL offers guidance to students seeking housing but will not locate housing for them.

Advice for the Search

• The DC housing market is competitive. For the best chance of securing housing with preferred amenities, ONL recommends students begin their search three to four months in advance of their move-in date. Students starting later than this window will still be able to find area housing but may have to be more flexible in their search. 

• Safety is paramount in the housing search. ONL strongly recommends students meet property managers and tour housing options, in person if possible, before signing a lease or transferring any money. Properties should be evaluated for essential safety features such as fire alarms, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and emergency exits. ONL advises those looking for housing options in DC to verify that their prospective property manager has a valid Basic Business License via the city’s SCOUT database.

• Rental costs are variable and subject to fluctuation, but students seeking apartments in neighborhoods surrounding Georgetown can expect to spend upwards of $1,600/month for a studio and $1,800/month for a one-bedroom apartment. Neighboring areas of Virginia and Maryland may offer housing options at lower price points.

Transportation

• Georgetown operates a network of free shuttle buses, called the Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle (GUTS), that links the Hilltop and Capitol campuses and connects them with the city’s Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) metro and bus system. Find the full list of GUTS stops and schedules on the Transportation website.

• Students who live in eligible areas of Maryland and Virginia can find local transportation options, such as the Maryland Transit Authority (MTA) or Arlington Transit (ART), that will help connect them to the WMATA and GUTS bus systems.

• ONL’s Off-Campus Housing (OCH) website includes a filter for housing close to various transportation options. Students can search for housing close to campus shuttle and/or metro routes.

Student Housing Resources

• The Office of Neighborhood Life (ONL)

  • ONL compiles an annual Hoya Neighborhood Living Guide that is tailored to  students living in the neighborhoods immediately surrounding Georgetown’s main campus (Georgetown, Burleith, Foxhall and the Cloisters) and that also includes advice for new DC-area residents. The 2024-25 guide is available online, and the 2025-26 edition will be published later this summer.

  • If students have concerns about a specific property, they can reach out to neighborhoodlife@georgetown.edu for resources and advice.

• Off-Campus Housing

  • Searchable database of available properties

  • The OCH website also includes a roommate matching service. Students seeking a roommate can create a profile on the website that will be visible only to other Georgetown community members using the service.

  • Resources for Living in DC

• Residential Living

  • This office is the point of contact for all current and prospective tenants of 55 H St. NW. Questions about the property should be directed to this office.

• International students can consult International Student & Scholar Services at the Office of Global Services with questions about documentation for housing applications. These students can find rental properties that have experience working with international students by selecting the “Community Features” filter under the “More” tab on Georgetown’s Off Campus Housing (OCH) website.

In recent communications with incoming international students, the Graduate School has suggested the International Student House in Dupont Circle as a possible housing option for this group. The house is run by an organization outside Georgetown but located within walking distance of Georgetown’s GUTS bus stop at Dupont Circle Metro Station. More information is available at the International Student House’s website.

Georgetown recently began offering housing for graduate students at its Capitol Campus Residence, located at 55 H St. NW (near the U.S. Capitol Building). International students may also be interested in International Student House. It's not affiliated with Georgetown, but several of our international students have lived there and taken advantage of its scholarship program.

Transportation To and From Campus

You may or may not know that the Georgetown neighborhood does not have a Metro (subway) stop. While this does somewhat complicate trips to and from campus, there are a number of alternatives:

• Georgetown University Transportation Shuttles (a.k.a. GUTS Buses): GUTS Buses run on several routes, including to the Rosslyn and Dupont Circle Metro stations, the Georgetown University Law Center, and university offices on Wisconsin Avenue. See the university's Transportation page for more information on GUTS Bus routes and schedules.

• There are several public Metrobus lines that run near the university and can transport students to various parts of the city. 

• If you're interested in a more sustainable transportation option, the university encourages and supports bicycling, and offers discounts on annual Capital Bikeshare memberships.

• Students who are working on campus late into the evening can contact the university's SafeRide shuttle service for a ride home, provided they live in close proximity to the university. If a shuttle is not available, students may request an individual escort from a GUPD officer if they don't feel safe walking home.

