How and when do I enroll in graduate classes for the first time?
Your admission notification email from the Graduate College contains your Student Identification number (SID) and your Personal Identification Number (PIN). Your SID and PIN are needed to create your UA NetID and password. Once you have created your NetID and password, you may log in to UAccess Student Center at https://www.uaccess.arizona.edu/. If you are unable to enroll, this may be due to a hold on your account. You can check for holds by looking at the "Notices & Holds" section in UAccess Student Center. This section will list all outstanding holds, including immunization record holds and others that could block enrollment. By clicking the hold, you should be informed how to resolve the hold. If there is an immunization record hold that is set by Campus Health, it can be cleared by submitting your immunization records at https://health.arizona.edu/graduate-students. If you are still unable to enroll after examining and taking care of any holds, please contact Jini Kandyil at jini{at}optics.arizona.edu.
How many classes should I take in my first semester as a full-time graduate student?
A typical course load for students not on a 0.5 FTE RA or TA would include three 3-unit courses. Additionally, PhD students supported on College scholarships must take research 'rotation' units via OPTI 792 during the first year.
What classes should I take in my first semester of the PhD program?
This topic is discussed on the PHD Program page of this website. Please scroll to the section below the Course Requirements Overview.
How do I register for OPTI 792 if I am an incoming PhD student?
You cannot enroll in OPTI 792 on your own. You and a professor must agree to work together for the semester first, and then you will submit a form to Jini Kandyil who will then enroll you for the course. We recommend that you wait until the start of the Fall semester to talk with professors about research and OPTI 792 options, or start talking with a couple of professors via Zoom over the summer. You can submit the OPTI 792 paperwork once you've decided on the research activities that you will pursue for the semester.
Once I have received an offer of admission to the University of Arizona, how do I accept the offer?
In order to accept your offer of admission, you must log back in to your graduate application and select the button to "Accept" admission.
When does UA need my official transcripts, and where do I need to send them?
If your admission status indicates "Subject To", you must submit your final official transcripts within 30 days after the first day of classes. Failure to submit these official documents will prevent your ability to enroll for your second semester. Official electronic transcripts received directly from the institution or clearinghouse may be sent to transcripts@grad.arizona.edu or by mail to: University of Arizona Graduate Admissions, Administration Building Rm 322, PO Box 210066, Tucson, AZ 85721-0066.
Does UA need to see my immunization records?
Yes. On-campus students must submit immunization records online to Campus Health: https://health.arizona.edu/new-student-immunization-requirements. You will not be able to register for classes until this has been submitted and approved.
How else should I prepare to become a new Optical Sciences graduate student?
Please see our ToDo List for New Graduate Students.
F.A.Q. is at the end of the MS information page: https://sites.google.com/view/uawcos/ms-programs
If I am a PhD student receiving first-year scholarship funding offered by the College, when does my funding start, and how will I receive it?
Fall scholarship funding will be released the week before classes begin. This includes your tuition waiver, stipend, and health insurance award. All funding is processed by the UA Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid and will be credited to your UA Bursars Student Account. Your student account is a central billing account for University tuition charges, department charges (student housing, meal plan, campus health, books, etc), miscellaneous fees, and receiving payments and financial aid. It is recommended that you enroll in Web Refund to have refunds sent directly to your bank account. This will expedite the receipt of your stipend funds. For further funding questions that are specifically about scholarship funding, please email Mark Rodriguez at mrod{at}optics.arizona.edu.
If I am supported on a Research Assistantship, when does my funding start, and how will I receive it?
The Fall Research Assistantship (RA) start date is the week before classes start. Students being hired as an RA by an Optical Sciences professor will need to complete a Fall Funding Authorization Form. The form will be available in mid-June at http://www.optics.arizona.edu/academics/funding/graduate-student-appointments. To review the financial benefits associated with an RA position visit https://www.optics.arizona.edu/osc-students/scholarships-funding/graduate-assistantships. Note that the tuition award and health insurance award provided by an RA position should be posted to a student's account the week before the semester begins, if hiring is completed. The stipend benefit will be provided in the form of a pay-check, issued bi-weekly over the course of the semester. For further funding questions that are specifically about Optical Sciences, or for questions about RAs that start in Spring, please email Mark Rodriguez at mrod{at}optics.arizona.edu.
How are taxes applied to scholarships or Research Assistantships?
Review the UA Tax Services Office website for information regarding taxation of scholarships and fellowships. All enrolled students are issued a Tax Statement Form 1098-T from the University by January of each year. The form includes tax related information for the previous calendar year (January-December). Students are advised to consult a tax professional regarding this information.
