Skip to main content

New Student Onboarding

Welcome to new student onboarding for Northwestern’s MS in Technology, People, and Policy. This page brings together the key steps, deadlines, and resources you need before classes begin, from setting up your NetID and email to preparing for registration, orientation, Canvas, and student services.

Onboarding Checklist

ASAP

  • Using the instructions emailed to you, set up your NetID and password. Your NetID and activation code were sent to your email address.
  • Set up your @u.northwestern.edu Gmail account. Visit umail.northwestern.edu and enter your NetID and password to set it up.
  • Submit your Confirmation of Intention to Register form to mtepp_assistant@northwestern.edu. Your u.northwestern.edu email address must be included on this form. We will add that address to the MTePP student listserv.
  • Pay your non-refundable commitment fee via the application portal.
  • To protect the privacy of our new and current students, faculty, and systems, the university has added an additional step to the process of configuring multi-factor authentication, which is required to log in with your NetID. Once you have completed this registration, you will be able to log in with your NetID, accept your offer of admission, and make your deposit. The process to register your device before accepting your offer of admission is simple and can be found here: Duo Multi-factor Device Setup. Students are encouraged to watch this brief video before starting this process. Should you have technical problems with this process, please contact the university's IT team for support. You will need three items to successfully complete this process.
    • Your Net ID, which was included in your notification of admission.
    • A government-issued ID
    • A smartphone camera and stable internet connection.
  • International Students Only: Visit the International Student Onboarding page and follow the instructions listed there to begin the process of obtaining your I-20/DS-2019. Notifications regarding access to the OISS portal will be sent to your u.northwestern.edu email address.
  • Attend Virtual MTePP Meet and Greet:
  • Begin the process of obtaining your Northwestern Wildcard, which is your physical student ID. You must submit your photo by August 1. You will be able to pick up your Wildcard during the required in-person Academic Orientation event. You will need your Wildcard to get into the building where classes are held starting at 6:00 pm. The Wildcard has other benefits as well which can be found on the Wildcard Office website.
  • Fall 2026 MTePP core courses will be delivered in the hybrid format.
    • The MTePP program allows flexibility, based on the commitment a student makes, to pursue the program as an in-person student or as a remote synchronous student.
    • An in-person participant is physically present in a designated classroom. An MTePP student commits this modality in all their courses for at least an academic quarter.
    • A remote-synchronous participant joins online via a web-conferencing platform, like Zoom, located physically separate from a designated classroom and participates with other people who are also on Zoom and/or in person. An MTePP student commits to this modality in all their courses for at least an academic quarter.
    • Hybrid learning is the environment, comprised of physical space and web-conferencing technology, and communication that occurs amongst students and instructors from different modalities.
      What makes this hybrid learning environment special is the real-time engagement of students across modalities—and across the world. Faculty and staff are committed to connecting students within and across modalities in courses.
  • Check the MTEPP Calendar for important MTePP dates and events.

Before August 19 (5 weeks before the start of classes)

  • Install the Northwestern VPN (to access the library and databases off campus). You can get the instructions here. You also need to be on the VPN to access the program planner (next item). 
  • Read the MTEPP Student Handbook for important program policy details. Once you have thoroughly read through the handbook, please complete this short online form so that we can verify that you have familiarized yourself with the policies and expectations of MTePP.

Before September 2 (3 weeks before the start of classes)

The week of September 16 (1 week before the start of classes)

  • Registration for new, incoming students will take place during in-person registration, Sept. 15th through 17th.
  • Once you’ve registered for classes, you should be able to access your courses via Canvas. Please read the course syllabi for your classes and complete all pre-quarter reading/assignments prior to the first-class meeting as indicated.

On or After September 23 (within the first few weeks of class)

MTEPP classes will begin on Wednesday, September 23. Please check the MTEPP Calendar for first class meetings.

FYI: Tuition is billed quarterly on the 10th of every month in CAESAR. You will receive an email once your bill has been issued. Typically, if you register before the 10th of the month, you will be billed on the 10th, and it will be due on the 1st of the following month. If you register on the 11th of the month, your bill won’t be issued until the 10th of the following month. Any scholarship awarded will be credited to CAESAR.

Before October 1 (within the first few weeks of class)

  • You must either (a) enroll in or (b) waive Northwestern’s Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) by October 1, which you will do through CAESAR. (“Quick Links”->“Health Coverage Plan”->“NU Insurance Selection Form”).
    • INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: Northwestern University requires all degree-seeking international students – students holding a J-1 or F-1 U.S. visa – to confirm their annual Northwestern University Student Health Insurance Plan (NU-SHIP) enrollment, and maintain coverage in the NU-SHIP, for the entire time they are studying at Northwestern. They strongly advise against students seeking and purchasing an alternate plan as exceptions to this policy will not be granted.

Additional Resources and Opportunities for Engagement

  • Visit Student Financial Services. For funding options, consider either US-sponsored loans (you must first complete a FAFSA; international and certificate-only students are not eligible) or private loans. You can also reference this Student Loan Brochure for more information.
  • Questions about graduate housing? Click here to access our Residential Services webpage.
  • Northwestern provides free software for download, including Microsoft 365. Please click here for instructions. If downloading while off-campus, you will need to download the university VPN first.

Student Support and Community Resources: