Orientation Week
Get Ready for Your First Week!
Thank you for choosing the University of Toronto for your studies, and welcome to the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) family!
Student Orientation takes place at the start of the Fall term. It offers in-person and online activities to connect you with the University of Toronto, OISE, your academic program and your academic department. It is a great way to meet your peers, get comfortable on campus and learn about all the support services you have access to as an OISE graduate student.
Details on the Fall 2026 Orientation events are in progress. This web page will be updated as information becomes available. Watch your UTmail+ email inboxes for further event and RSVP details. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect.
Key Dates & Schedule
All of the sessions will be held at OISE (252 Bloor Street West). Explore events tailored to your specific academic program and department. Please refer to the schedule below for details.
Keep an eye on your UTmail+ inbox for more event details and RSVP information. Don’t miss this chance to connect—mark your calendar and plan to be there!
International Students' Pizza Party
Date & Time: Friday, August 28 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Come and meet your fellow international students and enjoy an evening of fun games and delicious pizzas! Mark your calendars and plan to join us!
Orientation Information Fair
Date & Time: Wednesday, September 2, 2026 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Stop by exhibitor tables to learn more and ask questions about how you can access vital services, groups, clubs and organizations within OISE and U of T communities.
Orientation Reception
Date & Time: Wednesday, September 2, 2026 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Gather for an opportunity to mix and mingle with your fellow OISE community members in a social setting. You will be welcomed by the Registrar’s and Dean’s Offices. This will be followed by a special welcome address from Heather Watts (Mohawk, Six Nations of the Grand River Territory) - OISE PhD. Candidate, educator, storyteller, policy strategist and Principal & Partner at First Peoples Group. Gain words of encouragement and inspiration while engaging in conversation toward building a network of contacts and potential friendships.
Counselling Psychology (CP) EdD Counselling & Psychotherapy Orientation
Date & Time: Tuesday, September 8 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual
MA CSE - Day 1 Orientation
Date & Time: Wednesday, September 9 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Developmental Psychology and Education (DPE) MA & PhD Orientation
Date & Time: Wednesday, September 9 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Clinical and Counselling Psychology (CCP) MA & PhD Orientation
Date & Time: Wednesday, September 9 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Developmental Psychology and Education (DPE) MEd SOCIAL!
Date & Time: Wednesday, September 9 from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
Counselling Psychology (CP) MEd Orientation
Date & Time: Wednesday, September 9 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
School and Clinical Child Psychology (SCCP) MA & PhD Orientation
Date & Time: Wednesday, September 9 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Counselling Psychology (CP) MEd Global Mental Health field Orientation
Date & Time: Wednesday, September 9 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Departmental APHD Orientation
Date & Time: Wednesday, September 9 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Counselling Psychology (CP) EdD School Psychology field Orientation
Date & Time: Wednesday, September 9 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual
MA CSE - Day 2 Orientation
Date & Time: Thursday, September 10 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Developmental Psychology and Education (DPE) MEd Orientation
Date & Time: Thursday, September 10 from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.
Location: Virtual
MA CSE - Day 3 Orientation
Date & Time: Friday, September 11 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
MT – Black Future Educator Pathways (BFEP) Cohort Orientation
Date & Time: Wednesday, September 9 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Special welcome sessions and cohort launch activities.
Master of Teaching (MT) Program Orientation
Date & Time: Thursday, September 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
A full-day orientation introducing you to program expectations, practicum planning, and community building.
Department Orientation
Date & Time: Thursday, September 10 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
A departmental welcome followed by breakout sessions for each program area.
Departmental Orientation
Date & Time: Thursday, September 10 from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Engage in critical discussion, meet faculty, and hear from inspiring guest speakers.
IEN Orientation & Campus Tour
Thursday, September 3, 2026 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (EST)
For new OISE Indigenous students (all community members welcome)
IEN Drop-In Gathering
Thursday, September 3, 2026 from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (EST)
Crafting, socializing, and more (all community members welcome!)
