Information for New Students

To be activated for the term and gain access to course enrollment, you need to clear all of the admission conditions listed in your official offer of admission from the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS).

Provide your official transcripts: the SGPS website has instructions on how to submit your official transcripts. If you have any questions about submitting your official transcripts, please email gradapps@uwo.ca.

Provide your study permit (if applicable): once you receive your study permit, please email a scanned copy to gradapps@uwo.ca and ceeresearchgrad@uwo.ca. You can also present your study permit in person at the SGPS front desk (International & Graduate Affairs Building, Room 1N07).

As an MESc or PhD student, you will need to meet with your supervisor(s) to discuss which courses you should enroll in during your program. Please note that you will not be able to enroll in courses until all of your admission conditions have been cleared. For more information about enrolling in courses, please visit our Course Enrollment webpage. 

During your time at Western, your Western ONECard will serve as your student ID card, as well as your bus pass, library card, and more.

You will be able to upload a photo for your Western ONECard one day after you have been term activated. For information about uploading your photo and picking up your Western ONECard, please visit the Office of the Registrar's Western ONECard webpage.

To use your preferred or chosen first name on your Western ONECard, Western email, class lists, and OWL, please complete the Preferred/Chosen First Name Change Request Form and email your completed form to contact@uwo.ca.

During your time at Western, all official communication will be sent to your Western University email address (your "@uwo.ca" email).

Email is the primary method of correspondence at Western, and so it is your responsibility to check your Western email account regularly. You may wish to forward emails from this account to a private email address for easy access.

To use your preferred or chosen first name on your Western email, WesternONE Card, class lists, and OWL, please complete the Preferred/Chosen First Name Change Request Form and email your completed from to contact@uwo.ca.

Please contact Western Technology Services (WTS) if you are unable to access your Western email account.

You can access your Online Statement of Account through the Student Center. Make sure to pay any tuition and ancillary fees that are not covered by your funding support package by the deadlines indicated.

The Office of the Registrar's website contains more information about tuition fee schedules (please note that tuition and ancillary fee schedules are posted approximately one month before the start of each term) and fee payment methods.

If you have any questions related to tuition fees and fee payments, please contact the Office of the Registrar.

To work as a teaching assistant or research assistant, or to work in any other position while you are in Canada, you must have a Social Insurance Number (SIN). If you do not already have a SIN, we recommend applying for one as soon as possible.

The International and Exchange Student Centre's (IESC) website contains more information about how to apply for a SIN.

Once you have received your SIN, make sure to update your information in the Student Center and in My Human Resources.

Student Center

Make sure that your personal information recorded in the Student Center is up to date (phone number, address, emergency contacts, and Social Insurance Number). 

Your address: this should be your new London address.

Your emergency contacts: your emergency contacts can be worldwide. It is recommended that one of your emergency contacts is a family member.

Your Social Insurance Number: please see the above Applying for a Social Insurance Number section for more information on how to apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN) if you do not already have one. After receiving your SIN, please update your information in the Student Center.

If any of this information changes during your time studying at Western, please make sure to make any necessary updates in the Student Center.

My Human Resources

To receive your funding payments via Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT), you must set up your direct deposit banking information in My Human Resources (My HR).

 You will also need to make sure that your personal information recorded in My HR is up to date, including your address, contact details, emergency contacts, and SIN.

For information about how to update your personal information and add your direct deposit information to My HR, please visit Graduate Student Access to My Human Resources.

Alert WesternU

Alert WesternU is Western's emergency notification system. To update your contact information to ensure that you receive messages in case of an emergency, visit Alert WesternU.

Immigration/Residency Status Changes

If you need to extend your study permit at any time during your studies at Western, you must provide SGPS with a copy of your new study permit (visit International & Graduate Affairs Building, Room 1N07, or email gradapps@uwo.ca). Please also email a scanned copy of your new study permit to ceeresearchgrad@uwo.ca.

If you receive Permanent Residency status at any time during your graduate studies, you must provide proof of Permanent Residency to SGPS.

All students in the MESc and PhD programs are required to complete the following health and safety trainings: 

• AODA - Accessibility in Teaching
• Building Inclusivity through Anti-Racism
• Cyber Safety Awareness
• Laboratory Safety and Hazardous Waste Management
• Safe Campus Community
• Supporting Disclosures of Gender-Based and Sexual Violence
• WHIMS
• Worker Health and Safety Awareness

Students can access these trainings through the Graduate Student Health & Safety Training OWL site (OWL login required). All of the required trainings are listed in the Assignments tab of this OWL site.

