New Student

Who will be my advisor?
How do I set up my myNEU student account?
How will I register for courses?
When does registration begin? When can I drop without a "W" grade?
Which courses should I take?
How can I find housing in the Boston area?
When will I receive more information about my teaching assistantship?
Whom should I contact when my address changes?
Will there be an orientation?
When is the International student orientation? Do I have to attend?
I'm not receiving emails from the English Department. What's going on?
I got a bill for tuition & health insurance, but I'm a teaching assistant. What should I do?
Where can I get my NU ID card?
Where should I bring my Health Report Form?

Additional info for new students can be found on the GSAS website.

Who will be my advisor?
After the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences receives your signed confirmation, the English Graduate Office will send you an advisor assignment. To ensure the timely arrival of your letter, make sure the Graduate Office has your current address on file.

How do I set up my myNEU student account?
Northeastern students may access their student email accounts, update their contact information, register for courses, access Blackboard, and find links to various campus services via their myNEU student account. To activate your myNEU account, click on the "How do I get a myNEU username and password?" link, and follow the directions. If you have any problems, please contact the InfoCommons Help Desk at 617-373-HELP. Please note, if you did not submit a Social Security number with your online application, you may need a special NU-generated number that Melissa Daigle in the Graduate Office can provide upon request.

How will I register for courses?
Northeastern students may register via myNEU or by phone. More registration information is available on the GSAS website.

When does registration begin? When can I drop without a "W" grade?
For important registration dates, please review the academic calendar (available on the Registrar's website) or refer to the English course offerings and descriptions webpage.

Which classes should I take?
Students generally take five courses over the year, and incoming students often take three courses in the Fall semester.
All incoming graduate students take ENGG102: Key Concepts in Rhetoric and Composition. Master's students and doctoral students holding the BA only also take ENGG101: Critical Issues. Doctoral students holding the Master's do not generally take ENGG101: Critical Issues unless their Master's study included no introduction to theory. (A student who is not sure whether to take this course should consult the advisor.) In Spring, students take a mix of core courses and electives according to their program requirements.
English course offerings and descriptions are posted online for your convenience.

How can I find housing in the Boston area?
On- and off-campus housing info can be found on the GSAS website. You must activate your myNEU account before you may access the housing services database. (See FAQ #2 for information on myNEU.)
Many students use Craig's List to find affordable housing. Popular areas for grad students include Brighton, Cambridge, Jamaica Plain, Somerville, and Boston proper.

When will I receive more information about my teaching assistantship?
The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences will send a brochure entitled Terms of Award with your contract letter. Keep this brochure in your files. It answers many frequently asked questions about billing, stipends, paperwork, and more. It is also available online.
In mid-June or early-July, the director of the writing programs sends out a packet with information about English TA orientation, training, and summer preparation. To ensure the timely arrival of those materials, make sure the Graduate Office has your current address on file.

Whom should I contact when my address changes?
Contact the English Graduate Office as soon as possible, and when you can access your myNEU account, submit new contact information to the Registrar's Office via the link provided under the Self Services tab.

Will there be an orientation?
Yes. The Graduate Coordinator and other members of the faculty and staff will host a brief information session, typically on the first or second Friday of Fall session. Event information will be sent to you via email from the Graduate Office.

When is the International student orientation? Do I have to attend?
International student orientation is manditory for all new International students. More information can be found at the ISSI website. After attending the session, International admits will be able to register for classes.

I'm not receiving emails from the English Department. What's going on?
Often, correspondence to email groups is sent bcc:. Check to make sure mail from Northeastern isn't going into your Junk/Bulk folder. Also, double check that the email account you are using matches the email address you provided on your application. As Fall semester approaches, correspondence be sent to your myNEU email address only.

I received a bill for tuition & health insurance, but I'm a teaching assistant. What should I do?
Tuition waivers for both TAs and GSSes take about 8 weeks to clear, after the start of the semester. Health insurance waivers (for TAs only) take about the same amount of time to clear. As appropriate, you may let these balances remain unpaid until the waivers kick in. However, students should pay all other University fees (including the University Health and Counseling Services fee, which is separate from Health Insurance costs) on time to avoid any late fees assessed to the account. Please contact the Graduate Office if your tuition waiver does not clear after 8 weeks.

Where can I get my NU ID card?
After tuition bills have been issued, full- and part-time students may obtain a Husky Card at the Student Accounts Office, 120 Hayden Hall, by presenting a photo identification card, such as a state issued license or passport. With a Husky ID, students can get an e-mail account at InfoCommons, 184 Snell Library, (617) 373-8755 or help@neu.edu. TAs should stop by the Graduate Office to pick up a TA sticker for their ID.

Where should I bring my health report form?
Submit your health report form to the Health Services office, 135 Forsyth Building. To avoid registration blocks, be sure to turn in your form within the first 30 days of the semester and be sure to verify that documentation has arrived if it was sent by someone else. It is your responsibility to make sure the documents are received and are on file with Health Services.

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