IEN Welcome Social
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (EST)
Register for IEN Orientation events today
Frequently Asked Questions About Orientation
Both! It is possible that some orientation events will take place over Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
Zoom
To ensure you have full Zoom functionalities and to reduce technical issues, you should:
- Claim a free U of T issued Zoom Educational Account.
- Install the free Zoom desktop application, instead of running it on a web browser, to your computer.
- Join a Test Zoom meeting,
- Read Zoom FAQs or access the University of Toronto Zoom Knowledge Base.
- Configure UTORvpn if Zoom is blocked in your country.
Microsoft Teams / Office
All U of T students get free access to Microsoft Office 365 (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and more). Take full advantage of this by installing Office 365.
In the coming weeks, you will find orientation schedules and additional resources on this web page.
You may also receive orientation planning, schedules, and links directly via email from your department or program.
Orientation is a joint effort between several Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) areas. The following are important groups and acronyms you should familiarize yourself with.
Registrar's Office & Student Experience (ROSE)
The ROSE provides information on admission, digital forms, course registration, account information, fee payments, student financial budgeting advice, counselling, accommodations, career services, the OISE Student Success Centre (OSSC), professional development, convocation, and more. ROSE also organizes the OISE-wide Welcome Events and Information Fair.
Your Department (LHAE, SJE, CTL, APHD)
There are four unique departments at OISE, and every program falls under one of them. Each department’s title explains the type of programming they offer. If your department is hosting orientation events, it is likely that you will receive further information via email. The four departments: Applied Psychology & Human Development (APHD), Curriculum, Teaching & Learning (CTL), Leadership, Higher & Adult Education (LHAE), and Social Justice Education (SJE).
Collaborative Specialization
Some students may choose to be a part of a collaborative specialization as well. If your collaborative specialization is hosting orientation programming, you will receive more information via email.
School of Graduate Studies (SGS)
SGS Orientation activities are meant to help you connect with the broader graduate community. Visit the SGS Orientation website to learn more about their orientation events.
For students who cannot attend SGS events in-person or prefer to engage virtually, SGS has a Orientation Quercus site where students can access additional practical information, such as administrative processes for their programs, recordings of orientation day sessions as well as links to synchronous/asynchronous content and workshops. Students can opt-in to the course if they wish and will have access to the content for one year.
All U of T/OISE graduate students have access to resources, programming and services offered through SGS. Such as: academic, professional, awards, international experience, events, Gradlife, and more.
- Graduate Centre for Academic Communication (GCAC)
- Centre for Graduate Professional Development (CGPD)
- SGS Awards & Funding
- Centre for International Experience (CIE)
University of Toronto Graduate Student Union (UTGSU)
The UTGSU represents all U of T graduate students and advocates for improvements that increase the quality of the graduate student experience, including: improved student access to mental health support, increased funding, improved academic support and resources, and more.
UTGSU provides many services for their members, including but not limited to: tax clinics, health, dental, and travel insurance, conference bursaries, confidential academic appeal support and conference, and academic engagement grants.
Registration for Orientation will be available soon. You will receive further information and registration details for your department or program specific orientation programming directly in your UTmail+ email.
Make sure your UTORid and UTmail+ email are set up!
UTORid is short for University of Toronto ID. Your UTORid is necessary for accessing everything online at U of T/OISE. Therefore, you must set up your UTORid as soon as possible.
As you set up your UTORid, you will also set up your UTmail+ (short for University of Toronto email).
You will receive many orientation event invites, and it can be overwhelming! But, every incoming student has unique needs and may prioritize things differently. We recommend the following priority order.
Priority #1
- Registrar's Office and Student Experience (ROSE) at OISE
- Your Department, Program, or Collaborative Specialization at OISE
Priority #2
- School of Graduate Studies (SGS) at U of T
- University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU) at U of T
Priority #3
- All other U of T/OISE group orientation events
