In-person Orientation will be held on-campus, in Springfield, IL from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Springfield. There are four (4) in-person orientation sessions. Students only have to attend one session. There are limited seats in each session.

Notes:

1. Online (OL) degree majors will attend a Virtual (synchronous - live) Orientation (see below). OL degree majors that live near Springfield have the option to attend one of the in-person session instead.
2. First-Year Honors Students who have been offered and accepted admission into the Capital Scholars Honors program will choose one of three In-person dates: June 16, June 18, or June 21 or the Virtual Orientation June 25-26 (International and Out-of-State students only).
3. International Students may choose to register for the Virtual Orientation June 25-26 if you do not live close enough to attend an In-person session.
4. Out-of-State Students may choose to register for the Virtual Orientation June 25-26 if you do not live close enough to attend an In-person session.
5. Athletes - Athletics has programming for  First Year and First Year Transer Athletes so choose either June 16 or June 18;  Transfer (coming in with more than 24 credit hours) Athletes are encouraged to attend the June 23 Orientation session for programming. 

Students admitted after the June orientations will receive information from New Student Orientation & Parent Relations about the last in-person session or virtual date (for OL degree majors)in August right before the start of classes.

To access your Online Orientation Modules—our Online Orientation in Canvas—you must first register for an in-person or virtual (for online degree majors) session. Once registered, you’ll gain access to the online module when it opens on May 19, 2025.

The Online Orientation guides you through making an academic advising appointment, accessing your student account, managing your financial aid, and setting up authorized payers, payment plans, direct deposit, and more.

It includes 10 modules with readings, videos, and forms, taking about 2 hours to complete (you can pause and return anytime).

Please finish by your orientation date to be eligible for class registration.

New Student Welcome takes place the few days before classes start and is the time where you will get to know campus better, meet new friends, and become a full fledged Prairie Star! It will start Wednesday, August 20, and continue Thursday, August 21, Friday, August 22, and Saturday, August 23. Required programming will be held between 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. each day with fun activities in the evenings. A schedule will be available in early August. Your first day of classes will be Friday, August 22.

Notes: Online (OL) degree majors will not be required to attend New Student Welcome. Students living near Springfield who wish to participate in events, please reach out to UISOrientation@uis.edu, we would love to have you join us.

Registration will be available on your UIS Application Status Page beginning Monday, March 3 or within 24-48 hours of submitting your Intent to Enroll (after March 3). Registering for the in-person/virtual Orientation date triggers access to the Online Orientation (see above).      

In-person Orientation will be held on-campus, in Springfield, IL from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (draft schedule available March 3) in Springfield. There are four (4) in-person orientation sessions. Students only have to attend one session. There are limited seats in each session.

Notes:

1. Online (OL) degree majors will attend a Virtual (synchronous - live) Orientation (see below). OL degree majors that live near Springfield have the option to attend one of the in-person session instead.
2. First-Year Honors Students who have been offered and accepted admission into the Capital Scholars Honors program will choose one of three In-person dates: June 16, June 18, or June 21 or the Virtual Orientation June 25-26 (International and Out-of-State students only).
3. International Studentsmay choose to register for the Virtual Orientation June 25-26 if you do not live close enough to attend an In-person session.
4. Out-of-State Students may choose to register for the Virtual Orientation June 25-26 if you do not live close enough to attend an In-person session.
   
   Students admitted after the June orientations will receive information from New Student Orientation & Parent Relations about the last in-person session or virtual date (for OL degree majors)in August right before the start of classes.

Virtual Orientation (to substitute for In-Person session for first-year and first-year transfer Online (OL) degree majors).

• Virtual Orientation will be synchronous (live) Wednesday, June 25 AND Thursday, June 26 between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. (CT). A draft schedule will be available March 3.
• We will be using Zoom. The links will be emailed to your UIS email account 24 hours before the session.
• You will need a reliable internet source. For the best experience we encourage a laptop or desktop and connection to the internet through an ethernet cord. You will need to be able to turn on your camera and microphone and respond in the chat.
• You will need to complete the online orientation in Canvas before your virtual session.

Parent & Guest Registration:

We encourage Parents and Family Members to register and attend Orientation with their students. Parent/Family track runs concurrently with student sessions for both the In-person and Virtual programs. Substituting family friends or mentors (18 or older) is permitted if parents or family members are unavailable. They should expect to attend parent/family programming. Parents, family members, and guests are not allowed at student-only programming.  Access to online family orientation through May of 2026 is included in the registration fee. Note: it is a long day and may not be suitable for young children. 

Orientation Fee 

There is a $175 Orientation Fee for students, and a $30 guest fee (per guest), that is paid at the time of registration. Choose payment method when registering for your Orientation date: credit card, check/money order (drawn from US bank), or defer to student account (assessed August 1, due September 28). If deferring payment, the Orientation Fee can be paid through the Bursar's Office with the student's bill when it is generated after September 5.

Guest Fee: $30/person. Includes lunch (In-person), materials, online orientation access, and more. Virtual Orientation $15/person. Non-refundable.

Placement Testing: First-year students are required to take Math and English Placement Testing. Your academic advisor will let you know if you are required to take any placement exams. Make arrangements with the UIS Testing Center. Complete tests before your In-person/Virtual Orientation date so you can register for English, Math or Chemistry courses your major requires you to take your first semester. 

Advising: Directions to make your virtual advising appointment are part of the Online Orientation. If you have completed your online orientation, you can begin to make your appointment with your academic advisor. Advisors will be opening up their appointment calendar beginning Wednesday, May 21. Please Note: Students will register for classes during their in-person/virtual Orientation session.