See the university's Transportation page for more transit information. Note that we do not recommend trying to park on or near campus, as there are no student rates for parking in campus garages, and parking enforcement is very strict in the Georgetown neighborhood.

Summer Reading List

As you begin to prepare for the GHD program this summer, there are several development-related books that we recommend you read (as time allows). Some of these books (listed below) will appear on your Fall course syllabi (including parts of the first two books, and most of the third), so reading them now will give you a good head start. Others are development classics that we think every development professional should read. These are not required before the semester begins, but are intended as a good resource for those of you that would like to get a head start this summer. With a little internet searching, you should be able to find most of them either as free PDFs or as inexpensive e-book files. Enjoy!

• Development as Freedom, by Amartya Sen (Chapter 1 is required for two courses; skim the rest)

• African Perspectives on Colonialism, by A. Adu Boahen (parts are required for one course)

• The Great Surge: The Ascent of the Developing World, by Steve Radelet (almost all of this is required for various courses)

• There Was a Country, by Chinua Achebe (and if you have never done so, read the classic Things Fall Apart, by the same author)

Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty by Abhijit Banerjee and Ester Duflo 

Completing Your Quantitative Prerequisite Courses

• Students who have not taken other courses (either traditional courses, or high-quality, synchronous, graded online courses) to fulfill our prerequisites must complete both a specified free online course AND attend the quant and econ prep sessions. The approved online courses are:

• Macro: AP®︎/College Macroeconomics
  Micro: MITx Online AP® Microeconomics or AP®︎/College Microeconomics
  Statistics: Khan Academy

• If you have completed some, but not all of the requirements, you can elect to attend just the quant and econ prep sessions that are relevant to you. For example, if you have completed your macro and stats requirement, you could elect to just attend the micro prep sessions. However, you must attend all four sessions in the micro series in order to fully fulfill the requirement.

• The quant and econ prep sessions are open to all students, but are only required for the group that has not already completed their prerequisite courses.

• GHD orientation will be on Wednesday and Thursday, August 20 and 21, and the first day of classes will be on Wednesday, August 27. We have designed the timing of the prep sessions with the timing of required orientation activities in mind, and will share the schedule in the coming weeks.

Preparing for Language Study at Georgetown

We recommend familiarizing yourself with the Foreign Language section of the GHD Hub (which includes several sub-pages, so be sure to click through!) over the summer, and proactively reaching out to the department in which you plan to take language courses (if applicable). You are not required to enroll in language courses while at GHD, assuming you are proficient enough in a second (non-native) language (in other words, not the primary language that you grew up speaking) to pass the proficiency exam. If that is the case, you should still check in proactively with the appropriate language department to ensure that they don't want you to take a refresher course before sitting for the proficiency exam.

Most language departments will require that you sit for a placement exam to determine which course level is right for you, so please reach out to them to ask: 1) how to register for the placement exam; and 2) if the level of background that you have in the language will be sufficient to pass the proficiency exam with additional language study while at Georgetown. We'll share lots more information about this during the Academic Planning Workshop in July!

Orientation Dates

GHD orientation, which is required for all members of the Class of 2027, will be held in-person on the morning of Wednesday, August 20, 2025 and all day on Thursday, August 21, 2025,  so please plan your travel accordingly. The School of Foreign Service and the Graduate School will hold other required events throughout that week and the next, prior to the start of classes on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.

New Student Workshops

Coming Soon!

Required Tutorials and Trainings

• Honor Council: Completion of the Honor Council Tutorial is required of all first-year master’s students in Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, including BGE students. You will receive an email directly from the Graduate School with the link to the tutorial and the deadline to complete it. Please complete the Honor Council Tutorial to avoid registration holds.

• Sexual Assault Prevention for Graduates (SAPG): Completion is required of all first-year graduate students, including master’s and doctoral students. Students will receive a message from EVERFI, the third-party provider the University partners with to deliver this training. Please complete the SAPG training to avoid registration holds.