After successfully completing a training, you will receive a certificate of completion. To have your training completion recorded, save this completion certificate and upload it to the appropriate assignment listed in the Graduate Student Health & Safety Training OWL site.

All required trainings must be completed by the end of the second month of your first term of study.

Failure to complete the required health and safety trainings may result in the deactivation of your student account, and you will not be able to access any services at Western (the library, after-hours building access, the gym, etc.) until you have provided proof of training completion.

University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP)

All international students at Western are automatically enrolled in the University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP). UHIP coverage is mandatory, and the cost is automatically included in your total tuition fee. If you have eligible dependents travelling with you to Ontario, they must also be enrolled in UHIP.

To learn more about UHIP and how to apply for UHIP for your dependents, please visit the International and Exchange Student Centre's UHIP webpage.

SOGS Health and Dental Plan

All full-time graduate students (domestic and international) are enrolled in the SOGS health plan, which provides coverage to supplement the OHIP or UHIP primary health insurance plans. To learn more about the SOGS health plan, or if you have alternative health insurance coverage and would like to opt-out of the SOGS plan, please visit the SOGS Health and Dental Coverage webpage.

PSAC Health Benefits

All graduate students who work as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) in a given academic year have access to PSAC 610's Extended Health Plan and Mental Health Fund during that year. For more information about these health benefits, please visit the PSAC 610 Benefits webpage.

Health and Wellness Services

Students can book a physical health appointment through Western's Health and Wellness Services (located in Thames Hall, room 2170). Book an appointment with Western Health and Wellness Services here.

For more information about the services offered by Health and Wellness Services, visit the Health and Wellness Services website.

Mental Health Support

Students can request to book an appointment with Western Engineering's Student Wellness Counsellor, Sara Hanna, MSW.

Western Health and Wellness Services also offers mental health support to students: book a counselling appointment with Western Health and Wellness Services.

Other resources:

Mental Health Crisis Supports
Additional Mental Health Supports for Students
Studentcare Mental Health Resources: Studentcare is part of the SOGS Health Plan.

Additional Health and Wellness Resources

Western Student Recreation Centre: all graduate students receive membership to the Rec Centre.
Self-Care and Wellness Resources at Western
International Student Wellness

Please make sure to review our MESc/PhD Program Policies and Procedures webpage to familiarize yourself with important policies related to the CEE MESc and PhD programs.

The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS)

The SGPS website contains important policies and procedures related to graduate programs at Western University, as well as a variety of resources for graduate students. Please take some time to familiarize yourself with the SGPS website.

Senate Academic Policies and Procedures and SGPS Regulations
Academic Resources
Life and Community
Career Development

Additional Academic Resources

Western Engineering Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office
Writing Support Centre
Learning Development and Success
Western Libraries
Accessible Education
Office of the Ombudsperson

Professional Development and Careers

The Western Engineering Career Services office provides career planning and job search support to graduate students in the Faculty of Engineering.

The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies also provides career development resources for graduate students.

The Centre for Teaching and Learning offers useful workshops and resources for graduate students who want to develop their teaching skills, including programs for Teaching Assistants and the Western Certificate in University Teaching and Learning.

PSAC 610

PSAC 610 is the union representing Teaching Assistants and Postdoctoral Associates at Western University. Graduate Teaching Assistants who are members of PSAC are eligible for PSAC Teaching Assistant Benefits.

Visit the PSAC 610 website for more information.

Society of Graduate Students (SOGS)

SOGS is Western University's graduate student government and advocacy organization. As a graduate student at Western, you are automatically a member of SOGS.

SOGS provides a wide variety of resources and support to graduate students, and they also organize graduate student clubs and social events.

Visit the SOGS website for more information.

Graduate Engineering Society (GES)

The GES is a student-run association for all Western Engineering graduate students that organizes social and professional development events throughout the year.

Visit the GES website or contact weges@uwo.ca for more information and to get involved.

Additional Resources

Indigenous Student Centre
International and Exchange Student Centre Programs and Services
Graduate Student Life

Several orientation sessions are held for new students in the first week of term. Keep an eye out for emails with more information about these events as we approach the start of term.

There are two mandatory orientation sessions for all students: the departmental orientation hosted by the Civil and Environmental Engineering department, and the Faculty of Engineering orientation.

Various groups across campus host additional orientation events that you may be interested in attending:
Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) orientation: SOGS holds a orientation week for graduate students during the Fall and Winter terms.
International and Exchange Student Centre (IESC) orientation: the IESC holds a series of orientation events for incoming international students every term.
Graduate Student Life orientation: Graduate Student Life coordinates a series of orientation events to connect incoming graduate students with various resources on campus.