All University employees, including RAs and students hired into Student Wage Positions (including a portion of a FoTO recipient's Spring semester stipend) are subject to income taxes. RAs are subject to federal and state withholding at the student rate. RAs are FICA exempt during fall/spring when enrolled for six or more units but FICA is withheld during summer. The University will issue employees a form W-2, which reports taxable salaries/wages received form the University during the previous calendar year. Additional questions should be directed to the UA Tax Services Office.
How should I look for housing, and where are some good places in Tucson for students to live?
Please see the Finding Housing section on the New Students page on this website. Also, one of the best resources for this kind of information is to talk with other Optical Sciences graduate students. If you would like to be put in touch with a current Optical Sciences graduate student to discuss housing options, please contact Jini Kandyil: jini{at}optics.arizona.edu.
If I am admitted to the UA as an international student, what do I need to know to prepare to be a UA grad student?
Please see https://global.arizona.edu/international-students/graduate-students for this information. If you have additional questions, particularly questions that pertain to Optical Sciences, please contact Jini Kandyil: jini{at}optics.arizona.edu.
What is the cost for parking on campus?
Here is the website for the UA Parking and Transportation office: https://parking.arizona.edu/. Rates for parking permits can be found here: https://parking.arizona.edu/parking/permit-rates/.
Are there free places to park near campus?
On most of the streets in the neighborhoods immediately surrounding campus, street parking is not allowed without a permit along the few blocks closest to campus. Permit-free street parking is possible a little bit further away, and some students find parking to the south of campus about a 15 minute walk away from the Optical Sciences building.
Are there places to park and lock a bike near the Optical Sciences building?
Yes. There are bike racks by the Optical Sciences building. There are also other options for more secure bike parking. For about $35/year, you can lock your bike in an enclosure in the parking garage next to Optical Sciences. A bicycle locker can be rented for about $100/year. There are a few lockers near Optical Sciences, check with Parking and Transportation for availability. Bicycle enclosure and locker information can be found here: https://parking.arizona.edu/bicycle/lockers-enclosures/
Are there other transportation options to get to the Optical Science building from elsewhere in Tucson?
There is a bus stop on the north side of Optical Sciences. Also by the bus stop is a station for TuGo, the Tucson bike share program: https://tugobikeshare.com/. Annual passes for the bike share program are $80, although UA students may be able to get 50% off of a yearly membership. There is also a streetcar with a route between UA and downtown Tucson. Finally, there are many places to live that are close enough to the UA to walk to campus.
Does Tucson have designated bike routes?
Yes. A bike route map can be found here: http://www.bicycletucson.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/TucsonMetroBikeMap2010.pdf. Note in particular the north/south bikeways along Mountain Ave and Treat Ave, and the east-west bikeway along 3rd St and the east-west bike path along the Rillito "River". These the especially popular bike routes.
Can I apply graduate course credits previously taken elsewhere towards my UA degree?
Possibly, as long as those credits were not applied to your bachelor's degree. You must first submit a Transfer Credit Form in GradPath (https://grad.arizona.edu/gsas/gradpath) so the Graduate College can determine if your courses are eligible to be transferred. Once the Graduate College has deemed your course(s) eligible then you need to submit an Optical Sciences form including all related course syllabi to determine whether the transferred credit can also be counted towards your degree. You may do all of this once you arrive on campus and after you have started your graduate program, but the request needs to be submitted to the Graduate College by the end of the first year of study. The minimum grade for transferred credits must be an A or B or the equivalent at the institution where course was taken.
How many transfer credits can I apply to a PhD degree?
Typically, up to 12 units of transfer coursework may be approved for use toward the Ph.D requirements from various STEM graduate degree programs if the courses relate to optics or the student's intended research area, or up to 18 units for students from other optics graduate degree programs. Additional transfer units may be approved in exceptional circumstances. Please discuss your situation with the Associate Dean for Graduate Academic Affairs. Please see https://grad.arizona.edu/gsas/degree-requirements/doctor-philosophy for additional policies.
How many transfer credits can I apply to an MS degree?
According to UA Graduate College rules, no more than 20% of the minimum number of units required for a master's degree can be transferred from other accredited institutions. For example, if the MS degree requires 32 units, then no more than 6 units can be transferred, or if the MS degree requires 35 units of coursework, then no more than 7 units can be transferred. However, if graduate coursework was previously taken at UA, then additional units can be applied to the MS degree. Please see https://grad.arizona.edu/gsas/degree-requirements/masters-degrees for additional policies.